Latest news with #ChrisLewis
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Old Paignton shopping centre could become social housing
An old shopping centre site in Paignton could become social housing to provide extra care apartments. New plans by Torbay Council said 91 apartments at the old Crossways shopping centre and a new Day Centre to replace an ageing facility at Hollicombe could be built. Sarah Wallis, a partner in the AR & E Wallis Electrical store across from the site, said she thought the plans would "not help the town". A spokesperson for Torbay Council said if the proposals went ahead they would increase footfall in the area and more people would shop locally. The former shopping centre was demolished in 2023, and its last shop shut in Wallis said: "We would like to have more shops, not just cafés but a variation of shops to bring more into the town."They're going to take away car parking off the street for the access for the site. We just think it is not helping the town." Conservative councillor Chris Lewis, the deputy leader of Torbay Council, said: "91 extra apartments, as opposed to a car park or a derelict shopping complex, which it was, means that those 91 people can go and actually shop in the town centre."What we need is footfall in Paignton, people supporting the local shops and buying things, and by having a scheme like this that's exactly what they will be able to do."If plans are approved, building work could start in April 2026.
CTV News
5 days ago
- CTV News
Minnesota suspect still on the run as search reaches 24-hours
CTV News Public Safety Analyst Chris Lewis on the ongoing search for the 57-year-old suspect wanted for the killings of Melissa Hortman and her husband.
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Increase of dangerous driving stunts raising concerns
Watch CTV News public safety analyst Chris Lewis discusses the rise of dangerous driving stunts and warnings from police
BBC News
7 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Temporary Paignton car park opening at regeneration site
A temporary car park with more than 200 spaces is set to be opened in a Devon town Council said the surface level car park at Paignton's Victoria Centre would be open 24 hours a day with 12 spaces dedicated for blue badge holders along with areas for motorcycles and permit council said the site, on the site of a former multi-storey car park, would provide parking while Victoria Centre regeneration work takes added more parking spaces would be provided at the site once further demolition phases are completed. Parking 'a priority' The council's plans for the Victoria Centre were aimed at rejuvenating the area and attracting businesses to the town along with building about 200 Lewis, council deputy leader and cabinet member for place development and economic growth, said the temporary site would provide car parking in the town centre and near the seafront in time for the summer added plans were being looked at for longer term car parking in Lewis said: "As we move forward with our redevelopment and improvement plans for Paignton, we know that maintaining adequate parking levels in the town centre is a priority."
CTV News
04-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Laser incident targeting Detroit police helicopter prompts cross-border investigation
FILE PHOTO - A Customs and Border Patrol helicopter was struck by a laser beam while conducting operations over protests in Detroit, June 3, 2020CBPGreatLakes/X A laser pointed at a Detroit police helicopter late Monday night prompted a cross-border investigation involving Canadian authorities. Detroit police said the laser was directed at one of their aircraft units multiple times as it flew near the Detroit River. Officers believe the beam originated from the Windsor, Ont., side of the border. 'The Detroit Police Department contacted the Windsor Police Service to investigate this incident,' said Windsor Police Const. Bianca Jackson in an emailed statement. 'Our officers conducted a search of the area for a suspect and any evidence but were unable to locate anything. As a result, we are no longer investigating this matter.' Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a federal offence in both Canada and the U.S. Experts warn the consequences can be severe. 'This is a real dangerous game,' said Chris Lewis, CTV public safety analyst and former OPP commissioner. 'When you point a laser at an aircraft, you risk blinding the pilot — the aircraft, helicopter or airplane falling out of the sky, killing the people in it, maybe landing on a house and killing a family or much more. So, this is pretty dangerous stuff.' Lewis said pilots often have tools to identify the precise location the laser originated from. 'Ultimately, pilots can basically pin — like you can on a Google map on your phone — a location, so they have the exact coordinates as to where that light came from,' he said. 'That might come to somebody's backyard, for example, as opposed to somebody on downtown Ouellette (Avenue). It may come to some area that specifically allows them to then track who was there at that time.' He compared the act of pointing a laser at an aircraft to using a weapon. 'It's like pointing a rifle at an aircraft — that can have the same consequences,' Lewis said. Lewis also warned the public that this kind of behaviour can carry serious legal penalties. 'It's a good reminder to the public how dangerous this is, given that Windsor is going to have a helicopter flying regularly around the city and the area, throughout Essex County, I assume,' he said. 'So, this is dangerous stuff, and it's a criminal offense. It brings up to five years in prison, and if someone gets hurt or dies, you're looking at a heck of a lot more time than that. So, let's not do this again.' Aviation expert John Gradek, a lecturer at McGill University's School of Aviation Management said these types of incidents are becoming increasingly common. 'This is a very regular occurrence,' Gradek said. 'It's not something that happens once a year or once every couple of months. It is something that does happen, and law enforcement is really quick to respond.' He acknowledged the difficulty of finding those responsible, but noted police have tools at their disposal. 'It is a very difficult situation to investigate and to find the culprits,' he said. 'But there are tools that are used by law enforcement to be able to pinpoint where the laser was sighted and the exact physical address of the origin of that laser point. So, more often than not, they do catch the individuals that have been pointing the lasers.' No injuries were reported in this week's incident, and no suspects have been identified. -With files from CTV Windsor's Travis Fortnum and AM800's Dustin Coffman.
