With spring coming, encouraging residents to FireSmart their homes and properties as they plan their spring cleanup projects was a priority at the City of Quesnels Forestry Innovation Centre open house.

At the open house, held Saturday, Feb. 29, representatives from the Citys Forestry Initiatives Program, the B.C. Wildfire Service and the United Way Fire Mitigation Project were available to provide information about reducing your risk during wildfire season.

The Citys Forestry Initiatives Program has new FireSmart information banners, which will be displayed during the PeeWee provincials and the Central Interior Hockey League Coy Cup, at the Quesnel Library and at the Quesnel Arts and Recreation Centre in the coming months.

The City will also have a booth with FireSmart information at the Quesnel Home and Outdoor Adventure Show April 18-19 and is planning another Forestry Innovation Centre open house at the end of April. The City is also working on organizing a Wildfire Preparedness Day for a date to be determined in May.

FireSmart B.C. tips for homeowners include everything from moving firewood 10-30 metres from your home and cleaning your roof and gutters of leaves and pine needles to having a wildfire evacuation plan with your household and keeping grass cut to less than 10 centimetres.

The United Way Fire Mitigation Project helps seniors and people who face mobility or mental health barriers protect their homes through the FireSmart principles.

The program runs until the end of August, and supervisors Ray Jungaro and Gary Horley say theyve been working pretty much all over the region so far.

Last month, they met with people who live around Troll Ski Resort, and Horley says they will start doing some pruning work there once the snow melts a bit. They are also going to present information about the program at a public meeting April 15 at the Sunset Theatre in Wells, which is being organized by the Wells-Barkerville Community Forest.

Were looking forward to that, said Horley. Its pretty well promoted by their Community Forest. I think well spend quite a bit of time east.

Horley and Jungaro held a meeting in Alexandria last week, and they expect theyll be doing quite a bit of work there too.

Through the United Way Fire Mitigation Project, a crew of four, led by a trained supervisor, will conduct fire mitigation assessments and activities on residential properties, following the guidelines set out by FireSmart Canada and B.C. Wildfire Service.

The crew will do a formal assessment of your property to identify areas where your home may be at risk, looking at everything from the materials used to build your home to the type of vegetation on your property. After the assessment, crew members will do some mitigation activities, such as moving woodpiles and relocating flammable materials to a safer distance, clearing dead organic waste from your property, clearing gutters and basic landscaping maintenance, such as pruning tress and shrubs of their dead limbs and removing tall grasses.

They will also provide recommendations and information on how to have other activities, such as tree removal and thinning or roof replacement, done.

This project is aimed at seniors and community members who face mobility and/or mental health barriers who have difficulty or are unable to complete the activities themselves. For those who meet the eligibility requirements, the service is free.

This winter, Jungaro and Horley and their crew have also been helping clear driveways for seniors who cannot do it on their own.

We were glad we could do that, said Horley.

The crew also recently helped a senior who had been badly hurt by chopping and stacking her firewood.

Jungaro and Horley will be taking part in Local FireSmart Representative training March 25-26, and after that, they will be included in the B.C. FireSmart website.

Jungaro and Horley will be presenting more information about the Fire Mitigation Project April 18-19 at the Quesnel Home and Outdoor Adventure Show.

For more information about the United Way Fire Mitigation Project, contact Ray Jungaro at 250-992-1508 or Garry Horley at 250-991-6143 or email either of them at quesnel@unitedwaytnc.ca.

For more information about FireSmart, visit firesmartbc.ca.

READ MORE: Quesnels United Way Fire Mitigation Project has been a success so far

forestry

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Importance of FireSmarting your home highlighted at Quesnel open house - Quesnel Cariboo Observer

City crews are removing trees along the intersection of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Latoria Road in Colwood to make way for the construction of new roads on the Olympic View development. There will be 34 new lots for single family home and three sites for multi-family townhomes. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)

Crews near intersection of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Latoria Road from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tree removal for a new development may impact traffic in Colwood Tuesday and Wednesday.

