E-scooters for hire as trial run kicks off
A fleet of 300 e-scooters will be up for hire in Sunderland within weeks after the operator was announced for a trial run planned for Wearside.
Sunderland City Council has confirmed rental company Neuron Mobility will operate the eight-month pilot, with the first 100 scooters to be made available from late March 2021. The rest will follow in stages.
The orange scooters are billed as a “safe, socially-distanced and environmentallyfriendly way to travel around the city”.
Each is GPS-enabled, and Geofencing technology will control where they are ridden and parked, with established slow-zones, no-ride zones and no-parking zones.
The electric vehicles will be fitted with a licence plate for easy identification and to help promote responsible use, with Neuron to run a dedicated safety team as part of the trial.
The company said teams will move the scooters where they are needed most, help riders with signing in via an app, and offer practical tips for riding, with guidelines developed with help from the Royal Society for the Prevention
of Accidents (RoSPA).
The scooters, which are also being trialled in Newcastle, will be armed with hospital-grade disinfectant to help guard against covid and other infections. Helmets will also come attached to the scooters.
Zachary Wang, CEO of Neuron Mobility, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Sunderland City Council to launch their e-scooter trial.
"Sunderland is a fantastic city with great transport links and strong green credentials.
"As our second location in the North East we are excited to bring our e-scooters to even more people in the region and help to cement e-scooters as an integral part of the North East’s transport mix.”
Sunderland City Council leader Cllr Graeme Miller said: “We are seeing in other towns and cities how e-scooterscanofferanotherconvenient, clean and cost-effective transport choice for residents and visitors.
“We're looking forward to this work with Neuron as we explore opportunities in Sunderland for clean and inexpensive travel that can also ease the burden on transport networks and allows for social distancing.
“Sunderland has set down its credentials and plans to become a carbon-neutral city.”
Katelin Rumney, 22, of Presthope Road, Sunderland, admitted speeding through the Testo’s Roundabout roadworks.
She received three penalty points on her licence and was ordered to pay an £120 fine, £34 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
Gazing out of my window On that cold winters day,
The snow had started falling And soon began to lay. I watched it swirling softly Setting on the garden wall, And I find my mind returning To those days when I was small.
Waking then in the freezing dawn
Jack frost"s icy fingertips were printed,
Inside upon my bedroom windowpane
While outside the deep snow glinted.
Oh the joy of dashing outside To build a snowman with a carroty nose,
And to snowball fight and toboggan
Undeterred by frozen hands and toes.
My wild flapping arms created snow angels I became a winter warrior with an icicle spear,
And we dared each other to cross the frozen pond
For in those days we had no fear.
But now I'm old and afraid of snow
Of its potential to make me slip and fall,
I feel the heat as my radiator purrs
I'll probably not venture out at all.
But suddenly driven by a strange snow urge
I put on my coat and wellies (with a fight),
And gingerly step out upon my lawn
That's become a snowy page on which to write.
And as I plant my footprints on the pristine snow
Once again I'm a child at play,
Yet today I know beneath this snowy duvet
Lie the promise that spring is on it's way.
Scott Andrews. Sent via email.
Correspondents are reminded that all letters must be accompanied by their name and address, which may be withheld by request.
“Organise a virtual catch-up with friends and family to make sure they’re ok.”
Throughout the last year, many families have been under pressure like never before. It is unsurprising that a lot of parents and carers have started to drink a little more, and some will have started to struggle with their use of alcohol or substances.
While most parents who drink alcohol do this in moderation and are not a risk to their children, parental substance misuse, where a parent or carer abuses alcohol or drugs, can have a significant impact on children.
And with lockdown still in place, children are much more immersed in the problems they are facing at home.
Living in a household where a parent or carer misuses substances does not necessarily mean a child will experience abuse, but it can make it more difficult for parents to provide safe and consistent care and this can lead to abuse or neglect. It can also have a serious impact on children’s emotional well-being.
There are signs that may indicate families are struggling. For instance, parents may be visibly intoxicated, or their behaviour may have changed, becoming more irrational or unpredictable. Children may show behavioural, emotional or mental health problems. They may also have taken on caring responsibilities for parents or siblings, or may not seem to be changing clothes or washing often.
There also may be aggressive or repeated shouting at home.
At Childline, we hear a lot from children who are worried about their parents’ and carers’ relationship with alcohol and drugs and the impact this has on their family lives.
Figures from the NSPCC Helpline show, since the beginning of April last year, there has been an increase in calls where people are concerned for the welfare of a child due to alcohol and drug misuse.
