Dear Friend,
It’s been nine years since the tragic murder of Jo Cox at the hands of a violent extremist. Each year since, we come together for The Great Get Together to remember her legacy and to celebrate the belief that we have more in common than that which divides us.
The Great Get Together is the UK’s annual celebration of everything that unites our communities, inspired by Jo’s powerful message of unity and hope and every year I work with like-minded groups in our community to put on an event open to everyone. This year it was in Dragon Park in partnership with the HU4 Community Trustand and we created our own version of Glastonbury with “Dragonbury!”
We had a wonderful day in the sunshine. Tigers Trust were there providing football skills sessions and games and the children were able to refresh themselves by making a fruit smoothie on a “smoothie bike” – a human powered food blender. Humberside Fire & Rescue Service brought a fire engine along, and the children loved climbing into it and getting photos. Mark sang some favourites for the crowd and I’d also like to thank the musicians who performed for us can we add the names of the musicians and link to their pages etc, and Hull Butterfly City, Hull Food Partnership and Hull Fibre for attending (and for the free bottles of water!).
Thank you so much to everyone who attended, I hope you enjoyed it – and the free pizzas! – as much as I did. Once again, a special thanks to our amazing friends at HU4 Community Trust for co-hosting the event and for everything they do for the HU4 community.
Investment incoming for the region – now and in the future
As part of its ambitious plans to rebuild our country, your Labour government has announced its 10-year Infrastructure Strategy
The budget of £725bn is for the long-term funding of maintenance and major projects and will tackle the soaring maintenance backlog which has left our schools, colleges, hospitals and courts in a state of disrepair.
The Strategy makes sure that the funding is spent effectively and represents value for money. That means safer and more efficient hospitals, revamped schools, more secure prisons and improvements to our courts to reduce the backlog in cases.
The 10-year Industrial Strategy has also been announced with the aim of increasing business investment and grow the industries of the future in the UK.
Locally, that means prioritising the Clean Energy Industries in the Humber, and enhanced support for Humber Freeport, a growing research and innovation base.
There will also be a new £500 million Mayoral Recyclable Growth Fund available to Mayors in the North and Midlands and further support as they develop their own 10-year Local Growth Plans.
Changes to the Treasury Green Book rules allow the effect of a number of local project proposals to be considered together in funding applications. This should improve “joined up thinking” and better co-ordination in Local Government and Mayoral offices. They are also getting rid of “one-size-fits-all” approach to cost-benefit analysis that has worked against the most deprived areas.
Extra money for our health services
A proportion of the £2.2 billion of extra health funding announced by Wes Streeting this week will also be making its way to our region. Like the changes to the Green Book, this funding recognises that deprivation brings extra costs – in this case to health care.
The focus of our changes to the NHS includes a movement from treatment to prevention, which is absolutely what we need in Hull and the East Riding.
Here’s a round up of the government investment announced for Hull and East Riding in the last month:
• Hull Royal Infirmary will receive £3.9m to tackle maintenance issues like leaks, poor ventilation, and electrical faults, helping prevent thousands of cancelled appointments
• Ideal Boilers Limited was awarded £5.2 million in the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition, creating 200 jobs and supporting 150 existing roles at their plant in Hull and sister company in Blackpool
• Warm Homes funding for energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating to low-income homes saw Hull CC receive £3.4 million and ERYC £1.5 million.
• Warm homes grant – £150 paid in automatically to anyone on means tested benefits to help with energy costs this winter
Businesses of the month – celebrating local gems
Nick Robins Family Butchers
Nick Robins is one of the oldest butchers in Hull, proudly serving the community for over 70 years!
Whether you’re after a few cubes of stewing beef or a full filet for a special occasion, Nick Robins has you covered with top-quality cuts and friendly service that’s stood the test of time. I have to say, his pork pies are to die for!
Hull Pops
Hull Pops is a vibrant fantasy game shop located in Hessle, offering an impressive selection of comic books, fantasy figures, and trading cards. The owners have ensured the shop is accessible to everyone, with products available across a wide range of price points. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned collector or just starting out, there’s something for you- including pocket-money-friendly trading cards that cost just pennies.
