Does Leon look better with DLSS 5? (Capcom/Nvidia)
The Thursday letters page thinks 2026 is set to be one of the best years ever for video games, as one reader is saddened by the decline in VR gaming.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Fight the future So this whole DLSS 5 unveil is not going the way Nvidia imagined, huh? Who would’ve thought the whole gaming world would turn against it and Digital Foundry would be forced to put out an apology! And now we learn that the developers never even knew anything about it?! It was all a corporate deal by the bigwigs and not an artistic vision at all.
Like the reader said yesterday, I bet the companies won’t take the hint – there’s too much money in it for them – but I love that gamers aren’t taking this laying down. People act so helpless when it comes to bad decisions in the games industry but time and time again, we see that publishers back away the instant they think people are voting with their wallets.
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I don’t know if the situation is that simple this time around, but all this is sending a clear message that we don’t want AI slop in our games, and the companies need to be changing their plans if they think this is the future of anything. Gurney
Halcyon days So I’m officially old now, if Xbox 360 is retro, huh? It’s an odd thing thinking back to that time. It seems simultaneously like yesterday and forever ago. I had to send mine back twice because of the Red Ring of Death but I still loved it. It wasn’t just the games it was the whole vibe, with online being new at that time and games still being cheap enough to make that you got some weird and interesting stuff.
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There’s no question the Xbox 360 was better than the PlayStation 3, and any of the other Xbox consoles, but I’d also put it ahead of the PS1 and definitely the PlayStation 5. It’s a shame Microsoft let the early success go to its head and started on all the Kinect rubbish so soon but for a while there you saw the industry giant they could’ve been. Lord Buckethead
Lance the boil I never imagined that the boss of Take-Two would end up being the voice of sanity in the great AI debate but everything he’s said about it has been on point. There even seems to be a vague hint of respect and loyalty from him, towards his developers. Not that I’m sure he wouldn’t throw them under the bus in an instant, if it thought it would earn him an extra cent, but at least he pays lip service to them being artists – which is more than somewhere like EA would.
My hope is that the whole AI bubble bursts as soon as possible and we move past it. The longer things go on like this, with all the ridiculous lies from the AI companies (and the AI itself!) the worse it’s going to be when it all explodes. If I was Take-Two I’d put a ‘Not made with AI’ stick on GTA 6 and maybe that would catch on. Bosley
Another one bites the dust And so the winding up on another thing that makes me smile is taken away. Got an email yesterday from Meta to say that the VR Worlds aspect is being shut down from the 15th of June.
I never purchased the headset with the intent to make friends across the globe but I found out that by joining the Worlds aspect, that people from all around the world, from all walks of life, can come together. This was a lovely thing.
I will always stand by my enthusiasm for VR. It is the zenith of what I dreamt of during the early to mid ‘90s. It may be coughing and spluttering but I’ll keep on nursing my headset and keep on rocking. Most of the games installed just can’t be done in flat. D Dubya PS: Any update on the Alien: Rogue Incursion sequel?
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GC: No, but it hasn’t been cancelled.
Summer blowout If we’re not going to get as many new releases this Christmas as we would normally, because of GTA 6, I hope they compensate for that by having more announcements than usual during the summer, so we’ve at least got stuff to look forward to.
I’m dying to know what Persona 6 is about and what FromSoftware’s next big single-player game is. There’s so many companies that either haven’t announced anything for ages or where we basically only know the name. What happened to the new Bioshock game and what exactly is Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet? I really don’t want to wait until next year to find out. Tacle
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A year of extremes Thanks for the Pragmata preview, I’m glad to see that it’s shaping up nicely.
I played the short demo last week and found that the rub your belly/pat your head style of gameplay clicked right at the end of my 18 minute playtime, so I’m looking forward to the full game.
I feel like I say this every year, but isn’t 2026 shaping up to be low-key great for games?
We have two huge commercial and critical hits already in both Pokémon Pokopia and Resident Evil Requiem, with Capcom planning to also deliver both Onimusha and Pragmata later in the year.
