HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and the North/South divide in rail spending and infrastructure
The decision to abandon the Eastern leg of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse rail ‘will create more inequality’ across the north of the country.
The decision was seen as the latest Government failure to deliver their promise to ‘level up’ the left behind areas of England. It comes despite the huge capacity constraints which limit the viability of commuter travel in more northerly areas and the historic difference between transport expenditure across the country.
Gareth Dennis, a railway engineer and writer, claims: “The plans will exacerbate the economic divides that already exist. They will create more inequality and prevent people from reaching their full potential.”
The difference in transport expenditure between the North and London is vast. Statistics collated by the Institute for Public Policy Research show that between 2009/10 and 2019/20 the transport spend per person in the North was £349 compared to £864 in London. The study also found that the transport investment gap is increasing, rising from £451 per person in 2014/15 to £523 in 2019/20.
While much of the coverage surrounding HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) has focused on the missed speed improvements, for local businesses and commuters capacity is the biggest problem.
For Martin Hathaway, managing director of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, this was a key problem.
He said: “Capacity is the major issue. It doesn’t matter if you can get between Bradford and Leeds six minutes quicker. The biggest problem is connectivity but this isn’t possible on a railway that is full."
Mr Dennis explains how this problem arises: “To improve the regional centres you need a high density railway service and the only way to do that is by segregating long distance services from local and regional services. HS2 was designed to release this capacity by sending the fast intercity services onto a separate line allowing more high density services to run on the existing network.”
https://twitter.com/PermanentRail/status/1218978778006917123
A statistical comparison highlights the stark difference in rail capacity between northern areas and the south east. Shenfield (population 10500) is 20 miles from London. It is served by 10 trains each hour in peak time meaning there is capacity for 15,000 passengers. In contrast the town of Belper (population 20500) is eight miles from Derby. It is served by just two trains during peak hours and hence only has capacity for around 296 passengers. This severely restricts the possibility of commuter travel and prevents further opportunities in the town.
The town of Marsden in Kirklees has capacity into Manchester of around 546 passengers per hour at peak time being served by two trains. It is situated on the mainline between Manchester and Leeds meaning its rail service suffers due to the presence of intercity services limiting the number of local services that can run.
“Marsden is one of biggest mill towns in the North and has huge development potential,” said rail expert, Mr Dennis. “There are a huge number of abandoned mills that could become apartments. NPR had the potential to increase passenger capacity here by a factor of ten but without it the development opportunities will be lost.”
The replacement of HS2 and NPR, the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP), could worsen this issue as more fast trains will be forced onto existing lines - further limiting the ability to run local suburban trains.
The HS2 and NPR decisions came shortly after the COP26 conference in Glasgow where a renewed focus was placed on cutting carbon emissions and bringing down global temperatures. The abandonment of HS2 and NPR sets back attempts to achieve these goals. According to a 2019 study by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy transport was the biggest sector for the emission of greenhouse gases in the UK contributing 27% of all emissions produced in the country.
Mr Dennis said: “The environmental cost could be catastrophic. People in suburban areas could become more reliant on their cars. There was an opportunity to start a rapid shift from cars to rail like what has been seen in London.
“Another knock on effect is on freight. Without HS2 and NPR less road freight can be transferred to rail due to the capacity constraints and the environmental benefits will be lost.”
For businesses in the North the overarching feeling is of disappointment about the message the decision sends out.
Mr Hathaway said: “The announcements from the transport secretary mentioned levelling up multiple times, however this is not how it feels for our region's businesses who see this as a significant downgrading of previously announced transport schemes.
“It does not send out a good message to companies wanting to do business in the North and is likely to put many of them off. It was the Government’s first opportunity to really start levelling up and they have done nothing.”
Retailers ripping off drivers with extortionate petrol prices, RAC claims
Despite wholesale petrol prices decreasing, supermarket giants are taking drivers "for a ride" with expensive fuel, according to the RAC.
A new analysis by RAC Fuel Watch revealed that drivers in Yorkshire and the Humber are paying on average 3p more for a litre of unleaded litre than at the start of November, and 2.47p more for a litre of diesel.
Global petrol prices plummeted with the discovery of the Omnicron coronavirus variant yet supermarkets continue to profit.
The wholesale petrol price dropped by 10p from mid-November, so the RAC sees no valid reason for a national average increase of 3p.
A RAC fuel spokesperson Simon Williams has criticised retailers for exploiting the least well-off in society with Christmas just around the corner.
