Latest news with #publicconsultation
BBC News
a day ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Fully dualled A96 'remains favoured Scottish government position'
Making the A96 between Aberdeen and Inverness fully dual carriageway remains the Scottish government's "current favoured position".Transport Scotland has published a new report summarising public feedback from a consultation on options aimed at improving the has been passed to Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop, who said the preferred option had not changed from full dualling. Last year, a 2011 commitment to upgrade 86 miles (138km) of the route by 2030 was abandoned by the Scottish government. The A96 passes through large areas of farmland, and the route includes the towns of Nairn, Elgin and has long stretches of single carriageway and some shorter dualled road and crawler lanes. Ms Hyslop will now consider the feedback and assessment work, before the Scottish government makes a final decision on how to progress."The position of the Scottish government has not changed," she said."The current favoured position is to fully dual the A96 and we are already starting the dualling process from Inverness to Nairn, including a Nairn bypass, having acquired the land for the scheme earlier this year." How many responded to the A96 consultation? She said it was a sign of the public interest that more than 1,400 responses to the consultation were received."It was important that local people, businesses and communities were given the opportunity to help inform the government's final decision on how to take forward improvements to the A96 corridor," Ms Hyslop 12-week consultation took place from November to than 60% of respondents expressed support for the current commitment to fully dual the A96.
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
Plan to cut free IVF to one-cycle across Greater Manchester
The number of NHS-funded IVF cycles available in parts of Greater Manchester could drop to one under new plans for a "consistent approach" across the cycles are currently available for women in Tameside, while two are on offer in Salford, Wigan and remaining six boroughs - including Oldham where the first "test tube baby" Louise Brown was born due to in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 1978 - already only offer one cycle for region's residents are being urged to take part in a six-week public consultation on the proposed changes, which the NHS said would make it "fair for everyone" and "affordable" for the health service. NHS Greater Manchester is proposing one full IVF cycle to eligible women aged 39 and under - plus an additional attempt if the first cycle is cancelled or said the "inconsistency stems from historic commissioning arrangements" and it was reviewing the policies to "ensure a consistent and fair approach for everyone, regardless of where they live".The planned measure was "affordable for the NHS now and in the future", it added. 'Deeply personal' There are no changes planned to the eligibility criteria or the current offer of one cycle for women aged Sheerin, chief commissioning officer at NHS Greater Manchester, said "fertility is a deeply personal and often emotional topic, which is why this consultation is so important"."Whether you've had experience with IVF, are considering fertility treatment, or simply want to share your perspective, please take part and share your views."The consultation is available online and sessions will be held locally until the consultation ends on 29 July. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
South Ayrshire Council to abandon controversial tourist tax plan
South Ayrshire Council is set to abandon plans for a tourist tax in the region. The local authority mooted the prospect of charging for overnight stays in a bid to boost its a public consultation into the plan was heavily negative, with only 15% of respondents supporting the proposal compared to 79% critical comments included doubts Ayrshire was attractive enough a location for the levy to work. Officials recommended the plan be abandoned for two years and the decision was agreed at a council meeting on decision is subject to call-in, meaning other councillors have 48 hours to object to the decision before it is finalised. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers (ASSC) both submitted formal objections to the South Ayrshire proposal, with residents, hotels and B&Bs providing most of the other respondent wrote: "I don't believe that Ayrshire is attractive enough as a destination to warrant a tourist tax/levy."I can see how this works in very popular places like Barcelona or Athens." Many expressed fears that the region's tourist sector was already fragile, and that small businesses would suffer if there was any further financial have reviewed the survey findings, along with developments in other areas, and recommend dropping the project from its transformation programme and not considering development until August 2027 at the said the two year delay will allow time to assess how the levy affects other regions and whether such a scheme could work in South future return to the plan would need a full public consultation and a locally tailored approach, including decisions on rates, exemptions, and use of revenue.A number of other regions in Scotland are looking at similar plans, with Edinburgh councillors deciding to push ahead with a 5% levy earlier this councillors will decide on a similar scheme on approved, tourists will be charged £4.83 per night from January 2027.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
City taps brakes on parking lot to housing plan in OEV— but full speed ahead in SoHo
Municipal parking lot at 199 Ridout St. in London as seen on June 17, 2025. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London) Three municipal parking lots remain candidates for redevelopment into housing, but the next steps will occur at two different paces. On Tuesday, the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee (SPPC) heard from stakeholders in the Old East Village (OEV) who want public consultation and further discussion with key stakeholders before deciding if most of the lot at 641 Queens Ave. should be redeveloped into a mix of low and medium-density housing. Kevin Morrison of the OEV Business Improvement Area told the committee, 'The BIA supports more affordable housing, that's not the question. However, how we get there is what really matters. If we're going to do this, we need to do it right.' Morrison asked the committee to defer any substantial decisions about 641 Queens Ave. until after public consultation this summer. However, Coun. Sam Trosow said he was satisfied with proceeding to next steps before completing the first round of public consultation, 'Build into this process, which is going to take a long time, many different decision points with consultation.' Morrison expressed other concerns including if the remaining parking lot would be large enough to accommodate tour buses visiting the Banting House National Historic Site, and that the lot was deemed 'underutilized' because daily usage of spots has recently been about 51 per cent. He argued that as revitalization of the business district continues, commercial vacancies will decline and the drive up the demand for parking. Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis agreed that more time is needed to assess the future parking requirements, 'A 50 per cent more or less parking utilization doesn't seem like a very high amount, but I also appreciate the comment that there's a 40 per cent commercial vacancy right now.' The assessment of municipal parking lots for developability into housing was launched by Mayor Josh Morgan in early 2024 by utilizing his Strong-Mayor Powers. LONDON - QUEENS AVE - PLAN - JUNE 2025 Preliminary development plan for parking lot at 641 Queens Ave. 'It's actually quite a complicated site, as you can see with the land assembly, and it's probably relatively restricted in the amount of density that you could put in there,' Morgan told council colleagues. The next steps to make the parking lot shovel ready for developers would include an archeological investigation, land assembly, traffic impact study and geotechnical work. Staff estimate that work would cost $555,000 to complete. SPPC members voted to defer a decision to make the parking lot shovel ready until the end of this year, to allow time for more consultation and to determines if there is even going to be interest from developers. 'Let's slow this down,' the mayor told CTV News after the meeting. 'Let's take some time to consult with the community more and let's do a Request for Expressions of Interest to see if there's even an interest in developing that lot.' However, it remains full speed ahead for the two municipal lots in the SoHo neighbourhood just north of the Thames River (84 Horton St. and 199 Ridout St.). Morgan expressed excitement about advancing the lots directly to a Request for Proposals for 'as-is' offers from developers by the end of 2025. Three submissions have already been made, ranging between 450 units and 600 units, with between 10 per cent and 20 per cent being affordable housing. Each proposal also includes between 300 and 330 public parking spaces. The city will seek as-is offers because soils in the area are contaminated with coal tar left behind by the London Coal Gasification Site that operated from 1850 until 1930. The mayor explained his excitement to proceed to the next step, 'We got a little more work to do because it's a contaminated site, (but) if we were able to change that into residential development, that would be phenomenal for the area.'
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
City seeking public input on ByWard Market makeover
The City of Ottawa is casting a wide net to gather public input on a major renewal project in the ByWard Market as the historic downtown district prepares to celebrate its 200th year. A series of public consultations on the William Street and ByWard Market Square redesign begins Tuesday afternoon in Barrhaven, where residents will be asked for their feedback on certain aspects of the city's $129-million plan to "reimagine the ByWard Market and strengthen its role as a premier destination within the nation's capital for many years to come. City council approved the larger plan in 2021. It's now seeking feedback on proposed designs for the streets and public spaces surrounding the central ByWard Market Building. The project scope includes one block of William Street and ByWard Market Square between York and George streets, including the George Street West Plaza. In addition to the "transformation of William Street as a pedestrian street," the renewal project includes "opportunities for commercial uses and animation," as well as road resurfacing, new lighting including an overhead catenary system, and new parking provisions. Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stéphanie Plante, who represents the area, said some of the upgrades are simple, but long overdue. "Believe it or not, we don't have basic things out here in the ByWard Market like [electrical] plugs. The ByWard Market was built 200 years ago. No one could have foreseen that everybody needs a charger these days." ByWard Market Square will become "the heart of the outdoor public market" with new seating, trees and outdoor commercial attractions, turning it into an "outdoor living room," according to a news release. Safety, security and accessibility The project also takes safety, security and accessibility into account, according to the city. "The safety and security of visitors will be considered in the design of the public spaces to ensure that visitors feel safe and comfortable at all times of the day and night, including through the use of design principles such as the provision of clear sight lines, good lighting, and 'eyes on the street,'" according to the news release. "I think people will want to talk very honestly and very frankly about the social disorder in the area," Plante said. "This area of Ward 12 has the most social services in Canada within a 600-metre stretch, and people are quite rightfully worried about that." Four in-person public consultation sessions are planned: June 17, 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Minto Recreation Complex, 3500 Cambrian Rd. June 18, 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at François Dupuis Recreation Centre, 2260 Portobello Blvd. June 20, 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Richcraft Recreation Complex-Kanata, 4101 Innovation Dr. June 19, 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and June 21m 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at ByWard Market Square (indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather). June 23, 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Manotick Community Centre and Mike O'Neil Arena, 5572 Doctor Leach Dr. A final public engagement session will be held online on June 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Participants are asked to register for this session in advance. Plante said she's looking forward to hearing feedback from all corners of Ottawa. "I think it's important for people in the suburbs to realize that ByWard is one of the biggest economic generators in the city," she said. Construction on William Street is expected to begin next year, just in time for the 200th anniversary of the ByWard Market's founding in 2027.
