logo
Broadway House flats in Bradford approved despite 'flood risk'

Broadway House flats in Bradford approved despite 'flood risk'

BBC News24-06-2025
Part of a Bradford office building is set to be converted into flats despite a warning that it is unsuitable for residential use due to a "high risk of flooding".Broadway House, on the newly-pedestrianised area of Bank Street, is made up of ground-floor businesses and office spaces on its first, second and third floors.Earlier this year, property developer Springer revealed plans to convert the upper floors into 28 apartments.The works have now been approved by Bradford Council despite an objection from the Environment Agency, which said residential use of the building should be avoided because the site was within a flood plain.
The agency told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the building's location meant there was a "high risk of flooding". "We recommend that planning permission is refused on this basis."We continue to urge planning authorities to follow national guidance to reduce flood risk and protect communities."When asked why the flats were approved despite the objection, a Bradford Council spokesperson said a flood risk assessment (FRA) had found the proposal "does not introduce unacceptable flood risks".They added: "The upper-floor location of the residential units significantly reduces vulnerability, and the development does not increase flood risk to the site or wider area."The FRA also sets out a number of flood risk mitigation measures that are to be implemented in order to ensure the impacts of any potential flooding are minimised. "Given these considerations, the proposal can be deemed acceptable in terms of flood risk."
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Major British bank with five million customers set to be sold to high street rival after days of speculation
Major British bank with five million customers set to be sold to high street rival after days of speculation

The Sun

time32 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Major British bank with five million customers set to be sold to high street rival after days of speculation

A MAJOR British bank with five million customers is set to be sold to a high street rival after days of speculation. Santander have agreed a deal to acquire TSB from Sabadell for a whopping £2.65billion. 2 2 The bank beat British rival Barclays which also put in a formal bid for the Sabadell-owned unit, according to sources. Santander intends to integrate TSB in the Santander UK group, meaning it would become the second largest bank in the country by personal current account balances. However, the final transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and Sabadell shareholder approval. The full transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026. TSB already boasts a nationwide network of 218 branches and outlets, and a growing digital presence. It serves approximately 5 million customers, primarily in the personal and small business segments, with £34 billion in mortgages and £35 billion in deposits. But with the latest buyout news, TSB combined with Santander would serve nearly 28 million retail and business customers nationwide. And TSB customers will also have access to Santander's international network in a massive boost. This means they can benefit from the group's leading technology platforms. The latest acquisition appears to be another win for Santander as the company strengthens its position in one of its core markets. It comes as Sabadell, which bought TSB in 2015 for £1.7bn, is seeking to fend off an billion-pound hostile approach from its domestic rival BBVA. Santander has in the past year entertained bids from both NatWest and Barclays for its UK retail arm - but ultimately rejected both offers due to disagreements over price. Ana Botín, Banco Santander's executive chair, said: "The acquisition of TSB represents a continuing strategic commitment to our customers in the UK, offering a compelling opportunity that is financially attractive to our shareholders and aligned with Santander's long-term objectives. "It strengthens our franchise in a core market through the acquisition of a low-risk and complementary business that adds to our diversification. "We are creating a stronger and more competitive business across key products such as personal current accounts where the combined business will become the second largest bank in the UK by market share. "The transaction will accelerate our path to greater profitability in the UK and helps achieve a return on tangible equity of 16% by 2028. "The acquisition also reflects our commitment to growing profitably through disciplined capital allocation. This acquisition meets our goal of achieving a return on investment above 20% and EPS accretion from year 1, while consuming limited capital and having low execution risk. "Furthermore, the transaction will not affect Santander's existing distribution policy and 2025 targets.' Meanwhile, CEO of Santander UK, Mike Regnier said: "This is an excellent deal for customers combining two strong and complementary banks, creating one of the most substantial banks in the UK and materially enhancing the competitiveness of the industry. 'At Santander UK we have momentum in our strategy to become the best bank for customers in the UK by investing in technology and service and improving our processes and efficiency. "This deal accelerates our transformation allowing us to enhance our customer proposition and invest more in innovative products and our digital offering, supported by the human touch service so many appreciate, not least in our new branch formats and enhancements across the country. 'We are fully committed to ensuring a seamless integration, by leveraging our market leading technology and significant experience. "Maintaining the highest levels of service for customers across both banks will be a key priority and we will support all colleagues through the transition, as we invest in building a stronger bank for the future'.

