SIGNAL FAILURE: WIFI ON TRAINS SET FOR AXE – METRO MAYOR BLASTS “SHORT-TERMIST” MOVE
Mayor Dan Norris has reacted with anger to reports of ministers potentially pulling the plug on free Wi-Fi on trains as part of a cost-cutting drive.Most operators currently offer a free wi-fi connection as standard.However, the Department for Transport has now decided wi-fi is “low priority” for passengers and that train operators need to “justify…
Many happy returns – and singles! West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris launches innovative Mayor’s Fares birthday initiative
Every resident in the West of England is being offered free bus travel throughout the month of their birthday thanks to an innovative £8 million initiative from the region’s directly elected Metro Mayor Dan Norris. The plan is for the first passengers to travel free from 1 July 2023, and the scheme will run until…
£3.6 million boost for cyclists secured by West of England Metro Mayor
Pedal power is the name of the game as Metro Mayor Dan Norris announced he has secured £3.6 million of new funding from government to boost cycling, and walking, across the West of England. The focus will be to encourage local people to travel by bike for those shorter everyday journeys. The Mayor wants to…
MORE FREQUENT TRAIN SERVICES COMING TO WEST THIS MONDAY
West of England train passengers are set to benefit from much more frequent services to and from Bristol Temple Meads starting next week (Monday 22nd May 2023) thanks to a £7 million-plus investment from Metro Mayor Dan Norris’s West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. Starting on Monday 22 May, more trains will be running from Temple Meads to…
METRO MAYOR HAILS RARE BEE FIND IN WEST OF ENGLAND
A rare species of bee has been recorded in the West of England for the first time. The Nomad Bee, also known as Nomada zonata, was discovered by a local volunteer on Troopers Hill in Bristol as part of a West of England Mayoral Combined Authority-funded project. The project sees residents taking part in bee surveys…
THREE MILLION-PLUS THANK YOUS FROM METRO MAYOR AT WEST OF ENGLAND LEVY SCHEME EVENT
More apprenticeships for West of England residents are on the way after a successful apprenticeship fund scheme welcomed its latest official member. Airbus has become the latest top-notch West of England organisation to pledge their support to invest in apprentices at an event hearing from some of the 200-plus new apprentices supported already thanks to…
PLUG IT IN: £7 MILLION BOOST FOR ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING IN THE WEST
Hundreds more electric car charge points are set to be installed across the West of England after Metro Mayor Dan Norris secured £7 million to boost to his plans for an “electric car revolution”. Mr Norris’s Mayoral Combined Authority will get up to £6.6 million from government for purchasing and installing hundreds more electric vehicle…
METRO MAYOR BLASTS “DOWNING STREET MORTGAGE PENALTY’ AS INTEREST RATES HIKED AGAIN
West of England residents face more cost-of-living woe today as the Bank of England hiked interest rates to a new 15-year high – and warned of more to come. The base rate has been pushed up 0.25 percentage points to 4.5%, heaping pain on thousands of mortgage-payers in the West. It is the 12th consecutive…
PROJEKT: HUGE NEW OLD MARKET CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND INNOVATION FIRMS COMING IN 2025 – METRO MAYOR GETS BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR
Metro Mayor Dan Norris got an exclusive behind the scenes tour of what will be one of the largest city centre science and innovation schemes in the country – right in the heart of Bristol’s Old Market. The 147,000 sq ft building, once home to Bristol United Press, will be known as Projekt, it can…
HAILS £13 MILLION CLUTTON FIRM AS HUMBLE BAR OF SOAP MAKES A COMEBACK
Tomorrow at 12.45pm, Metro Mayor Dan Norris will find out how the humble bar of soap is making a comeback after being given a makeover by environmentally minded Somerset Toiletry Company – one of Bath and NE Somerset and the world’s biggest and best bath and body product firms. The first manufactured soap bar entered…
LIFE ON THE HEDGE: METRO MAYOR BACKS ‘HEDGELIFE HELP OUT’ TO SAVE WEST’S SHRUBS
Every hedge counts, according to Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who is encouraging West of England residents to health-check the region’s “secret weapon” this month to help safeguard their future. The Metro Mayor has thrown his weight behind ‘Hedgelife Help Out’ organised by the Countryside Charity which kicks off today (Monday 8 May) through to the…
150 YOUNG POLICYMAKERS OF THE FUTURE WELCOMED TO DAN NORRIS’S SCHOOL SUMMIT
Over 150 local young people from 60-plus secondary schools gathered at Aerospace Bristol under the wings of Concorde for the West of England Schools Summit hosted by Metro Mayor Dan Norris, and co-designed with Creative Youth Network. The students were there to learn about the careers of the future they might follow and make their…
Energy giants raking in £60 million a DAY in profit – Metro Mayor calls for “proper” windfall tax to freeze council tax bills
Energy giants are raking in around £60 million a DAY following ministers’ failure to bring in a proper windfall tax, new figures show.According to figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility, £60 million of profit is reported in the North Sea each day, with BP today (Tuesday 2 May) announcing profits of more than £4…
