Confidence low in schools staying open
THE owner of a Huddersfield town centre pub has been told to move his benches – again.
Mark Robertson, of the Plumbers Arms on Macaulay Street, was involved in an acrimonious saga last summer with Kirklees Council when he erected some wooden benches on a plot of vacant land several yards from the pub’s entrance.
Our story went round the world and even ended up in an Australian newspaper as a bizarre example of the sometimes strained relationships between British pub landlords and local councils.
Eventually, Mr Robertson was granted permission to move the benches to an area closer to his pub but the issue never went away.
On Wednesday, he received a letter from Sam Connelly, the council’s Greenspace Action team manager, telling him he had 21 days in which to remove the benches, tables and planters.
Mr Connelly wrote: “As you are aware, the council is looking to carry out works on Macaulay Street to support the Huddersfield Blueprint, the 10-year vision for the town centre.
“This work is programmed to start at the end of March.
“Your temporary extension to your
NEARLY two in five parents are not confident that schools will remain open for the rest of the academic year, a survey suggests.
Many parents said they have struggled to stay positive (55%) and to cope emotionally (43%) over the past year, reveals a poll by charity Save the Children.
Ahead of the return to school in England next week, 41% children said they are happy about going back to class after months of remote learning.
But, 39% parents said they were not confident in schools remaining open for the rest of the year.