Wearside stories you might have missed this week
A builder who won £1m on the National Lottery says he has fulfilled "every parent's dream" by paying off his four daughters' mortgages.
Terry Gillings, of Stanley, County Durham, said he would "never forget" phoning his children to tell them about the win.
However, the triumph was accompanied by heartbreak as his 85-year-old father, who had prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease, died two days later.
"I like to think knowing [my wife] Caroline and I, and the girls, were all well set up for the future meant he slipped away more peacefully," Mr Gillings said.
A woman who was the first baby to have a heart transplant in the UK says families should not be able to overturn a loved one's decision to donate their organs.
Family-blocked donations have almost tripled from 255 in 2020/21 to 680 in 2023/24, according to official figures, leading to an estimated 2,040 "missed opportunities" last year.
Kaylee Davidson-Olley, from Houghton-le-Spring, who had transplant surgery at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital in 1987, said lives were continuing to be lost.
NHS Blood and Transplant said families were "always involved" in donation and they might have important information which was vital in understanding whether organs were safe for donation.
A festival has been cancelled after attempts to save it failed, organisers have said.
Northern Kin was due to take place at Thornley Hall farm, in County Durham, at the beginning of August.
Organiser Wannasee Ltd had previously said discussions were under way to preserve the festival after 10 of its other events, including Stone Valley North and Kubix, were cancelled at the end of May.
But a social media post on Wednesday confirmed Northern Kin would not be going ahead, despite the team having worked "around the clock" to find a way to run it.
A council is set to undergo an Elon Musk-style review into its spending.
Reform UK, which took charge of Durham County Council following the elections in May, has set up a unit to look into "wasteful spending", inspired by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) in the United States.
The party said teams of software engineers, data analysts and forensic auditors would "visit and analyse" the local authorities it controlled, starting with Kent County Council this week.
Promoting the party's scheme, Durham County Council leader Andrew Husband posted on social media: "Coming to a county near you."
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Forbes
24 minutes ago
- Forbes
Historic Scotch Whisky Distillery Launches Cask Investment Programme
Bunnahabhain Distillery, founded in 1881, on the rugged shores of Islay. The distillery has just launched a rare cask ownership programme for whisky fans worldwide. CVH Spirits For the first time whisky fans can now buy a cask of new make whisky direct from the 144 year old Islay distillery Bunnahabhain. Islay is a hugely popular whisky region with fans of peated single malt and owning a whole cask is the dream of some whisky connoisseurs. Casks of Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain's peated spirit Staoisha casks have sometimes been available through brokers, but it has been more than a decade since an established Islay distillery offered casks direct to the public. The announcement comes at an interesting time for the whisky industry, and so Bunnahabhain's move might just be the first of many, as more distilleries explore cask investment programmes to generate revenue in an increasingly complex global economy. The launch of Bunnahabhain's cask programme marks a notable moment in the whisky market. Selling casks direct to the public is a practice that was relatively common in the 1990s and 2000s and has remained common with newer distilleries. But as far as I am aware this is the first time an already established distillery has started offering a cask purchase programme in decades. Buyers can choose to mature their cask at Bunnahabhain's Islay warehouse or on the mainland, with each location offering distinct influences on the whisky's character. CVH Spirits In the early to mid-2000s when the Bruichladdich distillery reopened under the ownership of Mark Reynier they sold casks direct to the public. Springbank distillery also offered whole casks of whisky direct to their fans in the 1990s after they reopened. Both programmes provided important cash flow for the distilleries without having to wait the three plus years for their casks to mature and become whisky. The context therefore makes Bunnahabhain's timing significant. There is a pronounced slowdown in the whisky market—Diageo, Pernod Ricard, and Rémy Cointreau have experienced approximately 45% declines from their 2022 peaks, while Glenfiddich owners Glen Grant & Sons recently reported a 30% drop in profits in 2024. Against this background, the new offering from Bunnahabhain could be strategic. As the whisky industry navigates market downturns, history suggests that more distilleries may seek direct investment from private individuals as a means to bolster financial stability. The Joys Of Cask Ownership 'A single cask programme has been in our sights for some time, and we wanted to make sure that we had a special offering for whisky lovers worldwide,' explained Master Blender Julieann Fernandez in the official press release. Traditionally, Bunnahabhain is celebrated for its unpeated single malts, so the opportunity to own a cask of Bunnahabhain or Staoisha new-make spirit is really quite rare.' Staoisha is a secondary name for Bunnahabhain that they use for their peated single malt islay expressions. They are also clear that ownership of casks bought through Bunnahabhain are sold with a delivery order, giving purchasers full ownership and long term security. Set against dramatic coastal views, Bunnahabhain is one of Islay's most picturesque distilleries, where sea air, solitude, and tradition shape every cask of spirit. CVH Spirits It is important to mention that it is still possible to buy new make and young casks through other dealers and on the secondary market. But buying direct with a distillery gives a different level of experience that can be ideal for passionate whisky fans. For example, you are unlikely to be able to choose the type of climate where your cask will mature if you buy through anyone else. Bunahabhain however will give you the opportunity to choose between maturing on Islay or the mainland and will also take the time to explain the differences that choice will make to the whisky maturation process. 