Other News In Brief

SDLP Opens Discussions With Other Progressive Assembly Parties

The SDLP has opened discussions with other progressive Assembly parties as part of its outreach during the Programme for Government talks.

SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MLA met Green Party Leader Steven Agnew MLA to discuss issues of common cause and will seek to meet People Before Profit representatives in the coming days.

Mr Eastwood said: "The SDLP is committed to securing a progressive and ambitious Programme for Government that meets the very real challenges facing communities across Northern Ireland. I met with Green Party Leader Steven Agnew MLA to discuss our areas of common cause. Today we discussed the critical need to address the North’s spiralling housing crisis with an increase in social housing provision. We also talked about increasing support for early years projects and pre-school childcare. And I was pleased to discuss our common interest in reversing the disinvestment in renewable energies in communities like the Antrim and South Down coasts where we can be global leaders in new technologies."

Belfast Skip Business Fined For Waste Offences

A Belfast skip business has been fined for waste offences.

Ace Bates Kip Hire and its former directors, north Belfast brothers Thomas and Gary Bates, were ordered to pay a £200,000 confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 for depositing and keeping controlled waste on lands at Ballyutoag Road, Belfast in contravention of the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997.

In addition, the company was fined £40,000 and the Bates brothers were each fined £1,000. The Bates brothers were ordered to pay the confiscation order within three months, or face one year's imprisonment in default.

An order was also placed on the defendants to pay costs of £100,000.

Between 2007 and 2011, Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) officers investigated the unauthorised dumping and burning of waste on premises at Ballyutoag Road, Belfast, owned by Thomas and Gary Bates.

No waste management licence existed for the site where NIEA officers discovered significant volumes of mixed controlled waste had been treated. In addition, waste had been buried in lands belonging to the defendants and on neighbouring lands.

This waste included construction and demolition wastes, plastics, wood, metals, cardboard, carpet, textiles plastic bin bags and food waste.

Repeated incidents of waste burning were also observed to have taken place on the site during 2007 and 2008.

Man Convicted Of Benefit Fraud

Portadown man convicted of benefit fraud

A man has been convicted for claiming benefits he was not entitled to at Craigavon Crown Court.

Timothy McGee claimed Jobseekers Allowance and Housing Benefit totalling £5,080 while failing to declare employment. He was given a two month prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

He is also required to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Department for Communities.

(CD)