He said: “Sadly, our data shows all too clearly that drivers are being taken for a ride by retailers at the moment. We can’t see any justification for the prices that are being charged at the pumps and are concerned that drivers on lower incomes who depend on their vehicles are being priced off the road altogether."
Ed Platt is a 23-year-old PHD student at the University of Sheffield who is furious about supermarkets' lucrative tactics. He drives on average 400-500 miles a week to see his girlfriend who lives on the other side of the country in Basingstoke.
It will cost him on average £8 more to fill his tank.
Ed pictured with his girlfriend Martyna
Mr Platt was outraged at the prospect of petrol companies exploiting people dependent on fuel to go about their daily lives.
He said: "if the increase in cost is not because petrol and oil prices are generally going up and it's just a ploy by transnational corporations, I find that quite disgusting.
"I'm surprised by the news but also not surprised at the same time. There should be stricter rules on price gauging if this is a collaborative effort with the sole purpose of making money."
Despite the increasing costs of travel, Mr Platt will continue to drive down south to see his friends and girlfriend. He added that it is still more convenient and cheaper to travel across the country by car.
A spokesperson for the British Retail Consortium on behalf of UK retailers has insisted that petrol prices are influenced by a variety of factors out of their control.
He said: “Supermarkets are keen to provide their customers with the best value for petrol through their forecourts, offering the cheapest petrol in the country. Supermarkets work hard to pass on changes in wholesale prices to relieve pressure on consumers, though prices at the pump will be influenced by various forces, including tax, oil prices and operational costs.”
Hallam Handmade market returns to celebrate Sheffield artists
After a break due to the pandemic, Hallam Handmade market has been set up once again in Sheffield.
Head Post Office and Hallam Pop-Up Shop have been filled with 34 stalls for the week, showcasing makers' artworks, from paintings to notebooks.
Most of the stallholders are illustration students from Sheffield Hallam University, seeking to build up their own small business and offer colourful Christmas gifts.
Olivia Tate, an illustrator and student, is one of many participating: “I am very grateful for experiences like Hallam Handmade as it allows me to showcase my business to new audiences that I wouldn’t necessarily reach online.
"I set my online store up in the first lockdown, therefore I haven’t been able to attend many opportunities like this before so being able to do in-person events is new to me but so far has been amazing,” she continued.
Tate has been running her own website olivia_tatedesign since 2020, and this is the first chance for her and her peers to watch people view their work in person.
She said: “One of the amazing things about Sheffield is the art scene and independent businesses.
"This city is full of small businesses and art students bursting with enthusiasm and it is events like Hallam Handmade that make it so clear just how many there are and also reinforces the importance of them as a community to not just the university but Sheffield as a whole. “
The event is open to all and will run until 5pm on 3 December.
HS2 South Yorkshire: ‘Not all residents are numpties’
In the aftermath of the government going back on their promises to level up the north and pulling HS2 from South Yorkshire, home owners across the region have voiced their anger over how their lives have been left in limbo.
For five years residents of an estate in Mexborough, near Doncaster, were told they couldn’t sell their homes or make any renovations as they were under a compulsory safeguarding scheme.
Even now, after the high speed rail network has been scrapped for the area, those living on the Shimmer estate are still unable to make any changes to their properties.
Linsey Hague, 41, who lives in the area and has owned her home for seven years, said: “The whole way HS2 dealt with residents has been shambolic.
“To make matters worse, insult has been added to injury, after an engineer told me: ‘HS2 have started to realise that not all residents are numpties.’”
The news announcing HS2 is no longer connecting Sheffield to Leeds had mixed reviews from many people in South Yorkshire. A recent council meeting addressed some of the issues.
"What do you think of the HS2 Eastern leg being cancelled?"
Cllr Shaffaq Mohammed Leader of the Liberal Democrats, who represents Eccleshall, said: “I am deeply saddened that HS2 has been derailed in our area, we don’t want to fall behind Leeds and Manchester who we should be competing with.”
Not everyone is disappointed with the result, though. Nicki Williams from The Wildlife Trusts and director for campaigning communities said: “We have long campaigned against HS2 because of the huge damage it will do to nature and communities along the route.”
Craig Parkinson, a resident from Doncaster, believes HS2 would not benefit the city. He said: “Residents and the environment in which they live, have been sacrificed for the economic gains that would be felt by Leeds and Sheffield.”
What is HS2?