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Meanwhile the conversation around Crimson Desert seems to point to another banger (I feel sorry for the contributor last week, who said they hope it’s bad so they can focus on other releases; can’t they just play it at a later stage of their life if it is?), and I’d like to think that Nintendo are poised to reveal some exciting Christmas games for Switch 2.
Considering I haven’t even mentioned the looming GTA 6 release in November I think that we’re in for a pretty great year for new releases, despite everything that is going on with gaming hardware and in the real world. Anon
Mega bonus Although it’s great to know that Subnautica 2 is finally going to be out soon, surely I’m not the only one that is shocked by the bonus total of $250 million? I’m not begrudging the developers the money but surely that must be much bigger than the budget of the game?
Spider-Man 2 was just north of $300 million and that was meant to be one of the biggest ever, so what’s going on here? Maybe the publisher just never intended to pay up but why even suggest it, because I’m pretty sure it’s not something the developer would’ve gone into it expecting. Phil
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Resident Evil 9 (out of 10) ***Mild spoilers for Resident Evil Requiem***
I’ve just started playing Resident Evil Requiem, choosing the Switch 2 version over the PlayStation 5 version for portability.
I’m about a quarter of the way through and I feel the reason why the game works so well is that it takes some of the best bits from some of the better Resident Evil games.
The beginning areas with Grace in the hotel and with the monster that’s scared of the dark feels very reminiscent of the Baker mansion in Resident Evil 7. The rest of the Rhodes Hill Care Centre feels like if the RCPD department precinct from the Resident Evil 2 remake and the castle from Resident Evil Village had a weird zombie lovechild.
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Leon’s sections feel very much like what I have played of Resident Evil 4 remake.
I’ve got to say so far, with what I’ve played, they’ve nailed it. The parts with Grace feel tense and claustrophobic and ammo is scarce. The bits with Leon just feel like the perfect respite, just unadulterated fun, where you get to let loose and kill zombies to your hearts content.
I think the fact that since 2017 Capcom have managed to release either a new Resident Evil entry or remake less than every two years, and have the series still feel relevant and exciting, is pretty remarkable; especially when you consider that it wasn’t that long ago when the franchise looked to be dead and buried. matc7884
Inbox also-rans So Digital Foundry got death threats for their positive video on DLSS 5 and their response was to make a new video where they pretend to have the same opinions as their viewers. The gaming community is a messed up place for sure. Gecky
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I see something called Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss but it looks pretty low budget and I’ve not liked the previous games I’ve played. GC, what would you say is the best Lovecraftian game, that is actually good? Pascal87
GC: That’s easy, it’s Bloodborne. As a bonus it’s also one of the best games ever made.
The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.
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City of York Council confirmed the canopy was removed last weekend (March 14 and 15) as part of the Station Gateway project taking place there.
As reported by The Press, the removal comes after cracks in part of the frontage were discovered to the canopy which is fixed to the station portico, a Grade II* listed structure in Station Road.
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An application was submitted to City of York Council in November for the emergency removal and the immediate area was fenced off.
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An October 2023 structural report showed the canopy structure had deteriorated over time and reached a point of inadequacy.
A new pedestrian crossing opened this morning (March 19) (Image: Kevin Glenton)
A council spokesperson said yesterday: “Contractors worked carefully to safely remove the canopy and maintain the heritage of the portico and station façade.
“Further works will be happening around the station in the coming days.
“A new pedestrian crossing will be opening tomorrow (Thursday 19 March).
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“This will be a wide and accessible crossing directly in front of the station entrance.
“This will also be a pedestrian diversion route while work takes place on the footpath near The Milner York hotel.
“The footpath outside the hotel will be closed from tomorrow morning (Thursday 19 March) for two weeks, and pedestrians will be diverted to use the new crossing point during this time.”
Emergency plans were submitted in October last year for the demolition of the canopy (Image: Kevin Glenton)
The arched portico will remain as part of York Station Gateway’s new ‘supercrossing’ over Station Road for pedestrians.
Cops were called to a crash on the major Scots motorway at around 12.30am, with rush hour traffic now affected.
