local government - The Latremie Post

Plea to cut down tree by carer for 75-year-old mother rejected

Mr Wong submitted plans to fell a sycamore tree down to stump level at his property on Exleigh Close. He cited the tree as “contributing to significant overgrowth” and causing “maintenance difficulty” in the back garden.

In his application, Mr Wong explained that he works full-time while also caring for his 75-year-old mother. He stated, “This makes it extremely difficult for me to keep up with garden maintenance.” He added that their goal is to restore the back garden into a safe, accessible, and low-maintenance area for the household.

Despite these reasons, the plans to remove the sycamore have been rejected by officers at Southampton City Council. The applicant had proposed repurposing the wood to create a “natural, wildlife-friendly habitat using logs and cuttings.”

However, the council’s decision notice explained that the justification for felling the tree does not outweigh the harm it would cause to the local area. The notice stated:
“Therefore, the felling of the protected trees that are within the 1971 area order is refused.”

**READ MORE:** Residents warned of £1,000 fines for parking on their own driveways
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/25491889.southampton-carers-plans-chop-sycamore-tree-rejected/?ref=rss

Navi Mumbai News: NMMC Launches Mega ‘Highway Cleanliness Drive’ On Sept 28 Under ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ Campaign

**Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation to Launch Major ‘Highway Cleanliness Drive’ on September 28**

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has called upon citizens, institutions, and organizations to actively participate in a significant ‘Highway Cleanliness Drive’ scheduled for Sunday, September 28, at 7 am. This initiative is part of the nationwide ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ campaign, launched under the Swachh Bharat Mission, aimed at promoting cleanliness across the country.

### Focus on Key Arterial Roads

The drive will focus on two of Navi Mumbai’s busiest arterial roads—the Sion-Panvel Highway and the Thane-Belapur Road. Both roads will undergo intensive cleaning efforts to enhance the city’s environment. Although the Sion-Panvel Highway falls under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department (PWD), the NMMC is proactively undertaking this effort to uphold Navi Mumbai’s reputation for cleanliness.

### Volunteer Participation

A large number of volunteers from Dr. Shri Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Pratishthan in Revdanda, Alibaug, will be joining the campaign. Alongside them, local civic staff, NGOs, students, and cleanliness enthusiasts will contribute to making this drive a success.

### Building on Previous Success

This upcoming drive follows the success of NMMC’s recent ‘Ek Divas, Ek Saath, Ek Tas’ (One Day, One Together, One Hour) campaign held on September 25. That event saw enthusiastic participation from over two lakh students and 25,000 citizens across all eight ward offices, underscoring the city’s collective commitment to cleanliness.

### Message from the Municipal Commissioner

Municipal Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde stated,
“Cleanliness has always been Navi Mumbai’s identity. With the upcoming mega drive, we want to involve citizens, organisations, and youth groups in reinforcing the city’s commitment to sustainable cleanliness.”

—

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https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/navi-mumbai-news-nmmc-launches-mega-highway-cleanliness-drive-on-sept-28-under-swachhata-hi-seva-campaign

Labour accused of by-election hypocrisy on libraries

**Labour’s Caerphilly By-Election Candidate Accused of “Hypocrisy” over Library Closures**

Labour’s Caerphilly by-election candidate, Richard Tunnicliffe, has been accused of hypocrisy after pledging to fight for the protection of public libraries, despite previously expressing sympathy for plans to close some of them.

The local Labour-run council had proposed library closures as part of efforts to address a £29 million budget gap. However, these proposals were paused in August following significant public backlash and a legal challenge.

—

### Previous Statements on Library Closures

At the start of the campaign, Tunnicliffe described the council’s approach as “consolidating” services to “maximise the services we can provide,” while noting that “a lot of people” are no longer using libraries as much as in the past.

In an interview with BBC Wales on 8 September, Tunnicliffe, who is also a book publisher, said:
> “People’s consumption of books has changed. Digital media has taken on a huge amount, and the whole structure has altered. A lot of people are not using libraries as much as they had in the past.”

He also mentioned that many library buildings are aging and require increasing maintenance. Tunnicliffe defended the council’s consolidation strategy by citing 15 years of cuts from previous UK Conservative governments but added:
> “We are meeting the council later, so we will continue to try and provide as many services as possible as close to people’s communities as possible.”