HS2 is a high speed rail service originally announced in 2012 and set up by the government to improve train transport between London and the North. It is funded by the state and with estimated costs that started at £36 billion but have now increased to an estimated £106 billion, despite the Eastern leg (phase 2b) being cancelled.
Mexborough Cllr, Sean Gibbons, said: “It’s a waste of money and there were not benefits in our area anyway, all we were getting was complete decimation.”
photo by Peter Bray/2020VISION
What is the impact of the Eastern leg being cancelled?
Other than transport issues in South Yorkshire, cancelling the Eastern leg has had major impact on those living in areas where properties are affected. Cllr Gibbons stated the government are now Mexborough’s largest landlord and they own £12million worth of property.
Linsey Hague, 41, living on the shimmer estate in Mexborough spoke about her experience with being in the property zone for HS2 plans.
Ms Hague told Sheffield Wire: “We found out about the HS2 announcement back in July 2016, residents hadn’t been told anything prior to this. The Friday after the announcement all work on the estate came to a halt. We got an unofficial letter, something that looked fake.
“I looked at my husband and said, ‘is this a joke?’”
The Shimmer estate in Mexborough is home to a lot of young families. Linsey and her family moved into the property in March 2014. The homes have been safeguarded, meaning the government hold this land and everything on it until they decide what is going to be done with it, leaving many residents in a state of limbo.
photo of estate currently - taken two weeks ago by Cllr Sean Gibbons
In the first letter Linsey received she said she didn’t get sent a compulsory purchase order because the route hadn’t gone through parliament. When the route was revised planners looked at an old map from 2011 and didn’t realise they would be destroying a new build estate.
Ms Hague said: “We were gutted really, we had just decorated.
“We thought with the government it would be a fair deal. We would be looked after but we weren’t.”
She feels the residents were treated with a lack of respect. Ms Hague said a neighbour with a disabled daughter wasn’t allowed to do any work to her home, as this was banned by the notice served, so her daughter had to wash in a bathroom basin because she couldn’t make it up the stairs to the shower.
For any residents under a shared ownership scheme, they own a percentage of a house and resident owners own another percentage, these people were not eligible at all for any compensation schemes.
Homeowners didn’t know which houses would be knocked down but Ms Hague explained no one wanted to live by a large viaduct, which was planned to be installed in the centre of the estate. She explained homeowners were told they could sell their houses to the government and move but the problem was the valuations from the government were a lot less than market value.
Left: Andy Pickering, Centre: Sean Gibbons, Right: Bev Chapman
Ms Hague was offered a 10% compensation from HS2. Another neighbour had their house valued at the market value of £205,000 yet HS2 came in and offered them £130,000. It took two years to negotiate and she eventually had the offer increased to £173,000, but this was still too low to buy a like for like house.
“It was fraud. I know someone did have a breakdown,” revealed Ms Hague.
When asked about the future of the estate she said: “We have been told the estate will be finished but for four years nothing has happened. HS2 and Starta, had to go through the same communication but it was all kept quiet to residents. Starta told me they were going to do a final walk around and put plans in place, but we were under the impression this had already happened, again residents are being kept in the dark.
“No new builder will touch us either because they know the HS2 process is long.”
Ms Hague said a subcontracted engineer told her: “The rest of the HS2 route just isn’t viable. It’s not going to happen.”
“The whole thing has been disgusting.”
House prices have gone up 10% in Mexborough and councillor Gibbons said they are currently campaigning to get the extra £1 million the government have profited from this increase as compensation for residents.
British Figure Skating Championships take place at IceSheffield
Sheffield has seen a fourth day of action on the rink as Ice Sheffield has been hosting the British Figure Skating Championships this week. Sheffield Wire talked to PJ Hallam, 26, who is competing over the weekend to defend his Men's Singles crown from the last time he took part in 2019. Hallam said: “Training has been going very well, I have been feeling really good whilst I’m on the ice. "It seems like just each session I get on is running really really well.” The championships have made a return after being postponed last year. Wilf Reeves, the PR and Marketing Officer for the event, said: "Everyone is just really pleased to be back skating, back competing. “There are a few nerves around, it is the National Championships, but everyone seems to go out onto the ice really express themselves and really enjoy it.” A number of different categories mean skaters of all abilities can compete, from basic novices through to advanced novices who have already been crowned British Champions. Today has seen the junior skaters take to the ice in a bid to compete in free skating. At the time of reporting, Arabella Sear-Watkins is taking the lead in the Women's Juniors today, with a total score of 107.03 points. This is almost 20 points ahead of the second place competitor Taylor McLeod, who is currently scoring 88.63. The Junior Men are set to compete later this afternoon, followed by the Advanced Novice and Junior Pairs later this evening.