NO MOWING? NO PROBLEM. SHUN LAWNMOWERS TO HELP BEES THIS NO MOW MAY, METRO MAYOR URGES
It might be tempting to cut the grass now that Spring is here, but Metro Mayor Dan Norris is urging residents in the West of England to keep their lawnmower and strimmers in the shed this No Mow May, and to let bee-friendly flowers bloom on lawns instead. The Metro Mayor wants residents to heed…
BBC CHAIRMAN RESIGNS AFTER BREACHING APPOINTMENT RULES – METRO MAYOR COMMENTS:
Welcoming the announcement today (Friday 28 April) that Richard Sharp has resigned as BBC chairman, Mayor Dan Norris said: “Richard Sharp is right to resign, but he should have been sacked weeks ago. His stint as chair has seriously undermined both the BBC’s independence, and its reputation in this country – and round the globe.…
EXPLORE LOCAL THIS CORONATION WEEKEND, SAYS METRO MAYOR
Royalists and republicans alike are being urged to take advantage of the extra Bank Holiday weekend by West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris. He says there is no better time to explore locally and support local attractions. Speaking on a visit to Bath Abbey where King Edgar, the first King of all of England,…
DAN NORRIS URGES WEST OF ENGLAND FIRMS TO TAKE ‘BUSINESS WITHOUT BLOOD SPORTS’ PLEDGE
Dan Norris, Chair of the League Against Cruel Sports, and West of England Mayor, is urging the region’s firms to pledge to never promote blood sports like illegal fox hunting.The Business Without Blood Sports pledge was launched by Mr Norris at a special event in the Houses of Parliament. The pledge states:“We share the belief…
METRO MAYOR CALLS FOR RATES CUT AND ENERGY SUBSIDIES TO EASE FOOD PRICES IN WEST OF ENGLAND
Ministers should consider cutting business rates for small West of England retailers and subsidise energy bills for food manufacturers to bring down the cost of everyday items on shop shelves, according to the West of England’s Metro Mayor Dan Norris.According to Mr Norris’s Labour Party, the price of food and drink is growing 50% faster…
DON’T MISS OUT! METRO MAYOR URGES WEST OF ENGLAND FAMILIES TO CHECK FOR ENERGY SUPPORT VOUCHERS AFTER FIGURES SHOW THOUSANDS LEFT UNCLAIMED
Those on prepayment meters in the region should have received a total of six vouchers (two £66 vouchers and four £67 vouchers) with a combined value of £400. This would have been sent by text, email or post – and had to be taken to a Post Office to be credited to their meter.But new…
QUESTION TIME: METRO MAYOR QUIZZED BY BUDDING OLDLAND COMMON POLITICIANS
Dan Norris says he was “put through his paces” by Oldland Common students during a ‘Meet The Metro Mayor’ Q&A session. The Mayor was invited to Sir Bernard Lovell Academy for a tour of the school, and to speak with students about the role of his West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and devolution. He…
INFLATION NATION LATEST: FOOD PRICES RISE AT FASTEST RATE FOR OVER 45 YEARS
Prices in the supermarkets are still rising sharply with food and drink inflation now at its highest level in over 45 years, adding to the inflation pain suffered by West of England households. Food and drink prices rocketed by 19.1% in March, according to the ONS – up from 18% per year in February, and…
POORER BRISTOL HOMES MISSED OUT ON CRUCIAL RETROFIT MEASURES LAST YEAR AS BILLS ROCKETED – METRO MAYOR REPEATS CALLS FOR “INSULATION SPRINT”
Hundreds of low-income households in Bristol missed out on having crucial energy-efficiency measures installed in their homes last year just as the fuel poverty crisis hit, it can be revealed. New official data shows that 2022 was the worst year on record for the Government’s main programme for insulating poorer people’s homes, despite pleas from Metro…
WORLD HERITAGE DAY: VOLUNTEERS WANTED TO PRESERVE COALPIT HEATH COLLIERY
On World Heritage Day, Metro Mayor Dan Norris will peer behind the scenes at a colliery in Coalpit Heath to discover 700 years of mining history, and learn more about the vital role coal played in the West of England story. Friends of Ram Hill Colliery Secretary Kate Kelliher will give the Mayor a potted…
METRO MAYOR IN LAWRENCE WESTON FOR “ENERGY BILL BLITZ”
Metro Mayor Dan Norris and a team of experts will be going door-to-door visiting Lawrence Weston shops and other small businesses. The aim is to help them save £2,000-plus from their sky-high energy bills and slash carbon emissions.The ‘Energy Bills Blitz’ is a new drive to support local businesses who have never previously received assistance…
WEST OF ENGLAND HAILED AS “TRAILBLAZER” IN BIG TOURISM BOOST
A scheme to put the West of England at the forefront of a UK tourism drive could support new jobs and bring millions of pounds to the regional economy, says Metro Mayor Dan Norris.It was revealed that the region has been chosen as one of 12 tourism hotspots for a new national approach to promoting…
Bristol workers need to work 400 YEARS to benefit from Tory £1 billion pension tax plan
Bristol workers on average earnings would have to work for four centuries before they would benefit from a £1 billion tax cut from government, it has been revealed.In the Spring Budget, the Chancellor abolished the tax-free limit on pensions savings for those with more than £1 million in their pension pot.This will cost the taxpayer…
£12 MILLION GREEN HOMES BOOST FOR POORER WEST OF ENGLAND HOUSEHOLDS