In the North East and Cumbria, the number of referrals to local agencies we’ve made following calls to our helpline about this issue has more than doubled since the start of the pandemic.
We know things are exceptionally hard for people, and the NSPCC and Childline are here to help. If you have any concerns about a child you can get in touch with the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk
Plans for new apartments in the heart of Hetton have been given the green light.
A planning application was submitted to Sunderland City Council last year to change the use of part of 19 Front Street, near the town’s post office.
The upper floors were previously used as offices but new plans aimed to create residential accommodation.
Although proposals to convert the upper floors to two flats were approved by planners in 2015, the new application aimed to increase this number to three.
Following consultation, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved the amended scheme last week.
This includes three threebedroom flats, a new access constructed at the side elevation of the building and new windows.
When completed, the entrance doorway will lead to an internal lobby, cycle store and stairwell up to the upper floors, all created from an existing storeroom.
Meanwhile,theyardareato the rear will provide space for bin storage and one car parking space.
In a decision report, council planners said the flats plan would be acceptable in terms of highway safety and residential amenity.
Thereportreads:“Thearea already sees a reasonably high level of activity within the vicinity of the site, with the adjacent
lane being a popular thoroughfare for pedestrians from the residential streets
to the rear accessing the town centre.
“It is not considered that the level of activity associated with the proposed residential use would result in any increased level of activity that wouldcausedisturbancetothe occupiers of the neighbouring properties.
“The apartment windows will face the side of the commercial property across the lane to the north, and another commercialpropertyandyard to the south, so that no overlooking of residential premiseswilloccur,andhencenoloss of privacy.
“The proposed layout shows that all habitable rooms will be afforded a reasonably good amount of space.”
Northumbria Police’s ‘designing out crime officer’ also welcomed the plans in comments submitted during the council’s consultation.
Thepolicestatementreads: “Re purposing of space such as this for residential use is to be encouraged.”
The long wait for Sunderland supporters finally came to an end on Thursday when the EFL granted Kyril LouisDreyfus approval to assume a majority shareholding in the club.
In a statement LouisDreyfus said he was ‘proud to become a custodian of this esteemed institution, but I also recognise the significant responsibility that comes with it’.
The news came shortly after a Companies House update confirmed that the FPP Sunderland loan had been repaid in full.
That was one of the key question marks surrounding the deal and means that Louis-Dreyfus begins his tenure with that debt settled.
Sunderland's stark decline in the Madrox era nevertheless leaves him with an immense amount of work to be done in the weeks and months ahead, with a number of key issues in need of urgent attention.
The arrivals of Kristjaan Speakman and Lee Johnson were a signal of the new direction but there are many other key questions still to be answered.
Here, we outline seven areas that Louis-Dreyfus will need to begin addressing in the near future…
Outline a vision to supporters and clarify the club's day-to-day leadership moving forward
Johnson described it last week as a sort of 'purgatory'.
Louis-Dreyfus has been influential in the club's major change of direction, central to the appointment of sporting director Speakman and therefore the arrival of Johnson himself.
The sensitivity of the deal has nevertheless meant that supporters have only had brief insights into the longterm plans for the club.
Player development and a modernising of the club structures are known to be at the heart of it but supporters eagerly await a proper outline of intentions.
Johnson said he was 'excited' about that very prospect, an interaction which will allow both himself and Speakman to then speak more freely about their roles and plans.
Early engagement will also allow Louis-Dreyfus the opportunity to allay any lingering concerns about the roles of the previous owners moving forward, given that they all maintain a minority shareholding.
Speakman's appointment, as well as the arrival of Steve Davison as chief operating officer, mean that we already have a fair idea of who will be in charge from day to day, given that LouisDreyfus will be named chair of the board and is believed to already have a base in the area.
Louis-Dreyfus could also make some further changes at board level, either at executive or non-executive level.
Improve staffing levels in key departments
It is widely known that the club's staffing levels have been cut significantly across the board during the Madrox era.
This has manifested itself in a number of ways but the most visible and striking has been the recruitment department, which has been left threadbare in recent times.
It left Speakman and Johnson without any real historical data or knowledge to call upon when they looked to improve the squad in the January transfer window.
A new head of recruitment is expected to be appointed in the coming weeks and months and with a transformative window ahead in the summer, there is little time to waste.
The club is in need of modernisation across the board and while the results of addressing this issue will only be seen over time, that does not make swift action any less crucial.
