A waste company that looks after street cleaning and refuse collection in Surrey has told a council meeting its plans to help ease a shortage of HGV drivers.

Contracting company Amey told Mole Valley District Council the company is looking at recruiting and training refugees to help with the shortage.

So far, four refugee groups are involved in the project to hire potential recruits, who would need to go through three stages of theory tests before starting driver training.

The council was also informed that bin lorries will feature recruitment adverts from next year.

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A recent report has shown that improvements have been made to Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

The report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, showed an improvement in six out of the 11 categories assessed – five of which have been rated as ‘good’.

The report praises a variety of aspects but acknowledges that some areas still require additional work.

Chief Fire Officer, Steve Owen-Hughes, said: “I am extremely proud of the hard work happening, and want to thank all of my colleagues in the service.”

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A volunteer litter-picking group within the borough of Reigate & Banstead has been shortlisted for a prize at the Keep Britain Tidy national awards.

Tadworth, Kingswood, Lower Kingswood, Walton & Burgh Heath Litter Pickers is an independent group of volunteers dedicated to cleaning up litter from parts of the borough.

The Council nominated the group for the award, which is organised by eight area leaders, who then liaise with around 600 group members via their Facebook page.

The Keep Britain Tidy Awards will be presented at the charity’s annual Network Conference at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole hotel on 10 February 2022.

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British Airways has set out plans to resume short-haul flights from Gatwick next March via a new subsidiary that it says will compete on price with “no frills” rivals.

The carrier, which had suspended European trips from the West Sussex airport in spring last year as a result of the pandemic, said tickets were now on sale from £39 each way.

Plans for a new Gatwick subsidiary were first floated over the summer though initially ran into turbulence as BA sought agreement with unions for the blueprint, which depends on being able to operate on a lower cost base.

It has since ironed out a deal with the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA).
British Airways, said flights to 35 destinations including Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Faro, Ibiza, Malaga, Santorini, Palma, Nice and Tenerife would be available.

The subsidiary, BA Euroflyer, will be an “entirely separate entity” from British Airways though operating under its name, in the same way that BA subsidiary BA CityFlyer operates out of London’s City airport.

However, services will initially be operated by BA until a new air operators’ certificate is issued.

Flights will begin from the end of March with three Airbus short-haul aircraft, ramping up to 18 planes by the end of May.

The airline will offer “fares competitive with those of Gatwick no-frills carriers” – putting it in competition with easyJet at the hub – while still offering “the same high level of service they expect of British Airways” as well as “generous bag allowance, free water and snacks”.

BA chief executive Sean Doyle said it was a “landmark moment”.

“The creation of a new British Airways short-haul organisation means Gatwick customers will benefit from access to a premium service from the UK’s flag carrier at competitive prices,” he said.

Gatwick boss Stewart Wingate said: “Despite the ongoing public health situation, today’s announcement is a positive signal that consumer confidence is returning as people start thinking about making travel plans for next summer.”

The announcement comes as British Airways received a separate boost as the UK decided to remove all 11 countries from its travel red list.

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Crawley Town Football Club are delighted to confirm that 19-year-old Florian Kastrati has signed his first professional contract with the club.

Florian was recommended to the club by first-team goalkeeper Glenn Morris after a successful period with the Crawley Performance Academy. Morris himself is heavily involved with the Crawley Performance Academy and has previously contributed to the signings of Rafiq Khaleel and Szymon Kowalczyk.

First-team goalkeeper Glenn Morris said: “Florian has worked really hard since coming into training. It’s brilliant for him personally and we’re so pleased it’s finally sorted.

“Along with Szymon and Raf, it’s another fantastic achievement from all involved at the performance academy. Florian can work towards the next step in his development now. The future looks bright!”

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