Over 800 West of England households suffering from the cost-of-living crisis will benefit from improvements to their homes to cut between £200 and £400 a year from their energy bills each year. It’s all thanks to Dan Norris’s Mayoral Combined Authority securing £12 million for upgrades to homes in the region. The cash will go…
BRISTOL NAMED “FORCED SWIM” ANIMAL EXPERIMENT CAPITAL OF UK
West of England Metro Mayor and longstanding campaigner against animal cruelty, Dan Norris, has once again joined calls for the University of Bristol to drop its use of experiments that see rats and mice dropped into water and made to continually swim to stop themselves from drowning. It comes after freedom of information data showed…
PLANES CARBON SHAME
Cuts to air passenger duty for domestic flights from 1 April brought in by Rishi Sunak are set to encourage more pollution. A study by consumer group Which? found that a flight from Bristol to Edinburgh emits a staggering 68% more in carbon emissions than the same journey by train and is 12% cheaper. From…
AN EGG-STRA SPECIAL THANK YOU! METRO MAYOR THANKS LITTLE STOKE NHS STAFF WITH EASTER EGGS
Doctors, nurses and other heath care professionals at Concord Medical Centre in Little Stoke have been treated to an egg-stra special Easter delivery from Metro Mayor Dan Norris. The Mayor dropped off a donation of chocolate Easter eggs to our NHS heroes to be distributed across the practice with thanks to sponsorship from Mission Street,…
FOOD INFLATION HITS ALL TIME HIGH – DAN NORRIS COMMENTS
West of England shoppers facing the cost of living crisis have had another blow as supermarket price inflation hit another record high. This is adding £837 to annual household shopping bills. Price increases for groceries hit an all-time high of 17.5% in the four weeks to 19 March compared with a year earlier, according to…
KEEP THE WEST TIDY – METRO MAYOR URGES
Metro Mayor Dan Norris, along with green-minded Keynsham pupils, rolled up his sleeves and took on litter-picking duties after throwing his weight behind the Great British Spring Clean 2023. The national litter-picking effort, organised by Keep Britain Tidy and backed by Mr Norris’s West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, has kicked off and runs until…
IS YOUR ORGANISATION BEE-ING FRIENDLY? METRO MAYOR’S POLLINATOR AWARDS SCHEME RETURNS
An awards scheme to showcase the fantastic work “pollinator pal” West of England groups of all shapes and sizes are doing to support bees is returning for a second year. Metro Mayor Dan Norris’s “Bee Bold Awards 2023” has opened for submissions closing at 11.59pm on Friday 28 April. From offices to schools, community allotments…
INFLATION NATION LATEST: INFLATION RISES AGAIN AS FOOD PRICES ROCKET – METRO MAYOR COMMENTS
Inflation has risen AGAIN to 10.4% in what Metro Mayor Dan Norris described as a “sucker punch” to West of England families. The rate is up from the 10.1% that was recorded the previous month in January, the ONS said. The price of food, as well as alcohol and dining out in pubs and restaurants,…
GREEN LIGHT FOR £10 MILLION GREEN RECOVERY FUND EXPANSION
An additional £10million was agreed today to tackle the climate and nature emergency in the West of England after Metro Mayor Dan Norris secured agreement to expand his successful Green Recovery Fund at a meeting of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority in Filton (Friday 17 March 2023). Mayor Norris and the region’s three…
“DESIGN YOUR OWN BUS SERVICE” FUND LAUNCHED BY METRO MAYOR
Metro Mayor Dan Norris is challenging communities across the West of England to design and run new bus services in their area as he launches WESTlocal (today Friday 17 March). The £2 million fund will help local neighbourhoods set up and run their own new not-for-profit transport. “Local people know their communities best. Therefore, they…
FIRST TROWEL: NEW RADSTOCK BEE GARDEN TO CREATE A BUZZ – THANKS TO £35,000 METRO MAYOR GRANT
Radstock residents are sowing the seeds to create a colourful new garden for the region’s pollinators. Metro Mayor Dan Norris joined volunteers in rolling up their sleeves and armed with spades and trowels to start work on the new ‘Southfield Community Garden’ at the Recreation Ground. The project to turn the disused former play area…
BRISTOLIANS FEELING LUCKY AS ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE RETURNS TO CITY THIS WEEKEND
Bristol city centre is turning green this Sunday as the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade gets underway – with support from a £10,000 cash injection from Metro Mayor Dan Norris. Mayor Norris will join Lord Mayor Cllr Paula O’Rourke as well as dance troupes and marching pipe bands in leading the green and gold coloured…
METRO MAYOR SECURES £18 MILLION FOR KEY GROWTH PROJECTS
The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority’s strong track record of delivery has seen it secure a further £18 million of government funding to fast track 19 ‘shovel-ready’ projects to grow the regional economy after several successful bids to government led by Metro Mayor Dan Norris. Successful bids include: In total, the schemes will create…
SPRING STATEMENT – METRO MAYOR RESPONDS
Following the Chancellor’s Spring Statement this afternoon, Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “The hit to living standards over the past two years is the largest since records began. West of England people are feeling it every day in their pockets. Today the Chancellor told us working people will keep paying the price of 13 years…
BBC to censor Bristol made TV?
