Notes from the North: Saved from climate change by the local authority, councillors fear physical attacks and threats
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When water rose to the ceilings of the first floor of homes in Clydach Terrace, in Ynysybwl, it marked the start of a nightmare for people living there.
But now the local authority will be buying the 16 homes on the street due to its “unique risk of significant flooding.”
It heralds a strong intervention from an authority to protect the people living there – but also a point at which climate change begins to displace residents and perhaps a blueprint for how that should be tackled.
Local authorities do good work and sometimes bad work – but the physical attacks and threats of violence councillors receive in Blackpool should not be part of the job. That’s what The Blackpool Lead explored this week.
And up in Teesside, Leigh continues to have his eyes on the trials and tribulations of the Teesworks site.
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Begun in early 2024, the Lead North publishes in Blackpool, Lancashire, Calderdale, Teesside and Southport. Each week our senior editor for The Lead North, Luke Beardsworth, highlight some of the stories we’ve been breaking exclusively, covering extensively and staying the course on to ensure communities have access to verified independent journalism. If you have any stories you think we should be covering, or tip-offs, you can contact luke@thelead.uk
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“We have to be out of these houses by September”
Six years ago, Paul Thomas and his neighbours expected that they might have a little bit of flooding when Storm Dennis was announced to be making its way across the south Wales Valleys.
As Storm Dennis brought its heavy wind and rain, Paul watched as water crept up the wall above the river, spilling over into the street.
The reason the water spilled over this time, and hadn’t in previous decades, is most likely cause by the shifting weather patterns intensifying wind-rain extremes in the UK. It became a persistent problem.
When residents were consulted back in 2020 regarding what should be done to protect residents, Paul, a builder by trade, said the only affordable, viable option he could see what was for the council to buy the houses along the streets, and then demolish them.
Six years later, that is the decision which has been made after Natural Resources Wales’s assessment last summer found no viable option to minimising flood risk.
Councillors in Blackpool increasing fear physical attacks and violent threats as politics turns nastier
Blackpool councillors are going into hiding, with three-quarters now keeping their home addresses secret from the public following physical attacks and violent threats.
One veteran councillor has been left so afraid after being beaten in public that they asked not to be named – and said they felt forced into removing their address from their council website profile page, leaving only their mobile number and local authority email address, in an effort to stay safe.
Another, Julie Sloman, who represents Norbreck, asked for her address to be removed after someone hand-delivered a postcard to her home calling her a “fucking bitch” and a “Conservative cunt” and telling her to watch her back.
Even the council leader Lynn Williams has been forced to take measures to protect herself and her family after a “couple of issues”.
Teesworks only tenant replaces chief exec after production delays
SeAH Wind, the only tenant so far at the enormous Teesworks site, has replaced its CEO, after admitting a weak financial position due to production delays.
The company, which makes monopiles – offshore foundations for wind turbines – announced Chung Ryu as its new chief executive, jumping from his previous role as chief operating officer at sister company SeAH Steel’s manufacturing factory at Suncheon in South Korea.
SeAH Wind said outgoing CEO Chris Sohn would be taking up a new senior position in South Korea within its steel manufacturing business.
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