The M80 has been closed in both directions between junctions 8 and 9 at Denny following a crash. The incident happened shortly before 12.30am on Thursday, March 19 when police were called to the major Scots motorway.
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It remains unclear how many people or vehicles were involved in the smash, as well as if anyone was injured or requited hospital treatment as a result. The collision is causing significant disruption during rush hour, with drivers facing diversions of up to 17 miles.
Megabus also says around 909 services may be impacted due to the increase in traffic through Stirling. A spokesperson said: “The M80 is closed in both directions between Junctions 9 & 8. Our M8, M9 & M10 services will be subject to delays and diversions. 909 services may be impacted, due to the increase in traffic through Stirling.”
Traffic Scotland has been sharing updates with commuters on the “police incident” since the early hours of the morning. Cameras show heavy congestion at Banknock, where long lines of traffic can be seen building.
The latest, as of 7:45am, is that M80 southbound traffic on the M9 continue eastbound until Junction 7 (Kinnaird) and exit onto the M876 northbound.
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They should then exit at Junction 3 (Bowtrees) then re-enter onto the M876 southbound onto the M9 westbound before exiting on the M876 southbound at Junction 8 (Hill of Kinnaird) and continue the M876 southbound before merging back onto the M80 southbound at Junction 8 (Bankhead). This is where the diversion ends.
Northbound traffic on the M80 should exit onto the M876 at Junction 8 (Bankhead) and continue before merging onto the M9, then at Junction 7 (Kinnaird) exit onto the M876. They should exit at Junction 3 (Bowtrees) then re-enter onto the M876 southbound and continue onto the M9 westbound towards Stirling.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “The M80 is closed in both directions between junctions 8 and 9, following a report of a road crash which we were called to around 12.25am on Thursday, 19 March, 2026. Diversions are in place.”
Scottish Ambulance Service has been contacted for comment.
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Race Across the World first launched back in 2019, with the new series in 2026 set to be the sixth installment.
The award-winning BBC One show sees two-person teams venture across countries with no smartphones, and no bank cards, only limited resources, and the cash equivalent it would cost to fly the route.
The popularity of Race Across the World has even led to a celebrity spin-off version, which first aired back in 2023, and has seen the likes of Roman Kemp, Scott Mills, and Molly Rainford take part.
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Race Across the World (series 6) destinations
The latest series of the show will see the groups tasked with travelling more than 12,000km across Europe and Asia, as they hope to be the first to cross the finish line and snap up the £20,000 reward.
🗺️ Ready to Race Across the World?
We have an OFFICIAL start date for series 6 – and a first look at the teams!
The pairs will travel across countries, including Italy, Greece, Turkey and Georgia on their journey, as they are pushed to their mental and physical limits.
They will also venture through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, with the final destination bringing them to the shores of Lake Khovsgol in northern Mongolia.
Meet the teams in the new series of Race Across the World
Series six of Race Across the World will feature five new pairs:
Jo and Kush (best friends)
Katie and Harrison (siblings)
Andrew and Molly (father and daughter)
Puja and Roshni (cousins)
Mark and Margo (in-laws)
When does the new series of Race Across the World start?
The new series of Race Across the World begins on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Thursday, April 2 at 8pm.
Will you be watching the new series of Race Across the World? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.
Rory McIlroy returns to Augusta next month as defending Masters champion
Rory McIlroy anticipates feeling “free” upon his return to Augusta to defend his Masters crown, insisting he’s placing no expectations on himself to secure another green jacket.
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The Holywood man’s play-off triumph over Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose last April ended an 11-year wait, making him just the sixth player in history to achieve the career Grand Slam.
Back-to-back Masters victories remain an exclusive feat, accomplished by only three individuals – Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods – whilst merely 18 golfers have claimed multiple titles across the tournament’s 91-year existence, with Scottie Scheffler the most recent addition to that elite group in 2024.
Following Phil Mickelson’s third green jacket triumph in 2010, only three multiple champions have emerged: Bubba Watson (2014), Woods (2019) and Scheffler, a statistic that underpins McIlroy’s relaxed approach to his title defence.