The BBC has decided not to broadcast on TV an episode of David Attenborough’s flagship new British wildlife series Wild Isles, which was made by a Bristol production company. The Guardian newspaper has reported this is due to fears of a backlash from Conservative politicians upset about its discussion of the destruction of nature, although…
ONE GIANT LEAP: WEST’S SPACE SECTOR GETS SIX-FIGURE FUNDING BOOST
Metro Mayor Dan Norris has secured funding to boost the growing West of England space industry. The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority has secured £136,000 from the UK Space Agency to fund work on Space West – the region’s “space cluster” – while the cash boost will double the 1,000 people working in the…
Two operators to run Metro Mayor’s WESTlink minibuses
The operators of WESTlink, the region’s new on-demand minibus service, have been announced. WESTlink will be run by a partnership of Via and WeDRT. Via is a global public transport, logistics and tech company that operates in more than 20 countries globally. WeDRT is a UK-based company with experience of working with Transport for West…
SPADES IN THE GROUND! BUILDING WORK STARTS ON NEW ASHLEY DOWN STATION
Construction work has begun on a new Bristol railway station. Funded by the West of England Combined Authority, Ashley Down station will give residents in the north of the city their own station once again after nearly 60 years. Metro Mayor Dan Norris was track-side to see for himself how the brand-new station is being…
THAT’S A LATTE! BATH CITY FARM CAFÉ SELLS IT’S 12,000th BREW – TO METRO MAYOR
A community café in Whiteway has sold its 12,000th coffee this week after just nine months of trading – to none other than Metro Mayor Dan Norris. Bath City Farm café – located on the 37-acre farm site – opened to the public last May after seven months of building work. From bullet-strong espressos to…
METRO MAYOR ENJOYS CAKE AND A CUPPA AT KEYNSHAM FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT COFFEE MORNING
Keynsham Methodist Church put the kettle on and brewed up plenty of support for Fairtrade and local producers when Metro Mayor Dan Norris popped by to kick of their Fairtrade Fortnight celebrations. The hard-working church eco team are pulling out the stops with their Fairtrade coffee mornings, spreading community cheer and raising vital funds for…
BRISTOL’S UKRAINE REFUGEES SEWING A BRIGHT FUTURE IN CITY – ONE STITCH AT A TIME
To celebrate International Women’s Day, (8 March) Metro Mayor Dan Norris met some of Bristol’s Ukraine female refugees sewing their way to a brighter future in the city thanks to a brilliant all-women sewing company. Made My Wardrobe, set up by Lydia Higginson, has offered help and support to ten women who fled conflict and…
DIGITAL SKILLS BOOST FOR KNOWLE WEST MUMS: THANKS TO £40,000 METRO MAYOR GRANT
A group of local mums from the Knowle West Children’s Centre are learning new digital and design skills thanks to a £40,000 investment by Metro Mayor Dan Norris’s West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. The women are being trained to operate high-tech equipment including 3D printers and laser cutters at new courses at Knowle West…
ENERGY BILLS FOR WEST OF ENGLAND HOUSEHOLDS TO RISE BY £900 – METRO MAYOR URGES SUPPORT THROUGH SPRING
West of Englanders face a painful hike to their energy bills in April due to a planned cut in government support. Watchdog Ofgem has reduced the price cap to £3,280 per year for households from April to July – an almost £1,000 drop from the current £4,279 per year level. But locals still face a…
1/2 MILLION BOOST FOR BEES ANNOUNCED BY METRO MAYOR
Local groups are being encouraged to apply for new cash to support Bristol bees. Metro Mayor Dan Norris announced £500,000 of funding for projects that support the region’s pollinator superheroes as part of his commitment to make the West of England the bee and pollinator capital of the UK. Schools, volunteer and community groups, sports…
SKILLS BOOST: UP TO £3 MILLION PLEDGED FOR WEST OF ENGLAND APPRENTICESHIPS