—

### A Change in Tone During the Campaign

Despite these earlier comments, in a video posted on social media just days later, Tunnicliffe vowed to:
> “Fight to keep our libraries open… with your support… to make sure our libraries stay open for generations to come.”

He promised to work with the council to ensure any extra funding would be directed towards preserving these vital community facilities.

On Thursday, following an announcement that Caerphilly would receive an extra £20 million over 10 years from a UK government scheme aimed at boosting high streets, parks, and public spaces, Tunnicliffe released another video. He said:
> “We’ve been out canvassing people about what their major issues are, and people want their libraries, these key local amenities, saved. And so that’s what we’re campaigning for now. So add your voice. Please sign the petition so we can tell the board this is where we want the money spent.”

—

### Criticism from Rival Parties

Reform UK by-election candidate Llyr Powell sharply criticised Tunnicliffe’s position, saying:
> “The hypocrisy from the Labour candidate is staggering. While he feigns concern for our communities, his Labour-run council is fighting tooth-and-nail to close our libraries and strip residents of essential services.”

Reform UK says it would cut what it calls “wasteful” Welsh government spending and push Caerphilly council to use its reserves to keep libraries open.

Plaid Cymru also condemned the Labour candidate. A spokesperson stated:
> “Mere weeks ago Richard Tunnicliffe was defending Caerphilly council’s plans to close our libraries. Now, with an election looming, Labour is suddenly launching petitions and promising to ‘save’ them with a new funding pot. It’s cynical, last-minute pork-barrel politics from a party that’s taken Caerphilly for granted for decades.”

—

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have been approached for comment.

—

### By-Election Candidates Announced So Far

– **Labour:** Richard Tunnicliffe
– **Conservatives:** Gareth Potter
– **Green Party:** Gareth Hughes
– **Gwlad:** Anthony Cook
– **Plaid Cymru:** Lindsay Whittle
– **Welsh Liberal Democrats:** Steve Aicheler

—

*This by-election is attracting significant attention amid budget cuts and debates over the future of public services in Caerphilly.*
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyd147rz9do?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

City of Fremantle falls aggressively behind on canopy cover target, set for boost in tree planting to keep up

The City of Fremantle has fallen significantly behind its targets to boost canopy cover, and it will now need to plant trees for an additional four years just to meet 80 per cent of its original goal. However, Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge emphasized that several mitigating factors contributed to the shortfall, including reduced budgets during the COVID years, and stressed that the issue has not been ignored.

Fremantle councillors adopted the Urban Forest Plan in 2017, which outlined the number of trees the council needed to plant over the following decade to achieve its ambitious goal: increasing canopy cover from 13 per cent to 20 per cent. Despite a 2021 decision to revise targets downward by 20 per cent, tree plantings have continued to lag further behind.

In 2023, the council resolved to plant just 600 trees annually in 2024 and 2025 as part of a budget-constrained reset. The city successfully planted 600 trees this year, but this was 838 fewer than the revised target of 1,438, and a substantial 1,198 short of the initial goal of 1,798. The previous year’s planting numbers were also below target, with 533 trees planted—687 fewer than the revised target of 1,220 and 992 fewer than the initial goal of 1,525.

Over the eight years since the program began, the city has planted 5,519 trees. This represents a 33 per cent shortfall compared to its revised target of 8,264 and nearly 50 per cent less than the original goal of 10,330 trees.

Earlier this year, the council requested the chief executive to present a revised target, data on the cumulative shortfall, and a timeline for delivery. All figures are to be published on the city’s website and updated annually. To support this initiative, a budget of almost $700,000 and a full-time staff member have been allocated for 2025-26 to help manage the project.

Last week, the council voted to aim for planting 900 trees annually over the next six years. This plan is set to surpass the revised target of 10,804 trees by 2031, although this will be four years later than initially scheduled.

At the meeting, Councillor Adin Lang acknowledged criticisms from residents and the Fremantle Environmental Network regarding missed targets but described the initial goal as very ambitious.

“I guess you can have a crazy, ambitious goal, but not all of them may be achievable,” he said. “Acknowledging that and extending it by a few years is pretty sensible.”

Mayor Fitzhardinge also highlighted other contributing factors to the shortfall, introducing an amendment noting that it was caused by a lack of initial resourcing, reduced budgets during COVID-affected years, and the unavailability of high-quality planting stock.