'By purchasing directly from the distillery, you also have the opportunity to be part of the journey, whether that's through visiting us and spending time in our warehouses or by receiving regular samples and tasting the spirit as it matures. This is a unique chance for whisky lovers to own a piece of Bunnahabhain history – from its very first moment of maturation to the last part of the story when it's bottled into your perfect dram.' A Whisky Cask Investment? In my experience if you want a scotch whisky cask as an investment and you're buying new make then you need to be aiming for a 15 to 20+ year hold. The information provided by Bunnahabhain states a minimum hold period of five years and no maximum hold period, although storage costs are only included for the first five years—they estimate these at £75 per year after that, although often storage costs are higher for larger cask types. Bunnahabhain's FAQs make it clear that you are able to bottle or resell this cask to a third party if you wish to. However, if you are looking at this as a potential investment you should contact Bunnahabhain to make sure that your and their expectations align and ensure you check the contract meets your needs and expectations. As per the Scotch Whisky Association guidance, a delivery order, paid invoice and contract of sale are the three key documents you need to ensure you get when buying a cask of scotch. If you do decide you want to bottle the cask, partially or in full, you should also familiarise yourself with the costs of bottling. As well as the costs of dry goods you also have tax and duty to pay on bottling and it is important to understand these when assessing costs and suitability. What Does A Bunnahabain Cask Cost? You can buy a 200L first fill ex-bourbon barrel direct from Bunnahabhain for $7,549 (£5,650), a 250L refill hogshead (presumed bourbon) is just over $9,000 (£6,750), or a 500L first fill Oloroso Sherry Butt is $18,500 (£13,850). Note that these prices include five years storage and many additional extras that are exclusive to buying through Bunnahabhain. Ultimately however, whether that is expensive depends on what you want from the experience and ownership. Can a tradesperson get it cheaper? Yes, of course. That is the case in every industry; I don't walk into the supermarket and baulk that they've marked up the price from wholesale for the convenience and experience of doing all my shopping in one place. Equally, I don't think a tradesperson is approaching Bunnhabhain through its private cask programme channels expecting a 15% discount in the distillery visitor centre. Can you get these casks cheaper by shopping around, potentially, and again, that's the same in every industry. Whether these casks are right for an individual is down to each person and the experience they want from cask ownership. For me, the most important aspect of any cask offering to the public is whether it offers clear information on the risks and joys of owning a cask alongside transparent ownership and proper documentation. This allows customers to make an informed decision on what they are buying. From an industry standpoint, it will be interesting to see whether more direct cask offerings will appear. As that could indicate a significant turning point for the market.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Manchester's housing crisis is not the council's fault
Andy Burnham frequently says Greater Manchester's teenagers 'can see the skyscrapers from their bedroom window' but can't see 'a path' there. It's a comment he uses to argue for improved education so teenagers can secure a well-paying job in the city centre. But it could just as easily be applied to house prices. Since Mr Burnham took the mayoralty in 2017, thousands of luxury apartments have been constructed in town. Despite traditional economic logic dictating extra supply will lower prices, a council report last year found new 'homes are increasingly priced towards the top of the market however… this can result in the perverse impact of new supply ostensibly adding to the inflationary pressures in parts of the city where new development has been most intense'. READ MORE: Murder arrest at Manchester Airport after death of teen stabbed in car park READ MORE: The 'forgotten' Greater Manchester estate where people are demanding change The average house price in Manchester city centre in April was £270,036. That's more than eight times the average Manchester salary, calculated at £32,704 last November. In the same month, the average rent in the borough of Manchester was listed at £1,310 per month. That's means someone earning the average Manchester salary would have to spend more than half of their take-home pay on rent if they lived alone. Never miss a story with the MEN's daily Catch Up newsletter - get it in your inbox by signing up here But it's not like the council hasn't tried to stop house prices climbing in town. Since 2012, it's had a policy that says a fifth of all units need to be affordable, if a developer is set to make 20 per cent profit. How much money a developer will make is scrutinised by an independent expert, and if they tell the council the 'viability assessment' shows returns under 20 per cent, the developer is exempt from affordable housing. Often, the town hall will still ask developers to make a smaller 'section 106 contribution' to community infrastructure, like schools or parks, or the council's 'housing affordability fund' in lieu of the affordable homes. It also includes 'clawback clauses' when giving out planning permission, so if a developer that initially is exempt from affordable housing then makes more than 20 per cent profit, the council can get more cash out of them. While they rarely produce big returns to the public purse, it was recently revealed one had to pay £700,000 for a city centre project. How much developers chip into public projects and affordable housing made headline news this summer, following a court case between Mr Burnham's office, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Aubrey Weis, a major city centre landowner. Mr Weis claimed the GMCA's decision to loan major developer Renaker £140m 'distorted' the property market. The Competition Appeals Tribunal dismissed the claim. Contributions were raised again by opposition Lib Dem councillor Chris Northwood earlier this month, who told the town hall: 'Many, many large-scale developments in the city centre are approved through planning with zero affordable housing. 