Up to £3 million has now been pledged to help people across the West of England develop new skills through apprenticeships. The UK’s leading home improvement retailer B&Q has joined the growing list of big West of England employers who have pledged to invest in apprentices by joining the “Share to Support” scheme run by…
ONE YEAR ON: METRO MAYOR STEPS UP SUPPORT FOR WEST OF ENGLAND UKRAINE REFUGEES
A West of England Combined Authority scheme to help the West’s Ukraine refugee guests start up their own business is to be expanded, Metro Mayor Dan Norris has announced (today 23 February). Mayor Norris has secured over £260,000 from government to expand the successful West of England refugee scheme, he confirmed ahead of the first…
WEST OF ENGLAND BUS BOOST: METRO MAYOR ANNOUNCES MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS
Metro Mayor Dan Norris has unveiled a £7 million package of bus improvements that will see buses running at “turn up and go frequencies” during rush hour on five key West of England routes; buses every 15 minutes on more main line routes that serve passengers changing from a WESTlink minibus and over 3,000 additional journey hours…
Metro Mayor’s bid to stamp out poverty pay gets 100-plus backers
More than 100 firms across the wider West of England region have signed up to Metro Mayor Dan Norris’s West of England Good Employment Charter. The employers have backed Mayor Norris’s campaign against poverty pay in a bid to protect workers during the cost-of-living crisis by becoming supporters of the Charter which pledges, among other…
Shell profits soar to £32 BILLION as residents struggle to pay energy bills
Shell profits soared to £32.2 billion in 2022 – the highest in its 115-year history – as thousands of West of England residents struggle to pay their energy bills. The latest figures from Shell far exceed its previous record profits of £25billion back in 2008 and comes off the back of soaring energy prices due…
BRISTOL AIRPORT EXPANSION CHALLENGE REJECTED – METRO MAYOR REACTS
Today (Tuesday 31 January 2023) a High Court challenge against Bristol Airport’s expansion plans were rejected. Reacting to the High Court decision on Bristol Airport Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “The deep concerns of local people and the decisions of local politicians have come into head-on collision with national government policy that is not fit…
MAYOR BACKS CREATIVES WITH £1MILLION EXTRA FUNDING
The West of England Create Growth Programme, which provides support and investment to local creative industries, will be expanded with more than £1 million of new funding, Metro Mayor Dan Norris has announced. West of England games developers, those working in film and TV, the arts and more, are set to benefit. The investment will…
KEY TRAIN, BIKE AND SCOOTER PROJECTS GET THE GREEN LIGHT AS MAYOR CELEBRATES BUMPER CASH YEAR FOR MAYORAL COMBINED AUTHORITY
The West of England Mayoral region moved into a new phase of delivery, celebrating how the Combined Authority is one of the most successful in the country at bringing in resources from government – with a 256% increase in funds in 2022 announced in this year’s budget (voted through today Friday 27 January 2023) The…
METRO MAYOR CUTS CAKE TO MARK 20 YEARS OF BATH RUGBY FOUNDATION
Bath Rugby Foundation kicked off their 20th birthday celebrations in style with a special reception for Metro Mayor Dan Norris. Mr Norris was on hand at the iconic Rec Ground to perform a scrum-tious cake-cutting ceremony with staff and volunteers as well as some of the 26 young Bathonians benefitting from an award-winning ‘alternative provision’…
BT workers move into new Bristol home, with another 170 jobs on the way – Metro Mayor gets exclusive first look
BT’s new state-of-the-art offices in the centre of Bristol have welcomed the first of the 2,500 workers who will be housed there. Teams have started moving into the building, known as Assembly Bristol, with Metro Mayor Dan Norris getting an exclusive first look at the telecoms giant’s multi-million-pound investment in the city. Three years in…
£180,000 ‘Retrofit Academy’ launched by Metro Mayor