City crews and an arborist are working near the intersection of Latoria Road and Veterans Memorial Parkway from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Wednesday, March 4.

Trees have been coming down since Tuesday to make way for a new development in Colwood.

City crews and an arborist were working at the intersection of Latoria Road and Veterans Memorial Parkway to prepare for the Olympic View development, which will become a four-way intersection down the road.

Traffic came to brief stops as crews topped trees and began clearing the area for development.

RELATED: Colwood approves new single-lane roundabout at intersection with immediate need for improvement

ALSO READ: Royal Bay student hit by driver while heading to first day of 2020 classes

Currently, the owners of the Olympic View property are preparing for the construction of new roads as a next step in creating 34 lots for single family homes and three sites for multi-family townhomes.

Designs for a single-lane roundabout at Veterans Memorial Parkway and Latoria Road are being finalized now.

Though trees may be coming down, there is a tree management plan in place that will keep hundreds of trees and protect environmentally sensitive areas. The Olympic View development will be designed to fit homes into the natural landscape.

aaron.guillen@goldstreamgazette.com

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City crews will be removing trees along the intersection of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Latoria Road in Colwood on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Courtesy of City of Colwood)

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Tree removal may impact traffic in Colwood Tuesday and Wednesday - Victoria News

I love trees! From live oaks in Louisiana, sequoias in California to Cypress trees deep in south Georgia swamps, I have traipsed across the country to see natures tallest treasures. So today is super easy to drive up Habersham Street to the Savannah Tree Foundation Georgia Arbor Day Block Party at Green Truck Pub.

Checking out the colorful tents, live demonstrations and a cool green produce truck, I head over to talk with foundation Executive Director Zoe Rinker. Charged with preserving, protecting and planting urban trees locally, Zoe tells me, Green Truck Pub wanted to celebrate their 10th anniversary and came up with the idea of celebrating trees on Arbor Day.

Loving how this event focused on families that plant together stay together, it makes senses that the next people I see are Hunter Cattle Co. A fan since day one, I hug Del and Debra Ferguson, then take a seat on a hay bale to get an update on my favorite grass fed, no antibiotics, hormones, ingredients or preservatives cattle family.

With close to 1,000 cattle on their 300 acre farm and with partnering farmers, Del tells me they are selling grass fed beef to Green Truck Pub, Elle Tran and Local on 17 and how excited they are to debut their clean, natural meadow bloom tallow soaps and lotions.

After a pic of them with sons Daniel and Riley, I trot over for pics of photo reluctant Nancy Hayward with Constantinos Papaconstantinou and Jen Hayward, then the leader of all things healthy, the indomitable Paula Kreissler.

I once said, wherever she leads I will follow, and I cannot express how I love and admire the woman that made smoking indoors illegal and has changed local school food plans. After a long hug of love, I pose her with Joa Bello and Melissa Memory winners of the best names of the day.

Next I pose Zoes husband Rob with Savannah Tree Foundation board member Jody Trumbull and office administrator Haley Gary. The Florida native tells me, Savannahs trees are the entire reason we moved to here. It took us three years to get here and we want to put down roots.

Another person with love of trees is with Evergreen Tree Service, Jenna and Robert Cuilty. Busy snipping and shaping a small evergreen, the Savannah loving couple tell me, We are tree care solutions and do everything from plant health care to tree removal and pruning.

Across from their tent is a big group of guys making a lot of noise with their wood turning mid-lathe. With 43 members offering free demonstrations on the last Thursday of each month at Georgia State Railroad Museum, I pause to hear Lowcountry Turners President Dan Lee talk about the bowls, platters and vessels on his display table.

Dan shows birch from his backyard, cherry wood from Hurricane Matthew and a live oak from Wilmington Island, then the finished product. I may be obsessed with this new-to-me nonprofit as I watch Lonnie Bott make nice little cuts into a tulip poplar wood blank, then hand me a colorful tiny spin top!