“This is going to be the first time I drive down Magnolia Lane and it’s all going to be about enjoying my week, enjoying the perks that come along with being a Masters champion,” the 36-year-old explained.
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“The thing is I know I get to go back to the Masters tournament for the rest of my life and that’s quite a freeing feeling.
“I honestly think that I’ve done it once and it’s not as if I have to win it again to win the Grand Slam.
“I think it was sort of two things won; I obviously wanted to win the Masters so badly but then obviously at the same time knowing what the Masters would give me and the people that it would put me alongside.
“So I think now going to win the Masters just to win the Masters is a nice thing but I think that I’ve won it once and I feel like that will make it a bit easier for me to win again.”
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McIlroy held a two-shot lead entering last year’s final round, though it vanished instantly after a double bogey on the opening hole. However, he rebuilt a three-stroke cushion by the time he reached the par-five 13th fairway.
Attempting to safeguard that advantage through conservative play, he instead sent a 90-yard pitch shot into Rae’s Creek for another double bogey, swiftly followed by a further dropped shot—which then sparked his memorable near-eagle approach on the par-five 15th during a turbulent conclusion.
Reflecting on the experience, McIlroy identified the importance of maintaining his attacking instincts throughout.
“When I look back at the round when I played aggressively I was rewarded and I played well and then the first time that my mindset or my tactics went a little bit defensive, like trying to protect the lead, that’s when I got into trouble,” he added.
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“Obviously (that’s) what happened on 13 and on 14 and when I got to 15 again I needed to be aggressive. I needed to make a birdie again and I was able to do it.
“So there’s probably a lesson in there somewhere of not taking your foot off the gas. I thought I was sort of doing the smart thing by playing 13 as a three-shotter and trying to protect the lead that I built.
“But in hindsight, everything that went well for me that day and that week was when I played aggressively, when I went for my shots.”
As the reigning champion, McIlroy has the honour of selecting the menu for the champions dinner. Drawing inspiration from his mother Rosie, he’s chosen to include elk sliders and a date and goat’s cheese appetiser. For the main course, attendees can look forward to either Wagyu filet mignon or a fillet of seared salmon, accompanied by an Irish champ (mashed potatoes with spring onions).
In this episode, host Tamara Kormornick is joined by business writer and branding specialist, John Arlidge, to discuss the changing landscape for legacy brands in a tougher environment. The two discuss the burgeoning second-hand market to the prevalence of high quality dupes, and ultimately, the downfall of the retail sector.
The reigning European champions gained a measure of revenge for last summer’s World Club Cup final defeat by handing out an 8-2 thrashing on aggregate following Tuesday night’s 3-0 romp at Stamford Bridge.
Instead, Chelsea rolled out the welcome mat for their visitors who gleefully accepted the early opportunities that allowed them to put the tie to bed within the first 16 minutes in west London.
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The Blues were fortunate, in some ways, that Luis Enrique’s side eased off the gas thereafter and scored only once thereafter with Senny Myulu putting the gloss on a comprehensive demolition just after the hour mark.
And while a dejected Terry conceded that much of the damage had already been done at Parc des Princes, he argued that no Chelsea side should ever lose a European knockout game by such a wide margin.
He said: ‘Unfortunately that is the end. You know what does it for me? Being 3-2 down away to PSG and we actually played really well the whole game, or for 70 minutes of it.
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‘I’m going 3-2 we’ll take that all day long going back to the Bridge, I fancy us against anyone to be able to turn that around and then we go and concede late goals to make it really difficult.
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‘And then last night we go and concede after six minutes so everything about last night, I can’t even talk about it. I can’t even actually go into the detail of it. I’m so frustrated.
‘But against any team you cannot lose 8-2 over two legs. I’m sorry you can’t. I don’t care who you are, what team you are you cannot lose 8-2 so really frustrating.’
Midfielder Moises Caicedo, meanwhile, accepted Chelsea’s best had not been good enough after their European campaign went out with a whimper.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s goal killed the tie (Picture: Getty)
‘It was disappointing for everyone,’ said Caicedo, who had given the ball away cheaply in midfield in the build-up to the second goal.