Hull Pops has become a hub for the local community as they regularly host gameplay events and even organise inclusive Pokémon Go walks for all ages, helping to bring people together through shared interests and a love of fantasy and gaming. Anyone interested should definitely check it out.
Biowise update
The second and final round of summer monitoring of the Biowise food and garden waste facility is due to begin shortly following the improvements required by the Environment Agency.
East Riding Environmental Health have also opened their live complaints portal for odours here:
https://survey123.arcgis.com/…/864b1c2157fe4f3aa1536727…
They aim to get someone out to the spot to investigate during working hours, so if you do smell anything then please report it as soon as you can.
The Environment Agency are Biowise’s regulator, and they have just opened a new online portal for complaints about odour.
https://www.gov.uk/report-smell
At the moment details of complaints are not shared between the agencies, but this is something that has been raised at the quarterly liaison meetings. I would encourage registering any complaint with both.
Hull City Ladies FC back on track
Following constructive discussions with Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock, government officials and the FA I wanted to share some good news about Hull City Ladies FC.
Firstly, I want to pay tribute to the bravery of the players who spoke up and to Rachel Gay for her determination to keep the club alive.
At the Women’s Football Taskforce meeting, the FA provided an overview of the situation at Hull City Ladies FC and committed to a review of Women’s National League governance. This will include the introduction of Owners’ and Directors’ Tests- a vital step to help prevent similar issues from arising at other clubs in the future.
Specifically for Hull City Ladies FC:
• A new management committee is now in place
• A new General Manager has been appointed to oversee operations
• The team is in a position to compete next season
• The team is back on the North Bank and will be playing at North Ferriby from next season
The voices of those who spoke out have been instrumental in driving change, not only for Hull City Ladies FC, but on a national scale with the review of Women’s National League governance.
I’ll continue to stay closely involved and ensure that progress continues. Thank you to everyone who continues to support the club. Their first match at North Ferriby is on Sunday 27 July against Leeds United.
Fred Moore Library – what’s on
Our libraries are a fantastic resource and service for our community, and having recently begun to use Fred Moore Library for constituency surgeries I thought I’d let you know some of what they have on.
Curious about your family tree? Drop by on Mondays, 10am–12pm, for free help from experienced genealogy volunteers – no booking needed.
Just want some company? Join the Monday Mingle from 2.30pm–4.30pm for a cuppa, games, and a chat. No library membership required.
Not in the mood for a chat but want a change of scenery? The library always has a community jigsaw on the go – feel free to drop in, take a seat, and add a few pieces at your own pace.
Know anyone who’d like a kitten or a cat?
If you know anyone wanting to adopt a cat or kitten please let them know about Jenny’s cat house. She has lots of cats and kittens looking for their forever home. I have three of my own, so I think I have to stop there! They are so cute, though.
Anlaby Park music festival
Anlaby Park Community Library’s Music on the Green is coming up a week on Saturday! You can grab your tickets from the library during their normal opening hours.
Free Parking threat
I have always opposed the introduction of charges in East Riding car parks in Hessle, Anlaby, and Willerby, as I know how vital free parking is for local businesses and residents.
It has been looking like the East Riding Council was going to introduce them, so I was intrigued to hear Ann Handley, the Leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, promise to keep them free in her campaign for mayor. After the election I wrote to her to request clarity on the current situation. Her reply informs me that the situation is being reviewed again (!), and that the new mayor does not have powers over parking charges or enforcement, which was interesting. Hopefully, this further review will opt for the status quo. Watch this space…
And finally…
As always, I’m here to support you. I do a face-to-face surgery every week so you can always come and see me. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about how I can help, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can email me at emma.hardy.mp@parliament.uk or call my office at 01482 219211. Leave a message if I’m unavailable, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Best wishes,
Emma Hardy MP
Hull West and Haltemprice
P.S. I’m always on the look-out for local businesses to feature in ‘Business of the Week’. If there are any you think deserve the spotlight, let me know!