“I wanted to just make it clear that we didn’t sort of have an ‘oops’ moment that we had a shortfall of trees,” she said. “There were fairly considered and extensive discussions of trees at every budget that we’ve considered together. It seems a bit rough to read back and just say we had a target and we missed it; there were some factors that contributed to that—it wasn’t just a blind error.”

Councillor Ben Lawver welcomed the renewed investment in tree planting, emphasizing that it forms part of a broader push to increase canopy cover.

“We also have a policy that will be coming back to a future council and other items that could potentially help us grow our urban canopy,” he said. “While it is very important that we plant street trees, and plant trees in our parks and reserves, it is the loss of trees on private property that is really dragging our canopy coverage down.”

Last year, the council found itself at the center of a saga over the protection of a century-old Moreton Bay fig tree on private land. Landowners requested the council to remove the fig from the significant tree list. Protection was stripped from the tree, then reinstated after public backlash, before being removed again.

Councillor Lang concluded by saying it was critical to deliver on targets, allocate budgets, and get trees in the ground. However, the next step would involve refining the work based on the data collected and published.

“We’re using the data and we’re going to get better,” he said. “Hopefully, we can hone in on locations we need to work on and maximize the value of what we’re planting.”
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/environment/city-of-fremantle-stumped-in-plans-to-boost-tree-canopy-cover-c-19835826

Mumbai News: BMC Considers 2 Alternative Tanks For Malabar Hill Reservoir Repairs

Mumbai: BMC Considers Two Alternative Water Tanks for Malabar Hill Reservoir Repairs

Following a recent official inspection of the Malabar Hill Reservoir (MHR), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is exploring the construction of two alternative water tanks before commencing repair work. The civic authorities are currently assessing the operational feasibility of these alternatives to ensure minimal environmental impact and optimal functionality.

Original Plan and Environmental Concerns

Initially, based on recommendations from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, the BMC planned to construct a single alternative water tank with a capacity of 52 million litres per day (MLD). To reduce environmental impact—particularly the felling of trees—residents of Malabar Hill proposed an alternative location for the project.

In response, officials from the BMC’s Waterworks Department conducted a site visit last month to evaluate the feasibility of this suggestion.

Two Sites Identified for Proposed Tanks

“We have identified two proposed sites: one adjacent to the reservoir and another behind the Hanging Gardens. However, the site next to the reservoir has limited capacity, necessitating the construction of an additional 35 MLD tank,” said a senior civic official.

The official added, “Managing two separate tanks would pose operational challenges, so we are currently assessing the feasibility of operating both alternatives effectively.” They also confirmed that this approach would reduce the number of trees that need to be cut down.

Background of Malabar Hill Reservoir Repairs

The Malabar Hill Reservoir, the oldest reservoir beneath the iconic Hanging Gardens, supplies 147 MLD of water daily to South Mumbai. Initially, the BMC proposed a nearly Rs 1000-crore plan to demolish and reconstruct the structure, which required building a 90 MLD replacement tank and would have impacted 389 trees, including 200 slated for transplantation.

However, experts from IIT-Bombay later concluded that complete reconstruction wasn’t necessary and that repairs would suffice.

Scaled-Down Repair Plan Adopted

In February 2024, an expert panel warned that phased repairs would disrupt the water supply unless an alternative tank was created. Acting on the IIT-Roorkee recommendation, the BMC opted for a scaled-down, vertical tank with a 35–44 MLD capacity to minimize land use and environmental impact.

Following sustained public opposition, the original reconstruction plan was ultimately scrapped.

Also Watch: Scaled-Down Repair Plan Adopted

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https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-news-bmc-considers-2-alternative-tanks-for-malabar-hill-reservoir-repairs

Tucson woman arrested for allegedly making threat against Tempe City Council meeting

**Tucson Woman Arrested for Online Threat That Postponed Tempe City Council Meeting**

PHOENIX — A Tucson woman was arrested Wednesday for allegedly making an online threat that led to the postponement of a Tempe City Council meeting last month, authorities said.

Kathleen Tierney faces one felony count of computer tampering and two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct, according to the Tempe Police Department. The computer tampering charge is based on a state statute that prohibits recklessly using a computer, computer system, or network to engage in a scheme or course of conduct directed at another person that seriously alarms, torments, threatens, or terrorizes that person.