‘Of course we know PSG are a very tough opponent. We tried to show our best, but they are the current champions of the competition. We did our best but we didn’t get what we wanted.’
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Chelsea’s embarrassment was complete when 19-year-old midfielder Mayulu came off the bench to blast home PSG’s third, triggering a chorus of boos as supporters began to stream out of the ground.
Individual mistakes had been their undoing in the first leg in Paris and proved the case again here, though the manner in which the European champions punished them was particularly brutal.
Moises Caicedo struggled against PSG (Picture: Getty)
‘We wanted to do better but they are one of the best teams in the world,’ Caicedo said. ‘We are disappointed and want to do better.
‘Everyone was ready to fight, but I think we have four competitions playing every two or three days. Sometimes in this scenario, it’s so difficult because they are doing well. We will keep going.’
Liam Rosenior’s team are in a fight to return to the competition next season. They are sixth in the Premier League after winning only one of their last four games and face a difficult assignment at Everton on Saturday.
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After a positive start, the former Strasbourg boss is at risk of seeing his tenure turn sour. Supporters sang the name of former owner Roman Abramovich – typically a sign that discontent is bubbling at Stamford Bridge – while there was a furious reaction to Rosenior’s decision to take off Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro with 30 minutes to go.
Chelsea’s night got worse afterwards when Enzo Fernandez said in a post-match interview with ESPN in Argentina that he does not know whether he will be at the club next season.
‘There are eight games, then the World Cup, then we’ll see,’ he said.
A Portadown nurse who ran a home aestetics clinic has been fined £720 (plus offender levy) after admitting nine offences under medicines regulations.
Registered Nurse, Nafeyka Chavdarova, 44, appeared at Craigavon Magistrates Court where she pleaded guilty to nine charges on Wednesday.
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The Court heard that in March 2024 enforcement officers from the Department of Health’s Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) visited the defendant’s home at Clendenning Avenue, Portadown. It was here where they discovered and seized a range of unlicensed prescription medicines intended for sale or supply from the address — which was operating as an aesthetics clinic.
The charges related to the unlawful possession of prescription medicines intended for sale or supply, which included, injectable Botulinum toxin type A, Hydroxocobalamin, Hyaluronidase and Lidocaine.
In addition, MRG officials also established that the defendant had been unlawfully advertising prescription medicines.
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Peter Moore, Senior Medicines Enforcement Officer with the Department of Health who directed the investigation, said: “This conviction sends a clear message that there are consequences if a person attempts to bypass the regulated system and controls which are in place to ensure public safety and integrity of the medicines supply chain.
“I would urge people to consider the implications of buying drugs online or from dubious sources – there is no way of knowing what you are buying is what you think it is, and this can have serious consequences for your health.”
Aaron McKendry, Interim Head of Medicines Regulatory Group, added: “It is extremely important that people take prescription only medicines after consultation with their GP, pharmacist or other healthcare professional who have access to patient health records and can consider the risks and benefits associated with every medicine.
“The Department is committed to taking all possible steps to stop the illegal promotion, supply or misuse of medicines and when appropriate, to alerting the public about the dangers of using medicines outside of the regulated supply chain.”
As war exposes the fragility of global energy supplies, communities are showing how clean power can be local, affordable and owned by the people who use it
If you’d not met the man, and I asked you to picture a ‘Reg Platt’, what would spring to mind? A retired gas fitter? A dogged constable in a Hercule Poirot drama? Almost certainly not a buzzing entrepreneur, with grizzled rock star good looks, who’s driving a revolution in solar power across the rooftops of east London.
So much for nominative determinism.
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His company, Emergent Energy, is breaking new ground by enabling a local authority – in this case the London borough of Hackney – to bring clean, green electricity to its council home tenants. In doing so, it’s exploiting recent changes in electricity regulations, which allow locally generated solar power to be supplied directly to nearby households.