Dragging my feet away, I head over to pose Mark Bowen from Forsyth Farmers Market in front of his fresh produce truck, then pause Savannah Derby Devil member Kiona Heredia aka CleoCatra, Sarah Handy aka Handy Dufresne, and Ivette Foreit aka Ms. Elle Crisis for a fun pic.

Slowing down, I wait for Zoe to wrangle Green Truck Pubs Whitney and Josh Yates away from a standing-room-only restaurant. We love trees, and planting trees is the best way we can give back to the community that supports us. Having a friend-raiser along with matching donations all month will make our goal of 10 trees possible, shares the fellow tree lovers.

With a final lap through the perfect Sunday party, Zoe shares, Today was particularly exciting because of all the children attending, thats truly who we are planting for. The trees we plant today will continue to provide shade, clean the air and beautify our community well into the future.

Amen! With future plans to track down some aspens in Yellowstone National Park, I will remain content to live in a city cuddled by the long arms of century-old oaks, swaying pines and magnificent magnolias. Thank you Savannah Tree Foundation for being the ultimate caretaker of our natural treasures!

Invite Bunny to your gathering, gala or other social event. Contact Bunny at 912-844-1122 or email her at bunnyware@aol.com.

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BUNNY IN THE CITY: Friend-raiser explores the value of trees - Savannah Morning News

Trees that were given a stay of execution after protesters threw themselves around their trunks, have finally been cut down.

The trees along Wellington Road next to the large Tesco store in Swansea city centre were due to be felled as part of the first phase of the ongoing 135million revamp of the city centre.

Eight trees in total were due to be removed, although Swansea Council said it would be planting 17 smaller trees elsewhere to mitigate the loss.

But when contractors moved onto the site two weeks ago, supporters of campaign groups including Save Swansea Trees and Swansea Tree Forum forced a delay by wrapping themselves around the trunks .

A discussion ensued with council officers, and the felling was postponed.

The stand-off prompted a row between Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart, who said groups had been kept updated with the plans, a claim disputed by The Woodland Trust, which insisted it had not been consulted about the felling.

Mr Stewart claimed the Woodland Trust was invited to a meeting about the trees but declined.

Joseph Coles, urban programme lead for the Woodland Trust said: The Trust has been supporting Save Swanseas Trees and the Swansea Tree Forum since they brought our attention the significant tree removals taking place in the city centre back in 2018.

We have acknowledged that in some circumstances, trees were removed for acceptable reasons where evidence was provided, and we applaud the commitments Swansea is making to the climate emergency, green infrastructure and biodiversity through its city development.

We also appreciate the councils recognition that residents are concerned about tree removal.

We also recognise that planning permission was approved last year for the removal of trees as part of large-scale redevelopment in Swansea.

However, we must emphasise that contrary to the statement made by Swansea Council, we were not consulted, nor did we endorse the removal of these semi-mature trees on Wellington Street without evidence of their location and status.

In a lengthy article published in the Swansea Evening Post on Wednesday, March 4, Coun Stewart listed the public consultations and separate consultations for interested parties as well as outlining the people individually contacted to attend the meetings.

He also reiterated why the work was carried out. He said: "The Wellington Street reconfiguration is being undertaken to improve access for buses/coaches/taxis and to improve disabled access. The work is also required to improve the access in Tesco and reduce the congestion onto Westway.

"The works form part of the reconfiguration to support the creation of the new Swansea Central Phase 1 development."

A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "While its always regrettable to have to remove trees, we have said right from the start that a number would have to make way if we were going to successfully deliver the Swansea arena project.

"We obtained planning permission to do the work. By smart planning we were able to save a number of trees originally earmarked for removal but, unfortunately, it was not possible to deliver a new entrance for Tesco and two way traffic without removing eight trees.

"We will be planting 17 replacements and all will be semi-mature and around 9m high when planted. Visitors to Wellington Street will be able to enjoy even more London Plane Trees than before because five are being planted to replace the four that were removed."

