Georgina Barnes

AJ Pyrotechnics from Kent won the British Fireworks Championships in Plymouth for the first time. The Fireworkers finished second and received the Young People's Choice Award, while Electrify Pyrotechnics and Nemisis Pyrotechnics shared third place. Teams were assessed on performance quality, timing, symmetry, patterns, adherence to the brief and overall artistic impression. The two-night event also featured a new synchronized drone show and involved 10 local care-experienced young people in judging the youth award.

The owners of Chateau La Chaire, a Grade II-listed 19th-century hotel in Rozel, Jersey, have applied to convert it into a private home. They say the change would preserve the nationally important heritage asset through continued occupation, support investment in its maintenance and reduce traffic, deliveries, noise, energy use and pressure on local infrastructure. The hotel, which has 14 bedrooms, 18 bathrooms and eight reception rooms, was listed for £4.5m in November.

Developers NooKo will contribute £360,000 toward affordable housing and related infrastructure in Exeter after an independent assessment reduced the originally anticipated £2.4m payment. The contribution is linked to the redevelopment of the fire-damaged Royal Clarence Hotel, a £17m project creating 25 apartments, a pub and a restaurant. Councillor Paul Knott said the reduction could cut the expected number of council homes from about 20 to one or two, while councillor Andy Ketchin said the council needed to recognize the project's financial and heritage-related challenges. The assessment also allocates funding toward Exe Estuary habitats and local GP surgeries.

A seven-week consultation has opened on South West Water’s proposal to permanently use a sewage outfall about 300 metres south of Straight Point near Exmouth, Devon. The outfall would discharge treated wastewater and, during heavy rainfall, settled storm sewage. The Environment Agency granted conditional temporary permission to reduce pollution risks to Exmouth Beach and the Exe Estuary, but South West Water must secure permanent permit changes and demonstrate compliance with environmental standards and protections for people, wildlife and designated sites.

Jersey’s social security minister Elaine Millar argued that removing GST from sanitary products would be ineffective because a government scheme already provides them for free, noting more than £500,000 has been spent on the initiative since 2022. Campaigners and residents said taxing the products in shops remains unfair and called it an inequality issue, urging the government to reconsider. Supporters of tax removal argued that even small savings matter, especially for women facing monthly costs, while Millar maintained the free scheme sufficiently addresses affordability and accessibility. Public reactions were mixed, with some calling the continued tax “ridiculous” and others acknowledging the benefits of the free distribution programme.

A proposed three‑month fuel duty reduction in Jersey has prompted Deputy Hilary Jeune to submit an amendment ensuring the Climate Emergency Fund remains protected from revenue loss. The cut, suggested by Deputy Lucy Stephenson, could reduce petrol and diesel prices by 10p per litre between October and December, lowering government revenue by roughly £900,000. Jeune argued the fund, largely financed through fuel duty, plays a crucial role in supporting climate‑related projects, local jobs and future resilience to extreme weather, and should not be affected automatically by the tax change. The States Assembly will debate the proposal in September.

Residents are resisting the closure of a long‑used coastal path in Newquay after developers fenced off access for a hotel redevelopment project. The Glendorgal Coast Path Group has applied for a Definitive Map Modification Order, which could force an investigation into historic public use of the route, while local MP Noah Law supports the effort, citing the area’s longstanding significance to the community. Campaigners argue the development should accommodate continued public access, warning that delays in the legal process could permanently remove the pathway.