Reg Platt’s work with Hackney council is turning social housing into a network of clean power stations. Image: Sam Bush
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It works like this: Hackney commissions Emergent to install solar power on the sprawling flat roofs of its council flats. Emergent manages the resulting array as a ‘micro grid’, billing residents directly for their electricity use, and exporting surplus power – generated when local demand is low – into the National Grid. The resulting earnings means it’s possible to reduce residents’ typical overall bills by around 15%, not insignificant at a time of spiralling energy costs.
To date, Emergent has installed solar PV across 28 blocks, benefiting 800 residents. “It’s the single largest deployment in the social housing sector,” says Platt, “and the only such project that’s been delivered with zero government funding towards the capital costs. The system pays for itself.”
It appears a win-win for all concerned: residents get cheaper power, Hackney owns the assets and recoups its investment through electricity sales, and Emergent has a business model that is poised to expand across the country. As Platt points out, there are 5m flats in the UK, of which 2m are – like the ones in Hackney – social housing. Not all will be suitable for this approach, but a healthy proportion should be. It’s set to transform the prospects for bringing affordable solar power within reach of millions of Britons, a potential recognised when it won the 2025 Ashden Award for Breaking Barriers.
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Of the 5m flats in the UK, like these in Sheffield, many could be suitable for solar, says Platt. Image: Ben Elliott
Born and raised in the Kentish outskirts of London, the young Platt was more artist and activist than entrepreneur. He was working as a musician but drawn to environmentalism under the influence of James Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis. Radicalised in the early 2000s amid anti-capitalist protests and the Iraq war, he also got involved in the climate movement and helped set up a Transition Towns-style group in Brighton, where he was living at the time.
But Platt soon decided that it was “never going to achieve the sort of change needed relative to the scale of the problem. So, I flipped my career: music became more of a hobby, and I did a master’s in environment, science and society”.
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That led to work on personal carbon trading with the Royal Society of Arts, and then with the Institute for Public Policy Research, delving into climate and energy policy. By his own admission, Platt wasn’t initially a natural thinktanker. “I had to work 50% harder than all those Oxbridge people to write those reports.”
It’s the only such project that’s been delivered with zero government funding towards the capital costs. The system pays for itself
But the musician in him gradually found out how to imbue his writing with a creativity that stood out from the crowd. It came in handy when his work on electricity markets coincided with a surge of interest in green energy, boosted when Ed Miliband became leader of the opposition Labour party. “Energy was huge news, and I was in the thick of it, in the press the whole time.”
A policy wonk despite himself, then, and an influential one too, helping shape Labour’s 2015 manifesto. But not as yet an entrepreneur. So, what changed? “I met my wife when I was 30. She’s an entrepreneur [who runs her own fashion brand], and I was just blown away by the scale of the ambition, the potential … I learned that there’s this thing you can do: start a business. It was amazing.”
Fired up, Platt started making plans, leveraging all his accumulated energy knowhow in a drive to work with local authorities on renewables. After a spell pursuing similar goals with green energy company OVO, he made the leap of faith to set up Emergent in 2016.
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Platt sees the future of energy as local, shared – and already here. Image: Sam Bush
Now that the Hackney scheme has provided the all-important proof of concept, Emergent is poised to expand, exploiting an energy landscape that is ripe for disruption. “We have this highly centralised industry, yet all the technology is becoming more and more distributed and decentralised, and AI just turbocharges everything.”
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Meanwhile, Emergent’s ability to deliver solar direct to poorer communities while actually saving them money is a living reproof to the likes of the Reform party, whose members still pour scorn on net zero and green energy in general. So, what about taking his proven concept into the belly of the beast, and setting up solar in a Reform-controlled council area? “Now that’s an interesting idea”, he muses. “How do we do that? I need to think about that …”
Fire in the grassroots
Three more schemes that capture the potential of community energy
1) People Owned Power
Imagine an entire street as a clean, green power station. That’s the vision captured by activists and filmmakers Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn, who set out to see if it was possible on their home street in Walthamstow, east London. The duo’s Power Station film documents their effort to make it happen in their own home, and bring the neighbours along, too.