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Mature trees outside Tesco have been cut down a week after campaigners wrapped themselves around them - Wales Online

New York, March 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the current analysis of Reports and Data, the globalfiber cement board marketwas valued at USD 13.43 Billion in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 19.89 Billion by the year 2027, at a CAGR of 5.03%. The Fiber Cement Board (FCB) is a building material that has been used in construction activities as building materials by mixing cement with various organic or mineral fibers at specified ratios. The addition of fibers to fiber cement imparts several attributes that are important to the application and serviceability of the composites. Some of these attributes include resistance to cracking, a lighter weight, and a degree of flexibility that are important to the fiber cement board market. These boards are majorly used for decorative purposes such as sidings, flooring, ceiling, roofing materials, soffit and trims, and as a tile backing board. It is preferred for building good quality and long-lasting furniture and homes due to properties such as high resistance to water, fire, and termites.

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The fiber cement board market is witnessing significant growth because of its utilization as siding inside the house, such as bathrooms and kitchens, because of its properties such as durable and water-resistant as well as waterproof nature. In addition, accelerating construction expenditures, specifically in new housing, will spur demand. The adoption of the Fibre cement board has increased in prime end-use industries, namely residential, commercial, and others. In addition, the rapid growth of the residential sector is another factor boosting the market growth.

Also, the favorable government regulations and rising awareness regarding environmental degradation are anticipated to accelerate fiber cement board market growth over the projected period. The increasing construction spending in emerging economies from the Asia Pacific owing to rising population coupled with healthy economic and industrial development is expected to affect the product demand in the near future positively. Besides, various capital investments in public infrastructures bolster the growth rate. The emergence of the residential construction sector in China and India on account of improving standards of living, consumer spending capabilities, and changing lifestyles are expected to contribute to construction spending over the years to come.

Key market players are today focusing on various strategic activities involving research and development activities to explore the applications of Fibre Cement Board Markets and also mergers and acquisitions, facility expansions, and related investments.

Further key findings from the report suggest

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For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data have segmented the report on the basis of material, product, production process, application, end-use, and region:

Material (Revenue, USD Million; Volume in Million Sq. Ft., 20172027)

Product (Revenue, USD Million; Volume in Million Sq. Ft., 20172027)

Production Process (Revenue, USD Million; Volume in Million Sq. Ft., 20172027)

Application (Revenue, USD Million; Volume in Million Sq. Ft., 20172027)

End-Use (Revenue, USD Million; Volume in Million Sq. Ft., 20172027)

To identify the key trends in the industry, click on the link below: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/global-fiber-cement-board-market-2017-forecast-to-2022

Regional Outlook (Revenue in USD Million; Volume in Million Sq. Ft., 20172027)

Browse more similar reports on Building Materials category by Reports And Data

Polymer Concrete Market - https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/polymer-concrete-market

Wooden Decking Market - https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/wooden-decking-market

Green Cement Market - https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/green-cement-market

About Reports and Data

Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries and help clients make a smarter business decision. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a multiple industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Power, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware about the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise.

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Fiber Cement Board Market To Reach USD 19.89 Billion By 2027 | Reports And Data - GlobeNewswire

YARDLEY, PA Work that will span several months at one of Yardley's busiest intersections is scheduled to get started on Monday.

Crews will begin a project to replace the current traffic signal and do other work at the intersection of Main Street and Afton Avenue in Yardley. Yardley Borough Council members discussed the work at their meeting Tuesday night.

Because of a backlog in making the poles that will support new traffic signals at the intersection, the work could continue through July or August, Borough Manager Paula Johnson said.

The work will include the full replacement of the intersection's existing traffic signal with a new signal design that includes overhead traffic signals for improved visibility, borough officials said.

The new signal will meet all current PennDOT guidelines, officials said.

Pedestrian push buttons and pedestrian signals with countdown timers will be added at all four crosswalks, all signs around the traffic signal will be renewed and a four-camera video detection system will be installed, replacing the current in-ground loop detectors.