“Perfect in every way”: South Yorkshire Police pay tribute to Police horse Hoober
South Yorkshire Police Mounted Unit has said a sad farewell to one of their Police horse last week. Hoober the police horse, was put down on Tuesday 30 November. This was after he was rushed to the Rainbow Hospital on Sunday 28 November for emergency surgery on a fatty tumour found on his small intestine. The 15-year-old horse joined the South Yorkshire Police team in September 2011. He provided them a decade of service. He was ridden by all the officers in the Mounted Unit, part of the force's Operational Support Unit. PC Lindsay Crew shared her fondest memories of Hoober. She said: “He could turn out to every occasion. It was because of his lovely manners. He could be used at the football, at protests, at ceremonial events and as mutual aid for other forces. “He was an absolute soldier and did his job perfectly, in fact he was perfect in every way. He wasn’t scared of anything and as well as bringing on other young horses he helped bring on inexperienced officers who joined the unit too.” On Twitter, PC Reed shared a video montage of PH Hoober. In the Tweet, he said: "There are not enough superlatives to describe this amazing guy. "He was our bravest horse, a genuine rock, and a lovely character." https://twitter.com/PC_Reed/status/1466705135476871180?s=20 Less than a year after he joined the police force, Hoober worked on the three legs of the Olympic torch relay and attended both the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He was a veteran of Doncaster St Ledger meetings and spent a lot of time on mutual aid in the North East around Newcastle and Middlesbrough as well as many protests. “He was characterful, cheeky and very good with all the grooms and officers,” Lindsay said. At the stables in Ring Farm, Cudworth, Barnsley, Hoober was know as one of the more mischievous members of the team. Lindsay added: “He was definitely the escape artist of the stables “He was the Houdini of all horses and he could open any door.” Police Horse Hoober will missed by all at South Yorkshire Police and they thank him for his long and loyal service.
Supermarket’s ‘face coverings are a personal choice’ sign taken down after Twitter complaint
A Sheffield woman urged a local supermarket to remove the ‘wearing a face-covering is a personal choice’ sign outside of the store as it is now a fineable offence. Sainsbury’s Local on High Street took down the sign early this morning, but it remained up for three days after the new law was enforced. A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s responded after the tweet was noticed: “We’re updating signage across our stores in England to remind customers that they must wear a face covering unless they are exempt. “Our CEO wrote to customers earlier this week to explain we were acting in light of the new requirements for customers. Rolling out updated signage is part of this and stores have worked as quickly as possible.” Mask-wearing in England, in shops and on public transport, has become mandatory again for the first time since 30 November 2021. The recommendation to wear a mask is based on scientific advice that it will prevent infecting others by dispersing airborne particles more widely. Those who break the rules will receive a fixed penalty of £200 for the first offence. This drops to £100 if paid within 14 days. Titania Krimpas, 50, a shopper with a facial covering in Sainsbury’s Local said: "‘mask wearing is the best protection from spreading or getting the virus. “Face covering should be introduced to where people gather.” “Don’t wait for the government to make this happen. They always do it too little and too late,” she added.
