Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Cllr Paula Widdowson said there were concerns City of York Council’s consultation on the changes did not allow participants to leave feedback about specific issues they could face.

Cllr Jenny Kent, the Labour administration’s environment executive member, said residents could have their say in person as well as in the council’s consultation broadly covering issues around the proposals.

It comes as the consultation on the changes has so far received more than 10,000 responses, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands.

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People can take part online, over the phone or by attending one of the in-person drop-in events planned in April.

The consultation is set to close on Friday, May 1.

The proposals would see most households’ existing recycling boxes swapped for two 240-litre bins, one for paper and cardboard and another for glass, tins and plastic.

Each one would be collected every four weeks in two-week alternating cycles.

The changes come as the council looks to save £520,000 from its wider waste collection services over the next two years.

Council officials have said wheelie bins would allow people to recycle more ahead of requirements for soft plastics including film to be collected from the kerbside from March next year.

They added they would help reduce work-related injuries among council waste collection staff, make bin rounds more efficient and stop litter being left behind afterwards.

But concerns have been raised about the plans including how those living in smaller terraced houses will cope with having to store more wheelie bins.

The Liberal Democrats have also said waste being collected less frequently could see residents whose collections are missed waiting up to eight weeks for it to be taken away.

York recycling boxes. Picture is from York Council (Image: City of York Council)

Opposition environment spokesperson and deputy leader Cllr Widdowson said they were now asking people to them their views directly so they could build a clearer picture the potential effects.

Cllr Widdowson said: “We know residents care strongly about recycling and want to see a system that works well for everyone.

“Many people have told us they don’t feel the current consultation gives them the opportunity to explain their individual circumstances or concerns.

“It’s especially important we understand the impact on different households before any final decisions are made.”

Cllr Kent said she believed the changes would be positive but needed to hear from residents to understand how they could be affected.

She added it would be impossible to create a bespoke system for each of York’s roughly 95,000 households but the council wanted to know about any difficulties residents foresaw.

Cllr Kent said: “Proposed changes will see the capacity most residents have for recycling go up from 165 litres to 240 litres fortnightly, allowing more to be recycled at the kerbside.

“It will allow us to collect more from residents, reducing the need for them to go to the tip, and make collections more efficient, saving the council money.

“Liberal Democrats running another consultation is just confusing for residents and is not going to add anything to both the more than 10,000 responses the council’s consultation has already received, and the in-person drop in events we are running.”

People can share their views with the Liberal Democrats here: https://digitallibdems.typeform.com/2026Recycling

The council’s recycling consultation is available online here, along with the dates, times and locations of the in-person drop-in events scheduled for April: https://www.york.gov.uk/RecyclingReview

People can also take part by calling the council on: (01904) 551551 and paper copies of the survey can be found in Explore libraries.

Bondi early last year played into fevered speculation about the Epstein files, saying a client list was ‌on her desk for review. But after an initial release included material that had largely already been ​public, the DOJ and FBI declared in July that the case was closed and that no ‌further disclosures were warranted.

PHOENIX (AP) — Shea Ralph of Vanderbilt was named The Associated Press women’s basketball Coach of the Year on Thursday after turning the Commodores into one of the top teams in the nation.

Ralph led a team that returned just one starter to the most successful season in school history. The team went 29-5, with 13 of those wins coming in the regular season against a rugged Southeastern Conference schedule. The Commodores finished tied for second in the conference, which matched the best finish in program history. They earned a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament and reached the Sweet 16.

“It’s wild. It’s hard to wrap my mind around it. This whole year we haven’t slowed down,” Ralph told the AP. “I love basketball, I love the group that I coach.I love they stayed with me. It’s been hard and it’s been challenging, but in a good way.”

Ralph received the award with her entire Vanderbilt coaching staff, as well as her mom, husband and daughter in attendance. It was also special for Ralph with her UConn family there as well as they were also there to celebrate AP Player of the Year Sarah Strong.

Ralph received 23 votes from the 31-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. UCLA’s Cori Close, who was the AP Coach of the Year last season, was next with four. Ralph’s mentor at UConn, Geno Auriemma, received two votes while Mark Kellogg of West Virginia and Kara Lawson of Duke each received one.

”The thing I love the most of where I’m at is the vision never changed,” Ralph said. “That’s really important to me. Do it at a high level at Vanderbilt is really important to me. They’ve shown what that looks like to invest in women. Really invest in women. The resources and money, but also the development and academics.”

Ralph is the first Vanderbilt coach to win the award, which was launched in 1994-95. Her team, which won seven more games than the year before and was ranked as high as No. 5 in the AP poll, was led by All-America guard Mikayla Blakes.

“She’s someone you would want to run through a brick wall for,” Blakes said. “She has bought so much into us that it’s only right that we continue to fight in this game for her, and she’s someone who in tough moments you want to lean on. And that’s the reason why I came here.”