There also will be an emergency preemption system, which will allow borough officials to improve response time for emergency services.

Lighting at the intersection also will be upgraded with energy-efficient LED arms as part of the new signal pole installations. The existing traffic-controller cabinet will be moved form its pole-mounted location on the southwest corner of the intersection to the southeast corner.

All poles and mast arms will be painted black to match with existing decorative lighting in the area, Johnson said.

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Signal Work At Main St. And Afton Ave. In Yardley Starts Monday - Patch.com

Andrea Leadsom used her Commons resignation speech to deliver a parting shot at John Bercow, joking that he was the only politician she would tell to "f--- off".

The former business secretary who regularly sparred with the ex-Speaker in the Commons also said the Brexit referendum result was as good as Mr Bercow's face when she reprimanded him for calling her "a stupid woman".

In a personal statement after Prime Minister's Questions, Mrs Leadsom recalled her first rebellion against a three-line whip when she joined 80 other Tory rebels to vote for a referendum on EU membership in 2011.

She said this led to "media speculation" that she had told the former chancellor George Osborne to "f--- off".

Well, I can assure you that there's only one person to whom I might be tempted to provide such frank advice, and that wouldn't include any former or current chancellor and certainly not any current speaker," she said.

She added that the result of the EU referendum in June 2016 was "right up there with England winning the World Cup for rugby 16 years ago".

And she said: "It's right up there with the look on John Bercows face when I told him to apologise for calling me a stupid woman, and it is a bit behind the happiness of my wedding day."

Mrs Leadsom, who was one of the first casualties of last month's Cabinet reshuffle, added that she believed Boris Johnson was "the right person to seize the opportunities that await us outside the EU" and said it was "an honour" to serve as business secretary in his first Cabinet.

She wished her replacement, Alok Sharma, "huge success" as COP president when the UK plays host to the UN climate talks later in the year.

The South Northamptonshire MP said that she would now focus on the issue of early years from the backbenches.

She said: "When the Prime Minister asked me to step aside, he also gave me his word that he will enable me to take forward the early years work and I am delighted that the wheels are in motion.

"And I want to heartily congratulate him and Carrie for their decision to do their own bit of early years research."

Mr Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds announced this weekend that they are engaged and expecting a baby in the early summer.

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Andrea Leadsom says the only person she'd tell to 'f--- off' is John Bercow in resignation speech - Telegraph.co.uk

Muhyiddin Yassin has been sworn in as the new prime minister of Malaysia. Many people were surprised because 94-year-old Mahathir Mohammad, the oldest prime minister in the world, was widely expected to be reappointed for a third time.

Muhyiddin outfoxed the wily Mahathir, because Mahathir made two fatal errors. First, he had resigned, thus creating a vacancy. Second, he made a miscalculation about the kings discretion. The Malaysian king appoints a person he thinks can command the majority in parliament it has nothing to do with election results or how many MPs support you. In Australia, its called the captains pick.

The king picked Muhyiddin over Mahathir, and thats that. The only way now to remove the new government is via a vote of no-confidence in parliament, which will take months.

Muhyiddins new ruling coalition consists of three parties: United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Parti Islam Malaysia (PAS) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM or United Indigenous Party).

UMNO and PAS were the defeated parties in the historic 2018 general elections that produced Malaysias first regime change since independence. UMNO had been the ruling party for nearly six decades before losing to PPBM and Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope). Mahathir had established PPBM specifically to beat UMNO, and almost the entire PPBM leadership was ex-UMNO.

Read more: Mahathir Mohamad crops up again in bid to lead Malaysia with Anwar on the same side

So now we have an interesting combination. UMNO and PPBM are essentially the same parties with similar ideologies, Malay nationalism, combined with PAS, which wants to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state.

But what about the non-Malay and non-Muslim Malaysians who make up 38% of the population? Dont they count?