Yorkshire County Cricket club fire multiple members of back-room staff amid racism scandal
Yorkshire County Cricket club have sacked 16 members of staff today, including Director of Cricket Martin Moxon and First XI Coach Andrew Gale. A statement from YCCC issued earlier said: “We can confirm that Martyn Moxon, Director of Cricket, and Andrew Gale, First XI Coach, have left the Club today, in addition to all members of the coaching team. “The backroom medical team, external services provided by Pavilion Physiotherapy Clinic, has also left the Club. An interim medical team is also in the process of being appointed.” This is the latest development in the racism scandal that has hit the club, as former player Azeem Rafiq’s made explosive allegations of institutional racism against them. The former England U-19 Captain had accused multiple current and former Yorkshire players, including Gale, of using racial slurs towards him during his time at Yorkshire, which left him near suicide. Dan Whiting, cricket writer for the Middle Stump said: "The removal of 16 staff has sent shock waves through the game. The Telegraph have reported that some current players are feeling so strongly about it that they are threatening to leave amid crisis talks today. The fall out of this whole affair looks like it is far from over." In Rafiq’s recent testimony to the DCMS Parliamentary Select Committee, he gave harrowing details of alleged abuse at YCCC including being held down and force fed wine which is against his values as a Muslim. Rafiq has also alleged racism from high profile current and previous Yorkshire players including Gary Balance, Michael Vaughan and Tim Bresnan. The report Yorkshire released investigating Rafiq’s claims admitted he had been a victim of racial harassment and bullying but controversially stated no individual would face disciplinary action. Yorkshire’s report also dismissed use of racial slurs against Azeem Rafiq as “friendly banter.” The scandal has rocked the cricketing world over the last few weeks, prompting the England and Wales Cricket Board to commit to a wide-ranging action plan to tackle racism and promote inclusion last Friday. The plan focused on providing further education to those who work in cricket along with a review of dressing room culture, removing barriers in talent pathways and creating a welcoming environment to all within the game. Newly appointed Yorkshire Chair Lord Patel said today: “Significant change is required at Yorkshire County Cricket Club and we are committed to taking whatever action is necessary to regain trust. “We are hoping to announce a new Director of Cricket in the coming days. We have a huge rebuilding job to do but we are confident that this heralds a step forward towards a brighter future.”
I’m dreaming of a green Christmas
By Chloe O'Connor
A call for Christmas to be the most eco-friendly time of the year and offer people the chance to celebrate consciously in a bid to help save the planet.
From market stall owners to residents, people across Sheffield are fighting for a more environmentally and ethically sustainable festive period.
Whether it be shopping for pre-loved gifts, making your own decorations or getting creative with last year’s wrapping paper there is a call for a new approach to celebrating in a climate friendly manner.
Mary El Menyiy who co-runs Bazaar El Menyiy, in the city centre, with her husband, said: “I think we need to move more to recycling and eco-friendly products. All of ours come from Morocco and they’re sustainable from local co-operatives.”
The Sheffield Christmas market attracts thousands of people each year but many believe they should be more eco-friendly in a less damaging way.
Some are asking for radical action and follow in other countries’ footsteps to do their part in saving the planet.
https://soundcloud.com/user-163509873/christmas-markets-vox-pop?si=f5e9880a3d9c415380929a1f2df65f47
Leading figures across the world have called for people to be greener and lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle in the hope to stop climate change, which leads to the question of the level of waste generated across UK households.
Mrs El Menyiy said: “Four years ago Morocco made bio-degradable bags, with a complete ban on plastic bags for the whole country. We use them now. It would be helpful for everybody if we could at least do that in this country it’s not a difficult thing but as far as the attraction as a trader we are in it to earn money.”
Just how much waste does the UK produce?
Each year the UK spends £25 billion on Christmas presents and £42 million of unwanted gifts are thrown out in landfill. This contributes greatly to the 365.1 million metric tons (approx.) of CO2 emitted by the UK every year.
According to Waste Data Flow, in 2019 England has only increased their recycling of waste from households by 4% since 2010. Neighbouring countries such as Northern Ireland has surpassed England over the last 10 years with an increase of 13%.
While the recycling rate for waste from households increased in all UK countries in 2019, England is starting to slowly fall behind. The recycling rate for England was 45.5%, compared with 50.6% in Northern Ireland, 44.9% in Scotland, and 56.4% in Wales.
Where does Sheffield stand?
Groups across South Yorkshire run events including the ‘Alternative Christmas Markets’ in a bid to make people more conscious of their spending decisions this year. The markets showcase crafters who use recycled and upcycled materials to create gifts in a way to help the planet.
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Climate Alliance said: “We know that a lot of people have a strong emotional attachment to Christmas, which is why we don't want to be Scrooge and tell everyone to stop celebrating.
“Instead, we want people to switch to more sustainable habits such as buying less, wasting less and shopping second hand. We want to show that it is possible to have an eco-friendly Christmas and create some new Christmas traditions.