Vanderbilt started out 20-0 and had seven wins over ranked teams this season.

“I think truly we never talked about it,” Ralph said of the undefeated start. “I chuckled to some of my staff members this is what I’m used to. I feel comfortable here. Keep kicking their butts in practice and challenging them and keep preparing the same way no matter what our record is.”

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AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker contributed to this report.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Village Cakery, run by couple Andy Hope and Bradley Skeen, has been operating from their home in Cockfield, County Durham.

The bakery will open at 11.30am on Friday (April 3).

The business started in 2024, mainly doing celebration cakes, with Andy saying they had always talked about opening a shop.

But he said it still “does not feel real”.

Andy said: “I do not think it will ever sink in until that first customer walks through the door. It is daunting, but the excitement is just unbelievable.”

The bakery will open at 11.30am tomorrow (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

The couple, who are both from Bishop Auckland, got the keys to the shop on Fore Bondgate on Sunday, March 1.

Andy said: “We had always talked about opening a shop, but it was about Christmas time when we decided to do it.

“We viewed a few shops around Bishop because we were both born and bred here and it is where we want our base to be.

“We are all about the community, working together to make a better high street.

“We are trying to get the other shops involved in our opening by giving out 20 per cent discount vouchers.”

The bakery, which was originally started by Andy before his sister joined, started by going to various markets in the region.

A list of upcoming markets the bakery will be attending over the next two months (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

He took a little break but started it up again with his partner, Bradley, and the business has gone from strength to strength.

Andy said: “We just decided to dive right in, do it properly, get the shop, go to markets and just do everything we possibly can.

“It has gone so well. The markets that we’ve had this year have just been phenomenal.”

And Andy has said what people in Bishop can expect from Village Cakery.

“A wide variety of good quality products,” he said.

“We are always trying to do something different. We are going to trade back on TikTok, and we are looking to do home delivery service.

“Down the line, we’re looking to do bakery classes or demonstrations. The possibilities of what you can do are pretty much endless.”

Former solider John Landgon requested a photo and used it generate sexual AI videos

A social worker sent sexual AI-generated videos to someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, a court has heard.

Former solider John Landgon contacted the profile of what appeared to be a child on a chat app and requested photos which he then used for making AI videos of them hugging and kissing and a video where the “girl” was undressed. When arrested he denied getting any sexual gratification from what he had done.

A judge at Swansea Crown Court said was clear the 63-year-old defendant was in denial about being a paedophile – at least publicly – and said given that fact there was no realistic prospect of rehabilitation and immediate custody was the only appropriate sentence.

The court heard that in March this year Landgon made contact with a profile on the dating and chat app Just Say Hi which appeared to be that of a 14-year-old girl. In reality the profile was being operated by members of a so-called paedophile hunter group.

The defendant and the decoy moved to WhatsApp where they continued chatting with Langdon saying he was looking for “fun with the ladies”. When reminded of the decoy’s age he said he was “fine” with it. For the latest court stories sign up to our crime newsletter.

The court heard Landgon told the decoy he wanted to give her a hug and then asked for pictures. When an appropriate photo was provided, he used it to generate AI videos of him and the “girl” hugging and kissing which he sent back to the decoy. He then sent an AI-generated video of the “girl” being undressed.

The court heard the defendant went on to send the decoy further AI videos of oral sex.

The court heard the operators of the decoy subsequently went to Landgon’s address and confronted him in an incident which was livestreamed on social media.

The police were called and the defendant was arrested.

In his interview Langdon said when he realised the person he was chatting to was only 14 he only wanted to be her friend, saying he spoke to other 13- and 14-year-olds and had “platonic friendships” with them.

He accepted making the AI-generated videos in what he called “a moment of madness” and said he did not get any sexual gratification from doing so.

John Langdon, of Brickfield Street, Machynlleth, had previously pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communications with a child and to attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

Caitlin Brazel, for Langdon, said the defendant had served for nine years in the Army and then found employment in a variety of jobs before working a social worker for adults with learning difficulties for the last eight years.

She said her client’s “troubled upbringing” no doubt contributed to his mental health battles and his time in the military “did not help”.

The barrister said the offending was out of character for her client and said he had told her he wished he could turn the clock back and undo what he did.

She said they remained her instructions that the defendant is not sexually attracted to children.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said there were elements of grooming and deviousness in what the defendant did and he noted Langon had told the author of the pre-sentence report that he was not guilty and had been, in effect, “stitched up” by his legal representative.

He told the defendant: “It is clear from the facts of the case you are a man with a significant sexual interest in young girls. In other words you are a paedophile. It is equally clear that you do not – publicly at least – accept you are a paedophile.

“Perhaps you do not want to admit this fact to others.

“Your continued denial that you are a paedophile makes me question the effectiveness of any intervention designed to address this deviancy.

“he author of the pre-sentence report comes to the same conclusion. I find there is no realistic prospect of rehabilitation at the moment.”