'That means we are not building those mixed, integrated communities for the future we want. It seems to me the existing system of independent assessments does not produce meaningful figures… and there's a huge lack of transparency over these.' Her motion referenced a 2017 Shelter report which found developers 'inflate their bids for land', pushing up the total bill for a building. That means profit margins take a hit in viability assessments so they don't hit the 20 per cent threshold and don't build affordable units, the report said. 'Developers know that they can use the loophole, and so factor it into their bids for new sites,' author Rose Grayston concluded. 'In fact, they must: if one developer does not plan to use the loophole, they risk being outbid for land by another one who does. This pushes the price of land up, making development more expensive.' Coun Northwood's motion was amended by governing Labour councillors, who point out most affordable housing is actually funded by a completely different scheme. Last year, 3,864 new homes were built in Manchester, with around 3,300 available on the open market, and 511 affordable (13 per cent of the total). More is coming — contractors are currently building roughly 12,000 homes in the city, 1,470 of which are affordable (12 per cent), and about 18,500 units are in the planning system now, with around 2,250 affordable (12 per cent). In fact, section 106 money only builds about one in 10 affordable homes in Manchester. The other 90 per cent is funded by grants given to housing associations and public bodies, largely from Homes England and the GMCA. That's why town hall chiefs have been genuinely encouraged by Rachel Reeves' decision to 'double the grant pot' to £39b over the next decade, because it's a model they understand. And it's a game they've become good at playing. Recently, One Manchester finished 24 new apartments and houses on Brigham Street in Openshaw, made possible by Homes England grants which created Manchester council's £3m 'Project 500' initiative, that helps housing associations cover the cost of building on brownfield land. All 24 homes are affordable, as are all Project 500 homes — 90 per cent will also be available at social rent. Grants also help the authority's own development company, called This City, which recently finished No. 1 Ancoats Green, a 129-apartment and townhouse development where 30 per cent are available at 'Manchester Living Rent', set at the level of the local housing allowance. Another city centre project from housing association Great Places will create 89 affordable flats on Laystall Street in the Northern Quarter in spring 2026 — again made possible by grant funding. The council has other levers to help get affordable homes to Mancs. A fifth of the massive, 850-home development planned for Mayfield will be affordable, partly due to the fact the town hall is a member of the 'partnership' overseeing the redevelopment of the area into a new neighbourhood. It's also been able to lean on developer Salboy to make nearly 30 per cent of the homes in its Viadux 2 project affordable, because it owns the land where two towers will shoot up. A new council initiative has also brought 276 empty homes back to the market, although only three have gone towards social housing. But while efforts are being made to solve Manchester's housing crisis, the current rate of building is clearly not enough. A recent town hall report found the number of people on the top three bands of the council's housing register surged to 11,500, an increase of 15 per cent, last year. It's grown by 49 per cent since April 2022. In part, the reason why affordable housing demand is growing when affordable housing supply is increasing is because newbuild figures are tempered by right-to-buy sales. Council tenants can purchase their home after three years. Last year, 137 did so, so the 'net gain' of affordable housing to Manchester wasn't 511 — it was 374. Over the last decade, the city built 3,998 affordable homes. It lost 2,139 to right-to-buy, so a net rise of only 1,859. The government is planning on making it harder for council tenants to buy their homes, extending the minimum occupancy window to 10 years and exempting any new stock from right-to-buy for 35 years — so the problem will subside, but not disappear. It's not just smaller gains that's an issue. Roughly half of all newly-constructed city centre homes, which would be perfect for first-time-buyers, are bought by investors to rent out — something council officer Nick Cole called 'a concern', because it cuts the amount of homes available to buy and increases the number of renters, blocking up the market. Nationally, big changes are in store for renters, as section 21 'no fault evictions' are expected to be abolished in early 2026 by the government. Ahead of the move, the council is seeing a spike in section 21 notices, sometimes following persistent increases in rent to a point where tenants can make ends meet — so they enter the council housing system. The question of how many affordable homes and who should pay for them looms as Manchester council is preparing its first local plan for 13 years — effectively its blueprint for development. It will be formally adopted by the end of the year. Campaigners are calling for all new developments to include 30 per cent affordable housing, but the final details of the plan have yet to be released. Whatever the final document says in the autumn, Manchester as a city will need to keep building affordable homes — and that requires grants to fund it, the council to steer it, and developers to play their part.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The most expensive transfers of the summer 💸
Liverpool in total domination. July has just ended, time to take a look at the most expensive transfers of the summer so far. Liverpool has the two most expensive transfers of this market. Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike cost over €200M together. In the top 5, we find only one club outside the Premier League: Galatasaray with the official arrival of Victor Osimhen (€75M). A transfer tied with that of Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United. The Red Devils are also closing the deal with the arrival of Matheus Cunha. Which of these recruits are you most looking forward to seeing play this season? Give us your opinion in the comments! This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here. 📸 Alex Grimm - 2025 Getty Images