A new training programme to provide West of England residents with retrofit skills to power the region’s net-zero drive was launched by Metro Mayor Dan Norris. The Mayor, who is responsible for skills and training, met the first cohort of trainees taking part of the £180,000 programme funded by Mr Norris’s West of England Authority…
SOUTH BRISTOL KIDS HAVE EYES ON THE PRIZE OF GREEN JOBS OF THE FUTURE
The winners of a competition to inspire south Bristol pupils into green careers was announced by Metro Mayor Dan Norris at the University of the West of England. Over 60 year 10 pupils at four schools south of the river have been busy putting the finishing touches to their presentations on the green jobs on…
NEW ‘m4’ BUS STARTS
The new ‘m4’ bus running between Cribbs Causeway and Bristol started running this Sunday (22 January 2023). The m4 will run between 6am and 11pm on weekdays, with a later start at weekends. It runs every 20 minutes on Monday to Saturday, and every 30 minutes on Sundays and Bank Holidays. The route serves communities…
BIG-HEARTED BRISTOL TAKEAWAY REOPENS, THANKS TO METRO MAYOR GRANT
A charitable Indian takeaway has reopened and is on a mission to tackle food poverty across the city. The much-loved Tiffins on St Michael’s Hill, which is celebrating its 20th birthday this year, has been been going through some changes since 2019, including recently opting to sell some frozen dishes for locals to warm up…
LESS MONEY FROM LOCAL COUNCILS SEES BUS CUTS
Councils leaders have voted to cut 42 supported buses across the region (today, 18 January 2023.) Supported services are those buses that are not commercially viable but where there is a community need. Local councils pay for them through a ‘transport levy’. Council leaders chose to reduce the amount of money spent on those buses…
TORY FAILURES FORCING WEST’S FAMILIES TO FORK OUT £10K ON ENERGY BILLS OVER FIVE YEARS – METRO MAYOR RESPONDS
New analysis has found West of England households are on the hook for £2,600 more in power bills in five years under the Tories than they paid under the 13 years of the last Labour government. The Conservative government’s failures on the economy are forcing families in the West, and across the whole country, to…
Eyes to the skies: West of England school kids urged to watch the birds
West of England schoolchildren are being encouraged by Metro Mayor Dan Norris to discover the birds in their playgrounds as part of the UK’s biggest school bird-watching event. Classrooms will be turned into bird hides, binoculars fixed to eyes and school kids urged to stare out of the window in a bid to chart the…
Metro Mayor: Ukrainian kids among hundreds to benefit from new careers toolkit
A new “careers toolkit” for Ukrainian schoolchildren and other youngsters where English isn’t their first language will be rolled out across all West of England schools, Metro Mayor Dan Norris has announced. The West of England Combined Authority will work with ‘ESL’ (English as a Second Language) careers experts MYPATH and EAL Inclusive Ltd to…
Dan’s Vans: new ‘WESTlink’ minibuses to roll out across West of England
A fleet of green minibuses forming a new ‘on-demand’ service within the West of England will hit the streets this summer as part of a £3 million plus investment. Passengers in ‘zones’ across the West of England will be able hail a ‘WESTlink’ minibus by using an app on their smartphone, visiting a website or…
CHANNEL 4 SALE SCRAPPED – METRO MAYOR HAILS “VICTORY FOR THE WEST OF ENGLAND”
Metro Mayor Dan Norris has reacted with delight as the privatisation of Channel 4 was scrapped by the Government (today Thursday 5 January), meaning the broadcasting can now get on with its plans to bring more jobs to Bristol. The much-loved channel will remain in public ownership, where it has been for 40 years. It…
SIR KEIR PLEDGES “CREATIVE CLUSTER” FOR WEST OF ENGLAND
The West of England will be home to a new “creative media” cluster, and West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris will be handed new powers over “skills, transport, planning and culture” in a plan laid out today by Sir Keir Starmer – if Labour wins the next election. In his new year speech, the…
Small firms face ‘brutal’ year as ministers scale back energy support, warns Metro Mayor.
