BBC Points West speaks to Bristol Bears' Charles Piutau ahead of his Premiership debut against Exeter Chiefs on Sunday.
Wiltshire must save £25m next year
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Julia Corbett
Savings of £25m will have to be made from the Wiltshire Council’s budget next year as central government grants are cut.
Government grants made up £8.1m of the council’s overall £327m funding in 2018-19, however next year that total will be reduced to zero as Wiltshire becomes one of 168 districts, counties, unitaries and London boroughs which will have Govenrment funding abandoned.
In order to balance the books, it plans to hand over more services to town and parish councils and is investing in ways to make services digital.
Baroness Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire Council said: “There has been a reduction in funding but at the same time an increase in the demand on services which has put increased pressure on this council... We have to be even more efficient year on year. One way to do this is to look at digital services and how this can create further solutions to make us more efficient... We still need to offer that face to face contact.”
The council claims digital services will save the council £5m every year by 2021.
One million calls are currently made to Wiltshire Council every year, which costs £2.50 every time some dials, it said.
11-year-old hurt in Swindon traffic accident
Wiltshire police say an 11-year-old girl was hurt in a traffic incident in Swindon.
The girl has been taken to Bristol Children’s Hospital by ambulance.
"We were called at just after 2pm
today to a traffic collision between a young girl pedestrian and a car on
Meadowcroft, Upper Stratton, in Swindon," police confirmed.
Officers are still at the
scene and Meadowcroft is closed.
Drivers should use alternative routes.
Strictly's Joe Sugg prepares to dance in Blackpool
Wiltshire's Joe Sugg is preparing to dance on the famous sprung dance floor at the Blackpool Tower.
The 27-year-old vlogger, from Corsham, made it his aim to get to the Blackpool Tower ballroom, for his gran, who used to be a ballroom dancer.
He's impressed the judges on his way to Blackpool and will have plenty of support from his family - including his gran - when he takes to the dance floor again on the live show tomorrow night.
A petition calling for Brexit to be stopped will be debated by MPs on Monday.
Monday's debate will provide an opportunity for MPs to question a Government Minister directly on this topic.
More than 109,500 signatories have urged the Government to halt Brexit "if there is no agreement by the deadline for reaching agreement with the EU during the talks".
The petition states: "Leaving with no deal will be very bad for businesses and for the Irish border issue and for EU citizens living here."
The largest number of signatures - 1,094 - has come from the Northern Irish constituency of Foyle, represented by Sinn Fein MP Elisha McCallion.
The second biggest group (667 signatures) was from Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire's Bristol West constituency and the third largest of 650 from Labour MP Daniel Zeichner's Cambridge constituency.
The debate by MPs on the Petitions Committee will start the debate in Westminster Hall at 4.30pm and will be opened by Labour MP Liz Twist.
In response to the petition, a Government spokesman said: "Whilst striking a deal with our EU partners remains the outcome we expect, no deal plans are well-developed and we stand ready to make a success of Brexit, whatever the outcome of our negotiations."
New recycling HQ opens in Swindon
BBCCopyright: BBC
A Swindon company, that is pioneering a new way of stopping plastic going into landfill, is opening new headquarters today.
Recycling Technologies has engineered a machine that can chemically convert previously un-recyclable material into new plastic, wax and oil.
Live Reporting
All times stated are UK
Joe SuggCopyright: Joe Sugg ThangamDebbonaireCopyright: ThangamDebbonaire BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC View more on twitterView more on twitter View more on twitterView more on twitter View more on twitterView more on twitter
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Wiltshire must save £25m next year
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Julia Corbett
Savings of £25m will have to be made from the Wiltshire Council’s budget next year as central government grants are cut.
Government grants made up £8.1m of the council’s overall £327m funding in 2018-19, however next year that total will be reduced to zero as Wiltshire becomes one of 168 districts, counties, unitaries and London boroughs which will have Govenrment funding abandoned.
In order to balance the books, it plans to hand over more services to town and parish councils and is investing in ways to make services digital.
Baroness Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire Council said: “There has been a reduction in funding but at the same time an increase in the demand on services which has put increased pressure on this council... We have to be even more efficient year on year. One way to do this is to look at digital services and how this can create further solutions to make us more efficient... We still need to offer that face to face contact.”
The council claims digital services will save the council £5m every year by 2021.
One million calls are currently made to Wiltshire Council every year, which costs £2.50 every time some dials, it said.
11-year-old hurt in Swindon traffic accident
Wiltshire police say an 11-year-old girl was hurt in a traffic incident in Swindon.
The girl has been taken to Bristol Children’s Hospital by ambulance.
"We were called at just after 2pm today to a traffic collision between a young girl pedestrian and a car on Meadowcroft, Upper Stratton, in Swindon," police confirmed.
Officers are still at the scene and Meadowcroft is closed.
Drivers should use alternative routes.
Strictly's Joe Sugg prepares to dance in Blackpool
Wiltshire's Joe Sugg is preparing to dance on the famous sprung dance floor at the Blackpool Tower.
The 27-year-old vlogger, from Corsham, made it his aim to get to the Blackpool Tower ballroom, for his gran, who used to be a ballroom dancer.
Joe has an army of millions of young followers on social media, but has become a household name since joining the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.
He's impressed the judges on his way to Blackpool and will have plenty of support from his family - including his gran - when he takes to the dance floor again on the live show tomorrow night.
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Read moreBristol makes big contribution to Brexit debate
A petition calling for Brexit to be stopped will be debated by MPs on Monday.
Monday's debate will provide an opportunity for MPs to question a Government Minister directly on this topic.
More than 109,500 signatories have urged the Government to halt Brexit "if there is no agreement by the deadline for reaching agreement with the EU during the talks".
The petition states: "Leaving with no deal will be very bad for businesses and for the Irish border issue and for EU citizens living here."
The largest number of signatures - 1,094 - has come from the Northern Irish constituency of Foyle, represented by Sinn Fein MP Elisha McCallion.
The second biggest group (667 signatures) was from Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire's Bristol West constituency and the third largest of 650 from Labour MP Daniel Zeichner's Cambridge constituency.
The debate by MPs on the Petitions Committee will start the debate in Westminster Hall at 4.30pm and will be opened by Labour MP Liz Twist.
In response to the petition, a Government spokesman said: "Whilst striking a deal with our EU partners remains the outcome we expect, no deal plans are well-developed and we stand ready to make a success of Brexit, whatever the outcome of our negotiations."
New recycling HQ opens in Swindon
A Swindon company, that is pioneering a new way of stopping plastic going into landfill, is opening new headquarters today.
Recycling Technologies has engineered a machine that can chemically convert previously un-recyclable material into new plastic, wax and oil.
It comes as the borough council plans to tell residents to stop recycling plastic because much of it is being sent abroad where it "isn't properly recycled".
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