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Langdon was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

He will serve 40% of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

The defendant will be a registered sex offender for 10 years and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order to run for the same length of time.

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The facilities in Church Street, Norton have closed after basins were ripped from the walls and the facilities flooded.

The vandalism has been condemned by Cllr Keane Duncan, who is working with North Yorkshire Council and Norton Town Council to safeguard the future of the facilities after persistent vandalism.

Cllr Duncan said: “I’m so disappointed to report yet more mindless vandalism at Norton’s toilets. The facilities have been targeted a number of times now, but this is the worst damage we have seen.

“Operatives from the council found wash basins ripped from the wall, and a toilet cistern damaged in such a way that water was shooting up to the ceiling, leading to the toilets to be flooded.

“The facilities are currently unable to open until the council can make repairs. The police are aware and investigating. There is CCTV at the toilets and I am very keen for this to be reviewed in an attempt to identify who may be responsible.

“At a time when our toilets have already been under threat from charging and closures, further vandalism is yet another blow that I fear could lead to permanent closure of the facilities.

“I feel very strongly that we should not give in to a minority by closing these facilities permanently. We should identify who is responsible and ensure they are the ones punished, not the wider community by denying access to important facilities.”

The latest vandalism is thought to have happened on Saturday morning (March 28). Anyone with information should report this to North Yorkshire Police quoting the following reference number: NYP-28032026-0379

No Brainer, a local favourite which “celebrates food culture from all around the world”, is moving from its current location to a new site on Bedale High Street.

Taking to social media on Monday (March 30), the business said: “It’s official, we’re moving.

“Don’t worry, it’s not far from our current place, it’s on the Bedale High Street. And yes, takeaway will be coming back.

“We’ll be renovating our new spot on our closed days, so if you wanna pop in and say hi feel free.”

The restaurant is known for its classic smash burgers, buffalo chicken, rice and noodle dishes, flatbreads, tacos and loaded fries.

It also serves brunch, including a full English and French toast, alongside coffees, cocktails and seasonal specials.

In February, the independent restaurant shared the “disheartening news” that its takeaway service would have to stop due to planning issues.

However, the move to the high street will allow it to bring takeaways back.

Although an opening date and exact location has not yet been confirmed, the owners say the new venue will undergo extensive renovations and is likely to open within the next few months.

They have also reassured customers that the original location will operate as normal while work takes place.

The post added: “We don’t have an open date yet, we’ve got a hell of a lot of renovating to do so I can imagine a couple of months away yet, but we will keep everyone posted with updates.

“No Brainer will be running as usual until we move, but again we’ll let you know when the move over will be happening when we know.”

Since announcing the news, the business has been inundated with messages from customers.

One said: “This is the best news. Friday night takeaway and therapy back on! So glad you guys are sorted, can’t wait.”

Another commented: “Fab news to have a high street shop filled again.

“Wishing you all the best. Seems to be going from strength to strength!”

The venue at 35 Bedale Road, Aiskew, Bedale, DL8 1BL, will remain open as normal until the relocation takes place.

It currently operates Wednesday to Sunday, from 10am to 3pm and 5pm to 9pm.

Rated five stars on TripAdvisor, customers praise No Brainer for its “great value” and “friendly atmosphere”, with one describing it as their “go-to spot”.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said rates should not be set by an “arbitrary assessment”, adding: “You should not be disincentivised to refurbish your premises, in the understanding that when those revaluations come around again, that’s going to be penalised against the value of your business.”

The shopping centre teased the big news in an earlier post

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A Northern Ireland shopping centre has teased customers that “something big” is on the way with the announcement of a new store.

Rushmere Shopping Centre confirmed on Instagram on Thursday April 2 that home furnishing retailer Dunelm will be “coming soon” to the complex. The popular brand will join major names already at the retail destination including H&M, River Island, DV8, Superdrug and Mango.

Earlier in the day, the centre sparked speculation with a post reading: “Something big is coming to Rushmere Shopping Complex. That’s all we’re saying, for now.”

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Shoppers quickly began guessing which brand it could be, with suggestions including HMV, Sports Direct, Homesense and Hobbycraft. Some were on the money, correctly predicting Dunelm ahead of the official announcement.

Revealing the news at around 7pm, the centre posted: “Something big is coming to Rushmere Shopping Complex, and trust us, you’re going to love this one.

“Say hello to Dunelm. Get ready for beautifully styled spaces, cosy comforts, and everything you need to make your house feel like home.”

The announcement was made in a short video showing a woman walking through the centre’s car park before dropping a piece of paper, which another shopper picks up to reveal the news.

No opening date has yet been confirmed. The update was met with a positive reaction online, with one person commenting: “Its about time, it’ll do so well.”

Another joked: “Goodbye money.” A third responder added: “We cannot wait. Welcome to the neighbourhood.”

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