Confidence among the West’s smaller companies has plunged to levels not seen since Covid. The Federation of Small Businesses’ confidence index for the South West, including the West of England, dropped to -62 in the final three months of 2022, from -1 at the start of last year. The figures – for the October 2022…
RAIL FARE HIKE FOR BRISTOL AND BATH COMMUTERS
West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris has criticised the government’s announcement of a 5.9% rise in rail fares as a ‘nightmare before Christmas.’ It means an annual Bristol Temple Meads to Bath Spa season ticket will rise to £1,957 – up by over £100. Dan Norris said: “There is a cost of living crisis…
METRO MAYOR BACKS LABOUR’S “BOLD AND RADICAL” DEVOLUTION PLANS
Labour is to make handing new economic, taxation and law-making powers to metro mayors like the West of England’s Dan Norris a key part of its reforms to the UK political system. In a major speech this morning, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer vowed to deliver “the biggest ever transfer of power from Westminster to…
Let it Glow! Metro Mayor launches Bath Xmas light show
Mayor Dan Norris is urging local people and their dogs to explore local this Winter as he officially launched a magical Christmas light experience in Bath. The Enchanted Garden of Light, a spectacular light walk, is once again returning to the grounds of the American Museum and Gardens which will be illuminated with festive sparkle.…
Mayor Backs Building Blocks for the Future
An apprentice met Metro Mayor Dan Norris to explain how a West of England Combined Authority-funded course that uses LEGO bricks helped him build a pathway to a new career. Chris Dando is now a trainee support worker at St Mungo’s Bristol. Fred took part in the unique course hosted by acta Community Theatre which…
Well-set for high-skilled jobs: thanks to £80,000 Metro Mayor grant
Two dozen local people are taking part in a brand-new welding course fully funded by Metro Mayor Dan Norris’ West of England Authority so they can go on to get in-demand high-skilled jobs. The Mayor, who is responsible for skills and training, met learners taking part in the weekly hands-on training course (and had a…
HSBC TO CLOSE 3 BRISTOL BANKS NEXT YEAR – METRO MAYOR COMMENTS
HSBC is shutting 114 banks next year, including three Bristol branches, the firm confirmed today. The bank said the closures are due to fewer people using physical branches to do their banking. The number of people visiting an HSBC has fallen by 65% in five years, the firm said. The HSBC Downend branch will close…
TIS THE ‘BLEAK’ SEASON – MORE MISERY FOR SHOPPERS AS FOOD PRICES HIT RECORD HIGH – METRO MAYOR COMMENTS
Food inflation surged to 12.4% over the last 12 months to hit a new record amid predictions of dampened Christmas cheer for hard-pressed West of England households. Items such as eggs, meat, dairy products and coffee shot up, according to the latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). This lifted fresh food inflation to…
METRO MAYOR: WEST OF ENGLAND SHOPS NEED YOU – PLEA AS XMAS COUNTDOWN BEGINS
West of England shops need people’s support more than ever. That was the message from Metro Mayor Dan Norris as residents were urged to back their local high street shops and local indies this Small Business Saturday later this week. There are a whopping 30,000 small firms across the West of England – from butchers…
SPARKS OF SUCCESS FOR MIDSOMER NORTON WORKERS
Metro Mayor Dan Norris launched a new training course for the region’s electrical engineers funded by a bumper £100,000 cash injection from his West of England Combined Authority. 30 local workers will take part in the free courses in which they will work towards gaining new qualifications enabling them to work in `Hazardous Areas’ in…
COME DRIVE WITH US: METRO MAYOR URGES WEST’S UKRAINE GUESTS
Ukrainian refugees are being encouraged to become bus drivers. Metro Mayor Dan Norris helped Stagecoach launch a special recruitment day to encourage the West’s Ukrainian guests to get behind the wheel. At the special open day would be drivers had a chance to try out driving a bus and meet current bus drivers who say…
£95,000 Metro Mayor investment for Ukrainians driving West of England net-zero goal
Ukrainian women refugees are helping to power the West of England’s transition to net-zero. Nineteen women who fled the conflict and found sanctuary in our welcoming region are now taking part in a 5-week West of England programme teaching them new green skills which they can then put into action in the workplace. The Mayor…
Be a road safety hero – Metro Mayor urges West of England schoolchildren
Freshford Pre-schoolers saw their school hall transformed into a busy road as they learnt to “stop, look and listen” this Road Safety Week. Their transformed hall had traffic lights, make shift pavements, zebra and pelican crossings that the pupils can practice crossing safely. After learning safety tips, the children invited Metro Mayor Dan Norris to…
Steer We Go: Metro Mayor in driving seat to recruit new HGV lorry drivers
The West of England Combined Authority is funding a new scheme to recruit and train lorry drivers to help meet a regional and national shortage, Metro Mayor Dan Norris has announced. Speaking from behind the wheel of an HGV at haulage giant GXO, the Mayor launched the scheme backed by top haulage firms. Up to…
Marmalade sandwich, Mr Norris? Metro Mayor and Paddington team up to launch Winter Wonderland festive extravaganza
Is it the North Pole? Is it deepest, darkest Peru? No, it’s Christmas at Cribbs Causeway that is back bigger and better than ever before. Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who is running a Shop Local campaign, was at the Christmas Grotto alongside Santa and Paddington Bear as the trio launched Cribbs’ Winter Wonderland extravaganza. Paddington,…