CREDIT: Maddy Winters / Against the Grain Photography
“We want to demonstrate that you can have a sustainable Christmas by buying less, buying recycled and upcycled gifts, and by making your own decor and gifts (or buying nothing, and focusing on spending quality time with loved ones instead). “We always aim to be as low waste as possible through using sustainable materials and being conscious of what we buy throughout the course of our project. It's important to be as sustainable as possible all year round so that we can carry on celebrating for a long time into the future.” https://youtu.be/m86rhPxTO2s So what can we do this year to lead a greener Christmas? Wrapping paper is not recyclable. Try an alternative such as newspaper, old parcel paper or upcycle old boxes and decorate delivery boxes with the children. If you can afford recyclable paper don’t forget look up techniques on wrapping presents without sticky tape. Decorate old wine glasses into snowmen and reindeers. Reuse last year’s Christmas cards as tags. Avoid buying boxes of chocolates, they have a lot of unnecessary packaging. Why not bake chocolates with the family? Visit the local charity shops for decorations. Charities such as ‘Friends of the Earth’ offer support and guidance from COVID-safe community celebrations to gifts that are good for the planet. These suggestions include renting trees and buying Christmas Bee Saver Kit. People are also following pages such as ‘Sustainably Lazy’ for ethical gift ideas for a conscious Christmas, linking pages to eco-friendly and organic produce companies.
Burglary surge in South East Sheffield
Last night, the police patrolled the areas of Beighton, Woodhouse, Richmond and Birley after a burglary surge. The increased police presence followed a press release yesterday morning urging residents in and around the Richmond area to check their home security. Detective Inspector Lee Corker said that there have been numerous burglaries over the past four weeks and has asked residents to be vigilant. He said: "Taking simple steps to secure your property can make life so much more difficult for burglars." The Detective Inspector advised residents to keep their doors and windows locked. "If you are going out then leave a light on so it appears you are at home and consider timer switches if you are going away. A house that appears occupied is far less appealing to a potential burglar than one that is empty," he added. If you see suspicious activity in or around your local area, contact the South Yorkshire Police on 0800 555 111 or 101. If there is a crime in progress or it's an emergency call 999.
1 in 50 people in Yorkshire and the Humber have long COVID
Long COVID affects 109,000 people in Yorkshire and the Humber, meaning that 1 in 50 people in the region suffer from the illness.
The figures, published yesterday by the Office for National Statistics, show the lasting effects on people who had COVID-19 at least 12 weeks previously.
Professor Helen Ward told an Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC) online seminar there was "an implicit assumption that you either die or get better.
"We also need to measure long-term health impacts."
Symptoms of long COVID or post-COVID-19 syndrome, include fatigue, 'brain fog', and loss of smell.
Long COVID can also have long-term impacts on existing health inequalities.
Sana Habib, a medical student, conducted research into the impact of long COVID on Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic individuals.
She said: “There is a very big health inequality between Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic Individuals and the White British majority.
“With long COVID, those inequalities are going to broaden even more because of the fact that there’s no information out there."
The next month's long COVID data will be released 6 January 2022.
Sheffield housing association provides a safe haven for people in need
A housing association in Sheffield has been providing accommodation for homeless people and those fleeing abuse, violence or exploitation. Choice Housing Trust gives people in need supported housing around the city and provides each resident with a regular visiting support worker. Robert Mellors, founder of Choice Housing Trust, was homeless himself in the 1990s and now uses his knowledge to help others. Mr Mellors said: "We provide not just a roof over their heads, but also ongoing support to help them address the issues that may have lead to them becoming homeless. "This lays the foundation stones for them being able to move on into independent accommodation when they are ready for this transition and we help with this too." Residents claim Housing Benefit to cover rent and pay a small amount towards heating and electricity bills. However, the cost of providing support is not covered by Housing Benefit, and residents do not receive any funding from the government or charities. Accordingly, Choice Housing Trust relies on public donations and trading activities to pay Support Workers. The programme was set up in 2004 after Mr Mellors had spent four years working as a Homelessness Officer in various local authorities. He said: "I became more and more frustrated with the bureaucracy and politics within local authorities that prevented ideas [to help people] coming to fruition. "I decided to take the step of setting up my own housing association so that I could help those people who did not qualify for council housing and were unlikely to be accepted by most private landlords, as I felt that councils were not meeting this need." So far, the organisation has housed and supported over 600 people, and continues to provide accommodation to about 50 people a year. Recently, it developed specialist housing for victims of domestic violence who have mental health issues. The accommodation has a state of the art CCTV system and has an increased level of staff presence on site, in addition to the standard security Choice Housing Trust provides in all housing, such as steel reinforced doors and heavy duty locks. Mr Mellors hopes to offer further specialist accommodation for people who need a higher level of supervision or support, but says this would be dependant on the level of funding they can raise. "There’s a great many more people out there that need this help," he said. To help support Choice Housing Trust, you can donate to their crowdfunding page here.