The short answer is no. While the new administration will appoint a few non-Malays to the administration, make no mistake, this is an all-Malay government and its focus is on the Malay and Muslim community.

UMNO is still sore at the Malaysian Chinese and Indian population for voting en bloc against UMNO in 2018, which led it to lose government. Now its payback time. Expect more Malay-centric policies that will punish the Chinese and Indians.

Many are worried about the direction Malaysia may be heading in the short term.

First, there is concern that corruption trials relating to the infamous 1MDB scandal involving ex-prime minister Najib Razak may now go nowhere. Najibs wife is also charged with corruption in a different case, along with several other ministers in the last UMNO-led government.

In fact, the UMNO president, Zahid Hamidi, who is facing 47 charges of money-laundering (the legal term for corrupt money), is trying to get a cabinet post in the new Muhyiddin administration. The attorney-general has resigned and his replacement will probably not go after high-profile UMNO individuals now that UMNO is back in government.

High-level corruption was one of the main reasons UMNO was defeated in 2018 and UMNO has not reformed. Now its back in government, most people expect business as usual. There is credible fear that Muhyiddin cannot stand up to UMNO as UMNO is now the largest party among the three core parties. UMNO and PAS also have a political pact, which means PPBM will definitely not be able to stop the senior coalition partner if it insists on certain public policy.

Read more: What Najib Razak's corruption trial means for Malaysia and the region

Second, people are extremely worried about PAS. Since its founding in 1951, PAS has advocated the idea of turning Malaysia into an Islamic state. It has introduced huhud (Shariah) law at the state level in Kelantan and Terengganu, but cannot enforce the law because it conflicts with Malaysias federal constitution.

Now that PAS is one of the troika in power, will PAS push the new administration to amend the constitution? There is already talk that PAS will get the government to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act, or RUU355. This will indirectly allow for hudud to be implemented.

Third, and perhaps most worrying, the new government has broken the political convention that it always has a significant number of non-Malay voices to represent the diverse population. This government was built purely on the concept of ketuanan Melayu Islam (Malay Islamic supremacy). Non-Malays to be appointed to the new administration will know exactly where they stand as window dressing.

Despite its racial and religious tensions, Malaysia has always been seen by the international community as a modern, moderate Islamic country with strong Westminster institutions. It was always understood that the political elite would choose the middle path at the end of the day, no matter how heated the politics became.

This may no longer be the case.

If there is a lesson to be learnt here, it is that regime change does not guarantee progress. In May 2018, there was joy that Malaysia had finally joined the club of newly democratising countries via the ballot box. Almost two years down the road we are seeing a complete reversal via an elite game.

If there is one thing about Southeast Asia, it is that the votes of the ordinary people do not matter when it comes to power games. Power here is a zero-sum game and, in this case, the non-Malays and non-Muslims in Malaysia are the losers.

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Malaysia takes a turn to the right, and many of its people are worried - The Conversation AU

NewsLynn Davidson confronted Boris Johnson's right-hand man at a meeting of special advisers

Tuesday, 3rd March 2020, 6:46 pm

Lynn Davidson was sacked as a special adviser to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace in the latest sign No 10 is exerting more control over the machinery of Government. But senior Conservative sources claimed her departure was unconnected to the argument she had with Mr Cummings, Boris Johnson's most powerful aide.

At a meeting of all special advisers on 14 February, Ms Davidson accused Mr Cummings of being "out of order" for telling aides they were at risk of losing their jobs in the Cabinet reshuffle.

No 10 subsequently tried to move her from the Ministry of Defence to the health or education department, but after Mr Wallace blocked the move she was unexpectedly fired this week.

Spad shake-up

Ms Davidson previously worked as a journalist for The Sun, before moving into the Government to work for then-Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt. She is one of a number of special advisers to be sacked or moved in the wake of last month's reshuffle.

A Tory source said the move was planned before she confronted Mr Cummings and insisted there was no link between the two events.

