Hannah Miller

Wessex Water defended an almost 14% increase in chief executive Ruth Jefferson’s pay to £670,000, saying it brought her closer to market benchmarks after her salary had initially been set below comparable organizations. The company reported a £96m profit, said it was reinvesting the money in infrastructure, was spending more than £8m a month to reduce sewage discharges, and would pay no shareholder dividend until 2030. The defense comes amid data showing 190,666 hours of raw sewage releases, four serious pollution incidents, an £11.3m fine and nine ongoing Environment Agency investigations. Local protesters and a Green Party councillor raised concerns about unsafe and deteriorating river water, while Wessex Water infrastructure director Matt Wheeldon argued that storm overflows account for less than 1% of the reasons rivers fail to reach good ecological status and that river quality has improved over the past 30 years.

Bristol City Council has approved plans for a new Club 3000 bingo hall on Hartcliffe Way, despite officers recommending refusal because the site was earmarked for housing and raised concerns about public transport and gambling-related health harms in a deprived ward. Councillors cited strong community support, including about 500 letters in favour, and argued that the area needed more social spaces. The venue will accommodate 1,200 customers, include 144 parking spaces and is expected to open in 2027, while licensing officials will consider operating conditions and measures to reduce problem gambling.

A domestic abuse survivor was wrongly told by South Gloucestershire Council she could return to the area she had fled, despite legal protections preventing such referrals. The Local Government Ombudsman ruled the council had fundamentally misapplied homelessness law, failed to consider evidence of risk, and must compensate the woman and apologise. The council introduced new staff training, while the ombudsman and charity Refuge highlighted broader national failures in how local authorities handle survivors’ housing applications. The survivor is now rehoused and hopes her case prompts systemic change.

A £5m-per-year youth employment scheme in the West of England supported only 300 young people in its first year, falling short of its 500‑person target, with just 126 progressing into work, training or study from a regional Neet population of about 22,000. Labour mayor Helen Godwin acknowledged the results were inadequate and outlined plans to redesign the programme, expand voluntary‑sector delivery and add £2m in mayoral funding, raising total two‑year spending to £12m. The government has committed a further £5m while agreeing improvements are needed. The revised scheme aims to place 1,000 young people into work in year two, supported by a forthcoming Skills Strategy intended to make the region the first “Neet‑zero” area. Stakeholders, including MP Darren Jones and Green councillor Heather Mack, highlighted youth unemployment concerns and the impact of austerity on support services.