Commit to Category One status and reach out to those who have left
The role of academy manager remains vacant and
must be a key, early priority for the new regime, with an appointment appearing very close. The departure of young talent was one of the biggest failures of the Madrox era and one that cannot be repeated under the new regime.
Clearly, the biggest step forward Sunderland can take in protecting their best talents from being poached by big Premier League clubs is stepping up the pyramid at first-team level themselves.
Nevertheless, it should give pause for thought that some of those who left in the Madrox era have cited a perceived ambivalence from the club hierarchy, as well as a lack of pathway to the first team even in League One, as key factors in their decision.
For a new regime and a new academy manager, reaching out to those players and learning more about their experiences seems a good starting point for improvement.
It's also key that the new academy manager has a permanent base on Wearside, enabling strong relationships to be built.
One other issue that departing players have cited is the weakness of the U18 and
U23 sides, which some felt stunted their development.
The previous regime did some encouraging steps to address that, with a more experienced U23 side producing significantly improved results so far this season.
That is something for the new regime to build on, while strengthening the structures in order to prevent a repeat of two very damaging years in terms of player departures.
Johnson has shown a willingness to give an opportunity to young players and the impressive handling of Elliot Embleton's
loan to Blackpool, with clear communication from both Johnson and Speakman, was encouraging.
Now the key is to get the long-term building blocks in place.
Get to work on key contract calls
That Sunderland will reach the end of this season with a raft of players out of contract is inevitable.
The future of many will depend on what division Sunderland find themselves in and whatever happens between now and the end of the campaign, this summer is clearly going to present an opportunity for a rebuild.
There is a group of players, though, who clearly have a future in both leagues and who have a value to the club that needs to be protected.
The removal of the salary cap restrictions should allow Sunderland to secure the futures of Denver Hume, Luke O'Nien and more, though discussions around financial controls in League One are ongoing.
Contract management was one of the many failings of the Madrox regime, with Josh Maja and Jon
McLaughlin both leaving for a fraction of their true values. It will be Speakman's job to achieve better relationships with agents and to demonstrate a more proactive approach.
Confirmation of the takever should allow him to get started in earnest.
Protect the future of women's football in the city
So much of Sunderland's decline in recent years has been self-inflicted but the same cannot be said of the club’s remarkably resilient women's team.
Melanie Reay oversaw an outstanding rebuilding operation following the club's forced relegation to the National League, and they were in a dominant position when last season was declared null and void.
Their current campaign has been suspended amid the ongoing pandemic and it is not yet clear whether it will resume.
The knock-on effects of that could be huge. The FA had been planning to promote two sides to the Championship ahead of next season, presenting a potentially big opportunity for Sunderland.
The Black Cats had begun the application process ahead of their likely title win last season and it's understood that the FA were impressed with what they saw. The pandemic may again prevent that opportunity to get the club back where it belongs and committing to the long-term future of the side would be a serious statement of intent from the new regime.
That the team have been able to compete in the last two seasons is testament to the talent in the region, and the structures in place to nurture it.
Sunderland midfielder Jordan Jones has thanked Rangers boss Steven Gerrard for allowing him to join the Black Cats on loan.
Jones, 26, wasn’t receiving much gametime at Ibrox, and had made just three league appearances in the 2020/21 campaign before his move to Wearside in January.
The player isn’t holding anything against Gerrard, and says the door hasn’t closed on his Rangers career.
Speaking to the Daily Record about his relationship with Gerrard, Jones said: “I understood his situation and the fact is that the team was doing so well I couldn’t really have had an argument.
“I just had to accept the situation and to continue to train hard every day.
“He knew I was at a stage in my career where I needed to be playing games and he was brilliant.
"That was how I got the loan to Sunderland and I am thankful to the manager for that.
"Rangers are going for the title and the manager could have kept me around just in case I was needed, but he knew I was keen to get games and so let me go on loan.”
Jones is now looking forward to helping Sunderland as the Black Cats attempt to win promotion from League
One.
The playmaker has made four league appearances for his new club so far, while Gerrard is keeping an eye on his progress at the Stadium of Light.
“The manager called me and wished me all the best,” added Jones.
“He told me to go down and to do well and more importantly to enjoy my football again.
“I really appreciated that and he told me to go and do the best I can and then we can look at things again in the summer.
“The manager has told me the door isn’t closed on me at Rangers.
“I just need to focus on Sunderland and I watch from afar and hope Rangers can also be successful come the end of the season.”
Jones has played five times so far for Sunderland.
He started the games against MK Dons (in the JP Trophy) and Shrewsbury Town. He also came on as a substitute against the Dons, Doncaster Rovers and Burton Albion.