Starmer abandons key welfare reforms in face of Labour revolt
Starmer abandons key welfare reforms in face of Labour revolt

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

Starmer abandons key welfare reforms in face of Labour revolt

Sir Keir Starmer has been forced to abandon a key plank of his welfare reform package in the face of a Labour rebellion. The Government has shelved plans to restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip) and any changes will now only come after a review of the benefit. The climbdown came just 90 minutes before MPs were due to vote for the first time on the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill. It will cause a major headache for Chancellor Rachel Reeves as the welfare squeeze was originally meant to save £4.8 billion a year, which was subsequently reduced to £2.3 billion when the Bill was first watered down last week. Postponing any changes to the eligibility criteria for Pip means it is now uncertain how much the reforms will save from the soaring welfare bill. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused ministers of 'utter capitulation' and said the legislation was now 'pointless'. She said: 'They should bin it, do their homework, and come back with something serious. Starmer cannot govern.' Some 39 Labour MPs have signed an amendment which would see the Bill fall at its first hurdle in the Commons. Rebel ringleader Rachael Maskell said: 'The whole Bill is now unravelling and is a complete farce. 'What it won't do is stop the suffering of disabled people which is why we are determined to go ahead with the reasoned amendment and attempt to vote down the Bill at second reading.' A previous effort to kill the Bill had attracted more than 120 Labour supporters, but was dropped after the first partial U-turn on the legislation last week, which restricted the Pip changes to new claimants from November 2026. That date has now been abandoned in the latest climbdown, with any changes now only coming after disability minister Sir Stephen Timms' review of the Pip assessment process. Sir Stephen announced the climbdown in the middle of the debate on the legislation. He acknowledged 'concerns that the changes to Pip are coming ahead of the conclusions of the review of the assessment that I will be leading'. He said the Government would now 'only make changes to Pip eligibility activities and descriptors following that review', which is due to conclude in the autumn of 2026. The concession came after frantic behind-the-scenes negotiations in Westminster involving the Prime Minister, his cabinet and wavering Labour MPs. It appeared to have won round some Labour doubters. Josh Fenton-Glynn, who was one of the 126 Labour MPs who signed the original rebel amendment to the welfare reform Bill last week, described the move as 'really good news'. He said he wanted to support the Government at 'every opportunity' and was glad changes to personal independence payment eligibility would be delayed until after the Timms review. But other Labour MPs appeared exasperated, with one telling the PA news agency that no-one 'knew what they were voting on anymore'.

AstraZeneca boss ‘wants to shift stock market listing to US'
AstraZeneca boss ‘wants to shift stock market listing to US'

The Guardian

timean hour ago

  • The Guardian

AstraZeneca boss ‘wants to shift stock market listing to US'

AstraZeneca's chief executive Pascal Soriot has reportedly said that he would like to shift the company's stock market listing from the UK to the US. The boss of Britain's most valuable listed company has spoken privately about a preference to move the listing to New York, the Times reported. It added that he had also considered moving the company's domicile. The FTSE 100 company's share price rose by 2.8% on Tuesday, with most of the increase happening after the story was published. A shift in AstraZeneca's listing would deal a major blow to the London Stock Exchange, which has already had to deal with a series of departures by companies seeking higher valuations. Among those who have left the FTSE 100 in recent years are equipment rental company Ashtead, Paddy Power bookmaker owner Flutter Entertainment, building materials supplier CRH and packaging company Smurfit Westrock. A shift by AstraZeneca would almost certainly face opposition by the UK government, although it would not have the power to formally block a move. Labour made life sciences one of its key growth sectors in its industrial strategy published last month. A spokesperson for AstraZeneca declined to comment. AstraZeneca is thought to have expressed frustrations privately with the rejection of its breast cancer drug, Enhertu, by the NHS on cost grounds. Earlier this year, the company, headquartered in Cambridge, caused consternation in government by pulling out of a £450m project to produce vaccines in Speke, Liverpool, while saying that the business case did not make sense without more financial support from government. Soriot has overseen the market value of AstraZeneca more than tripling since he took over in October 2012. The company has overtaken oil company Shell – also seen as a contender for a move to the US – and HSBC, a bank, with a market value of £157bn. The US is the world's biggest pharmaceutical market, with by far the highest spending per person on medicines despite having a lower life expectancy than several other countries. UK executives have long complained that their companies are undervalued compared with American counterparts. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Soriot has emphasised the company's ambitions to grow in the US. In November, he told investors that 'we want to see even more growth in the US over the next few years as part of our 2030 ambition,' according to a transcript from data company Alphasense. The 'US is, of course, a very important market and that supports innovation, and we will continue to invest to grow fast in this part of the world,' Soriot said. The chief executive's pay has increased in line with AstraZeneca's market value. He has been the highest-paid chief executive on the FTSE 100 for two years running, receiving £16.85m for 2023, up from £15.3m in 2022.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store