It echoes and amplifies the work of People Owned Power, founded by energy entrepreneur Howard Johns, which helps householders and groups of neighbours use a mixture of solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, insulation and electric vehicle chargers to dramatically cut their reliance on mains electricity. On average, this is reduced by 80%, while some homes are able to generate 120% of their needs, allowing them to export a surplus to the grid while enjoying ‘zero bills’.
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As Johns puts it: “Long-term, we are building the social infrastructure for a decentralised, flexible energy system. Where communities can share energy locally; for a cleaner, more resilient and fairer future.”
2) Repowering London
Across the capital, another trailblazer is helping communities access solar power. Repowering London’s schemes range from a pilot supplying local electricity to residents in Brixton, to community-owned solar projects stretching from Lambeth in south London to Barnet in the north. To date, Repowering London has supported 12 local groups across the capital to form community benefit societies – the same co-operative structure that owns Positive News.
One of the most striking is in the borough of Newham, which has one of the highest rates of fuel poverty rates in England. Community Energy Newham has successfully installed solar panels on a number of the borough’s schools and libraries, generating power for pupils and users. It is also working with partners to deliver community-owned heat generation, retrofit support and employment for local people, giving communities the opportunity to own and benefit from their energy systems.
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3) OffshoreWind4Kids
Offshore wind is that seemingly rare thing: a British success story. It produces a little under a fifth of the country’s electricity, and as numbers of windfarms grow, not only in the UK but across the world, so do the prospects for more rewarding careers in the sector.
With that in mind, OffshoreWind4Kids is helping children and young people learn all about the technology and its potential, and even have a crack at making their own (scaled down) offshore equipment.
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An independent non-profit based in Belgium and supported by the industry, the scheme is now operating across more than 20 countries. Its Floating Wind Challenge, where students compete to design and build the best floating wind support structure, attracts teams from across Asia, Europe and the Americas.
If it included six giant tankers, and warships at the front and back, a convoy could be 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) long given the distance apart which they would be required to keep, explained Prof Clarke, so it would be a very large, slow-moving target for Iranian drones, missiles and fast attack boats.
Head of Northern Ireland’s only secure care facility has warned that the sector is failing vulnerable young people
00:01, 19 Mar 2026Updated 07:20, 19 Mar 2026
Young people as young as nine are being locked up for their own protection and that of others, according to the head of Northern Ireland’s sole secure care education facility for those under 18.
Jon Bleakney, principal of Co Down’s Lakewood School, maintains the secure care sector is experiencing a crisis and letting down our most vulnerable youngsters.
His comments come ahead of his inauguration as President of the Ulster Teachers’ Union at its annual conference in Limavady this week.
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“We work with children who have already faced extremely adverse circumstances in life and so require very specific support and intervention in order to progress as positive and productive citizens,” Mr Bleakney said.
“However, without a major restructure our secure care sector is struggling to cope, placing the safety of these young people and the wider community at risk.
“Most of them – whose ages range from 13 to 17 – come via care homes, but because of the level of their needs and behaviours, they can no longer be supported there. They need a more intensive and secure environment.
“In the 30-plus years I’ve worked in this sector those behaviours have become increasingly distressing and our students younger, as evidenced by the nine-year-old we had recently.”
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Mr Bleakney said that while once it was those caught up in petty criminal activity who the school saw, now it’s young people with significant mental health problems, additional educational needs, neurodiversity issues and multiple addictions.
“Often victims of sexual or criminal exploitation, adverse childhood experiences and developmental trauma, they’re being referred for support which isn’t here,” he said.
“Some end up sent away to facilities in the Republic and GB, only compounding their problems by ripping them from family.
“The NI Review of Children’s Care Services in 2023 made a range of recommendations yet nothing’s changed. We must not allow this to be yet another report commissioned by Stormont which goes nowhere.
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“These are our most vulnerable young people who, from even before birth, have faced unimaginable disadvantage, born to mothers with addictions or into violent homes.
“Even their brain development in the womb can be compromised, affecting how they’ll react to danger, their fight, flight or freeze responses.
“Aggression and violence is the only way they know how to and it’s kept them safe even though it’s not acceptable within our societal norms.
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