Latest news with #TonyBurton
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Talented Isle of Wight sailing team gunning for gold in Orkney
THE Isle of Wight sailing team is aiming to upgrade their 2023 Island Games silver medal to gold this year. The team, who came second in Guernsey, has been carefully selected at a winter trial at Brading Haven Yacht Club, organised by team coach and manager, Tony Burton. Advertisement Tony said: "We had a very competitive selection event this year and we're certain we've got four great sailors from the Island. "We got a silver medal two years ago and we're really hoping we can go one better this time. Read more: "The depth of talent we had at our trials was there to be seen. "The team not only has experience on the Island, but at numerous venues all over the country and the world." The squad comprises young sailors with impressive credentials in the sport. Olly Mayo, 16, is part of the British youth sailing team, and has been sailing ILCA 6 boats for two years, despite only starting sailing at Yarmouth Sailing Club five years ago. Advertisement He is joined by Oliver Smith, who has been sailing since childhood. Oliver has represented Great Britain at the Youth European Championships and was part of the RYA British Youth Regional Training Squad. He also secured second place at the ILCA National Open Championships in March. Another member of the team, Harry White, 25, will be competing in an ILCA 7 in Orkney. This will be his third Island Games, having previously achieved silver in Guernsey. In 2022, Harry was named British Young Sailor of the Year, and was crowned 8m First Rule world champion last year. A member of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club in Fishbourne, Harry lives just across the creek from it in Wootton. Advertisement He said: "This will be my third and last Island Games, because there is a lot of young talent coming through. "The Island Games is one of those where it's such a fun event, everyone needs to experience it. "It'll be time to pass the baton on after this, to let new talent come in." To prepare for the games, Harry explained he had been engaging in "a lot of bigger boat events" and had been sailing all winter in the Laser. "We will have one practice day to acclimatise, but it will be a baptism of fire, coming from the sunny Isle of Wight — but it shouldn't be anything we're not used to. Advertisement "It should be good and I can't wait to meet guys from other islands we've got to know over the years." Also part of the squad is Arthur Farley, who recently returned from Qingdao in China, where he competed in his first ILCA World Championships as a senior, finishing 38th. Despite his diagnosis of hairy cell leukaemia, after winning the U19 ILCA 7 European Championships in 2022, Arthur has battled hard to continue sailing competitively. Tony said of Arthur's inclusion in the team: "We have a potential Olympic sailor in years to come, competing in his first Island Games. Advertisement "We're hoping his experience will lift the whole team as well."
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Tree of the year' threatened by housing scheme
A 70-year old tree that was to be the focal point of a south London housing scheme may have to be felled due to the effect the development could have on it, according to a planning report. The Japanese pagoda was a key feature in Merton Council's controversial plans to build 93 new homes on Mitcham's Canons House heritage site, with the homes to be built to face it. But the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said the scheme was likely to have "significant, unavoidable impacts, both above and below ground" on the tree, which was once named as the borough's "tree of the year". Merton Council was approached for a response, but said it could not comment on live planning applications. The RHS report was prepared for the planning requirements designed to protect the tree. The report went on to say that the likely harm amounted to a "well-justified argument for removal and replacement of the tree". It also noted that the amount of canopy needing to be removed "will greatly diminish the tree's local visual amenity value" and "compromise the tree's ability to photosynthesise and produce energy". The site, in the grounds of the Grade II-listed Canons House, is undergoing major improvement works, after being awarded £4.4m in National Lottery funding. The council housing scheme has attracted criticism due to its potential impact on the heritage site. The group Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage said the threat to the tree was the latest in a series of concerns members had about the scheme. Chair Tony Burton said: "This puts at risk the benefits of nearly £5m, which has just been spent with support from the National Lottery on this premier heritage location. "Whatever the pros and cons of allowing development, everyone agrees that the award-winning pagoda tree should be the focal point of any new housing." Merton Council wants to build about 400 new homes on four separate sites in the borough, to help address a housing shortage. The borough has one of the longest estimated timescales in England for clearing its social housing waiting list. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Century-long wait for family council homes - study The families living in modern day slums Merton Council
BBC News
04-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Tree may need felling in Mitcham housing scheme
A 70-year old tree that was to be the focal point of a south London housing scheme may have to be felled due to the effect the development could have on it, according to a planning Japanese pagoda was a key feature in Merton Council's controversial plans to build 93 new homes on Mitcham's Canons House heritage site, with the homes to be built to face the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said the scheme was likely to have "significant, unavoidable impacts, both above and below ground" on the tree, which was once named as the borough's "tree of the year".Merton Council was approached for a response, but said it could not comment on live planning applications. The RHS report was prepared for the planning requirements designed to protect the tree. The report went on to say that the likely harm amounted to a "well-justified argument for removal and replacement of the tree".It also noted that the amount of canopy needing to be removed "will greatly diminish the tree's local visual amenity value" and "compromise the tree's ability to photosynthesise and produce energy". The site, in the grounds of the Grade II-listed Canons House, is undergoing major improvement works, after being awarded £4.4m in National Lottery council housing scheme has attracted criticism due to its potential impact on the heritage group Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage said the threat to the tree was the latest in a series of concerns members had about the Tony Burton said: "This puts at risk the benefits of nearly £5m, which has just been spent with support from the National Lottery on this premier heritage location. "Whatever the pros and cons of allowing development, everyone agrees that the award-winning pagoda tree should be the focal point of any new housing."Merton Council wants to build about 400 new homes on four separate sites in the borough, to help address a housing borough has one of the longest estimated timescales in England for clearing its social housing waiting list.