IT’S OFFICIAL – THE WEST OF ENGLAND CAN NO LONGER AFFORD THE TORIES: METRO MAYOR RESPONDS TO AUSTERITY AUTUMN STATEMENT
Following the Chancellor’s austerity Autumn Statement this afternoon, Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “West of England residents were already facing the biggest hit to incomes on record – now they face a recession while being forced to stump up with £55 billion of tax rises and cuts to public services to clean up the mess…
FIRST BUS TIMETABLE REDUCTIONS – METRO MAYOR REACTS
Reacting to the announcement from First Bus of “temporary” journey cancellations on some of their buses due to the issue of bus driver shortages, Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “This news from First is disappointing. Under 20 of buses they run will now make fewer journeys, especially in off-peak time. “I understand the dilemma that…
INFLATION HITS STAGGERING 11.1% – METRO MAYOR COMMENTS
Inflation rose to 11.1% in October from 10.1% in September, the ONS has announced. It means inflation remains in double digits and is at the highest level for 41 years, heaping more pressure on households. Most economists had been expecting a rise to 10.7%. Sky-high energy prices and the soaring cost of food were two…
METRO MAYOR DEMANDS SUPPORT FOR HOMEOWNERS AS MORTGAGE RATES SPIRAL
Another 25,400 West of England households face paying over £400 more in their mortgage repayments every month because of the Tories’ failed economic policies. Rising interest rates seen after the Conservatives crashed the economy are forcing families re-mortgaging as their two-year fixed-rate deals come to an end to pay thousands of pounds more a year,…
METRO MAYOR HAILS FIVE-MONTH LIFELINE FOR THREE BATH BUSES
Bathonians will be welcomed back aboard three buses later this month after they were granted a temporary reprieve, thanks to efforts led by Metro Mayor Dan Norris. After intensive talks with the West of England Combined Authority, led by Mr Norris, a new operator – the Big Lemon group – has stepped in to run…
FULL STEAM AHEAD: PORTISHEAD TO BRISTOL TRAIN LINE GETS MAJOR BOOST AFTER PLANNING APPROVAL
The long-awaited reopening of the train line between Bristol and Portishead has taken another important step forwards after ministers gave the green light for works to get underway (today Monday 14 November) Planning permission and necessary environmental consents have been granted by the approval of a Development Consent Order. This follows the additional funding agreed…
ECONOMY SHRINKS AGAIN AS RECESSION LOOMS – AUSTERITY 2.0 NOT THE ANSWER, SAYS METRO MAYOR
The Tories are taking the West of England to the brink of recession as a result of the party’s “disastrous economic policies” of the last 12 years, warns Metro Mayor Dan Norris. The UK economy shrunk by 0.2% in the three months to September, new figures reveal, as experts warn the country is heading for…
Poppies to Paddington: Metro Mayor boards memorial train with message from West of England
Poppy wreaths from people across the West of England were transported on a special memorial train to mark Remembrance Day today (Friday 11 November). Metro Mayor Dan Norris was aboard the train leaving Bristol Parkway station at 9.16am and carried a wreath bearing the message: “We will never forget the sacrifice of those from the…
TIME TO SCOOT: URGES METRO MAYOR AS “LIFELINE” YATE SCHEME BACKED
A scheme that provides mobility scooters and wheelchairs in Yate Shopping Centre is getting the word out about the vital help it provides to so many South Glos residents to lead independent lives thanks to the West of England Combined Authority, led by Metro Mayor Dan Norris. As well as producing a brand-new poster for…
Mini Bee Buddies! Bradley Stoke school buzzing after Mayor bee award win
Pupils at Wheatfield Primary School in the heart of Bradley Stoke are buzzing after scooping one of the top prizes in the West of England Bee Bold Awards organised by Metro Mayor Dan Norris. The Mayor presented the West of England Bee Bold Award 2022. The mini bee buddies beat off stiff competition to win…
Let’s get sustainable! Skills Bootcamp to help West of England companies go green launched by Metro Mayor
Eco-minded West of England workers – from the food sector to construction and everything in between- will receive expert advice on how to reduce their companies’ carbon footprint, thanks to a brand-new Skills Bootcamp launched by Metro Mayor Dan Norris. The Skills Bootcamp in sustainability is a completely free nine-week course to help budding business…
NO MORE COP OUTS ON NATIONAL AIRPORT STRATEGY – METRO MAYOR ADDRESSES STOP BRISTOL AIRPORT EXPANSION RALLY
Metro Mayor Dan Norris addressed residents campaigning against the expansion of Bristol Airport as the High Court challenge to the decision to allow the airport to expand gets under way. In his speech, the Metro Mayor urged the Government to set out a “national airport policy with the environment centre stage” during the COP27 talks…
GOVERNMENT U-TURN WOULD BE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT FOR CHANNEL 4, SAYS METRO MAYOR
Channel 4 privatisation being dropped from the Government’s Media Bill will be “the best birthday present for the 40-year-old Channel”, said Metro Mayor Dan Norris. Number 10 has signalled that proposed sale championed by both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak during the Tory leadership contest in the summer could be quietly dropped. “That’s a U-turn…
A dose of nature: thanks to £49,000 Metro Mayor grant
It’s official – gardening is great for mental health. Anyone who looks after their own garden or allotment could have told you that, but now Metro Mayor Dan Norris found out first-hand just how true this is when he saw how one much-loved community garden is making a real difference thanks to a grant from…