Tierney was taken into custody in Tucson by Tempe Criminal Apprehension Surveillance Team officers, with support from the U.S. Marshals Service.

“This arrest demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting the safety of our community members and elected leaders,” Tempe Police Chief Ken McCoy said in a press release. “Threats like this not only endanger lives, they disrupt civic engagement and silence the voices of the people we serve.”

### What Happened When the Threat Was Made Against the Tempe City Council Meeting?

Wednesday’s arrest follows an investigation into a threatening social media post targeting attendees of the August 28 Tempe City Council meeting. The threat was posted just as the council chamber was filling up shortly before the meeting was scheduled to begin.

“The concern was specific in nature and credible enough that we could not in good conscience proceed with the meeting,” Assistant Chief James Sweig said in a press release at the time.

As a result, about 75 people were escorted from the room, and the meeting was rescheduled to September 2 and conducted virtually as a precaution. Additionally, a work study session on September 4 was also changed to a virtual format.

Tempe resumed in-person City Council meetings last Thursday after police implemented several new security measures.

Tempe City Council meetings are held at the East Valley suburb’s City Hall, a distinctive inverted pyramid building on Fifth Street just east of Mill Avenue.
https://ktar.com/arizona-news/tempe-city-council-threat-arrest/5754114/

Osaka High Court Upholds Don Juan of Kishu’s Will

Nozaki, who made his fortune in lending and liquor wholesale, was a prominent figure in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture. He was known for often keeping large amounts of cash and precious metals at his home. In a past interview, he stated, “This watch cost 4.5 million yen. I usually keep around 700 million yen at home.”

After his sudden death from acute stimulant poisoning in 2018, a handwritten will written in red ink was discovered. The will stated, “I bequeath all my personal assets to Tanabe City. Kosuke Nozaki.”

In 2020, Nozaki’s relatives filed a lawsuit contesting the validity of this document. They argued that the handwriting appeared unnatural and that there was no rational motive for Nozaki to donate his entire estate to the city.

However, the Wakayama District Court ruled in June of last year that the handwriting exhibited characteristics unique to Nozaki and judged the will to be valid.

Dissatisfied with the decision, the relatives appealed the ruling, claiming that the signature could have been traced from another document and forged.

On September 19th, the Osaka High Court dismissed the appeal. The court stated that although the signature resembled one on another document, this alone did not provide sufficient grounds to presume forgery. Consequently, the court upheld the lower court’s finding that the will was valid.

The case is further complicated by the circumstances surrounding Nozaki’s death. His then 29-year-old wife was indicted for murder and other charges. However, in December of last year, the Wakayama District Court acquitted her. Prosecutors have since appealed the acquittal, and the legal proceedings continue.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/146957.php

Osaka High Court Upholds Don Juan of Kishu’s Will

Nozaki, who made his fortune in lending and liquor wholesale, was a prominent figure in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture. He was known for often keeping large amounts of cash and precious metals at his home. In a past interview, he remarked, “This watch cost 4.5 million yen. I usually keep around 700 million yen at home.”

After his sudden death from acute stimulant poisoning in 2018, a handwritten will in red ink was discovered. The will stated, “I bequeath all my personal assets to Tanabe City. Kosuke Nozaki.”

In 2020, his relatives filed a lawsuit contesting the validity of the document. They argued that the handwriting was unnatural and claimed there was no rational motive for Nozaki to donate his estate to the city.

However, the Wakayama District Court ruled in June of last year that the handwriting exhibited characteristics unique to Nozaki and judged the will to be valid.

Dissatisfied with this ruling, the relatives appealed the decision, asserting that the signature could have been traced from another document and forged.

In its ruling on September 19th, the Osaka High Court dismissed the appeal. The court stated that although the signature resembled one on another document, this alone was not sufficient grounds to presume forgery. The court upheld the lower court’s finding that the will was valid.

The case is further complicated by the circumstances surrounding Nozaki’s death. His then 29-year-old wife was indicted on charges of murder and other offenses but was acquitted by the Wakayama District Court in December last year. Prosecutors have since appealed the acquittal, prolonging the legal proceedings.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/146957.php