In the Home Office, Priti Patel remains embroiled in a row over claims she bullied Sir Philip Rutnam out of his job as permanent secretary. On Tuesday the Home Secretary sent a memo to all staff co-written with Shona Dunn, who is Sir Philip's temporary replacement.

The pair said they "both regret Sir Philip's decision to resign", adding: "We both deeply value the work that every person in this department does and care about the wellbeing of all our staff. It is therefore a time for us all to come together as one team."

Court fight

The Government is currently being sued by Sonia Khan, a former aide to Sajid Javid, after she was frogmarched out of the building and accused of leaking information.

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Government aide who spoke out against Dominic Cummings is fired from her job - inews

A councillor at the centre of a previous row over the future of a Lichfield leisure centre could be axed from a task group looking to develop a replacement facility in the city.

Cllr Jamie Checkland had been earmarked as a member of the cross-party group put together by Lichfield District Council.

But his position is now in doubt after questions were raised over his involvement by another member, Lib Dem representative Cllr Paul Ray, at a meeting of the overview and scrutiny committee.

The six-person group has temporarily been reduced to five members while a decision is made over the councillors involvement.

Cllr Tim Matthews, chairman of the leisure, parks and waste management (overview and scrutiny) committee, said:

At the meeting we discussed who should be on the task group and confirmed the membership of five councillors.

Following a recommendation by a committee member, we decided to delegate the decision about filling the sixth place to the task group.

We also acknowledged the huge role the task group will have to play in the development of a new leisure facility in Lichfield, and how crucially important it is that we fully capture community need as we seek to shape the future provision of leisure in Lichfield.

Cllr Checklands initial appearance in the task group had raised eyebrows after comments he made during the original battle to save Friary Grange Leisure Centre.

The Conservative member had claimed at a public meeting about keeping the facility open that The Friary School of which he was a governor wanted their facilities back.

Ive been fighting on behalf of The Friary School to get a fair crack of the whip in relation to the facilities and the income that comes in to the school and the way in which the pool and other elements are managed.

My priority is the children of the school. They are there to be educated and the money that comes into The Friary School should be used for their education.

For a number of years now, because of the contract signed in 1971 when it was just a sports centre the county council was paying a third and the district council paying two thirds. In 1978 a pool was built on the side and the contract was not changed.

As time has eroded the school has been picking up the county council bill. As it stands, around about 70,000 a year goes towards supporting the sports centre and school thats your pupils money.

We gave notice that the school wanted their facilities back. They do belong to the school and they create an income. They were built by the county council as a sports centre and astro turf pitch as part of the school.

The Friary Schools move to become an academy had been central to the reasoning behind the original plan to shut the neighbouring leisure centre.

Cllr Checklands dual role at the council house and as a governor led to another councillor asking whether there was a conflict of interest with the Conservative representative later apologising for breaching the code of conduct after a debate about the facility.

He eventually opted to step down as a school governor, before resigning from senior roles at the local authority too.

I do this to ensure the good work that needs to be carried out by these committees is not distracted any further.

I was grateful for the chance to meet with you where I was able to prove to you my integrity over my past three years involvement concerning the issues at the Friary Grange Leisure Centre.

I submit this and offer my continuing full support for the future and the progress you going to make.

Lichfield Live understands Cllr Checkland will be interviewed by council leader Doug Pullen and cabinet member Liz Little to decide whether he should take up a place on the task group.

Cllr Steve Norman, leader of the Labour opposition group at the council, has criticised a lack of decisive action by the overview and scrutiny committee on the issue of Cllr Checklands involvement .

The decision on who should or should not be on the group should have been decided by the scrutiny committee there and then, but it was left for the leader and cabinet member, to interview Cllr Checkland and report back.

To be fair to the leader, Cllr Doug Pullen, I think he was trying to leave that to the scrutiny chairman, but I got the impression that the cabinet member was in charge of this.

Its scrutiny at Lichfield District Council but not as I know it.

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Councillor at centre of controversy during campaign to save Lichfield leisure centre could be axed from task group - Lichfield Live