| With shoppers' habits changing, big centres like Meadowhall in Sheffield are having to transform to survive. But can they do it without damaging the prospects of nearby town centres? A proposed £75m expansion of Meadowhall to create a leisure destination at the shopping centre is set for approval by councillors today despite objections from rival centres in Stocksbridge and Rotherham, writes Local Democracy Reporter Julia Armstrong. A proposal before Sheffield City Council's planning committee this week proposes demolition of buildings and car parking to make way for an indoor recreation and leisure centre, shops, food and drink, a cinema, police station and car showroom. A document from agents Quod states: "Meadowhall is largely retail centric and lacks the range of leisure and F&B (food and beverage) offers now demanded by customers, and which are necessary for a successful and sustainable shopping centre." But Dransfield Properties, owner of Fox Valley shopping centre in Stocksbridge has objected, stating: "Allowing further investment and expansion at Meadowhall will do nothing for those centres which are now facing fresh retail vacancies and the challenge of attracting shoppers back to our traditional retail environments. Never has it been more important to put town and city centres first over out-of-town retail." Rotherham Council has also objected, saying that whilst it is smaller than the previous proposal, it has the potential to "double down the negative impact Meadowhall has had on Rotherham", in particular the town centre and the new Forge Island leisure development. 
There are retail wars in leafy Harrogate too, with two of the largest retailers in the country locked in a battle over the location of a potential new Tesco supermarket, writes Local Democracy Reporter Thomas Barrett. Last December, Tesco submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council for its first major supermarket in the town. The store, off Skipton Road, would be 38,795 square feet and include a petrol filling station, 200 car parking spaces and electric vehicle charging points. Tesco says 100 jobs would be created. But less than a mile away is the Co-op, which has been attached to Jennyfield Local Centre since 1980. The Co-op claims the Tesco would lure shoppers and damage its takings.
MP says Arts Council 'giving questionable money to political causes' It's not over until the fat lady sings, but last night MPs lined up in the House of Commons to urge the Arts Council to reconsider its decision to slash the English National Opera's funding and relocate it outside London. The Government announced the move, with Manchester suggested as a potential alternative home for the prestigious firm, after the main funding body for the arts in England unveiled a new three-year settlement diverting cash away from the capital.  Conservative former minister Sir Bob Neill led the debate in the Commons last night. Graphic by Carly Holds
In an adjournment debate, MPs from across the political spectrum (but almost all from London and the South East) told culture minister Stuart Andrew he has a duty to tell the Arts Council to "think again", "come to a better solution" and "back a British success". Conservative Sir Bob Neill, who proposed the debate, told MPs: "There needs to be a proper discussion about moving to a viable venue—there is all this nonsense about a place in Manchester, but no one in Manchester has even been consulted." He added that ENO was willing to do more work outside London but that a consequence of funding cuts "elsewhere to Welsh National Opera have meant that Liverpool will get less opera now rather than more". Meanwhile fellow Tory MP Tim Loughton said ENO was "the victim of a supposed diversification programme by the Arts Council, which is giving questionable money to all sorts of politically motivated causes up and down the country". For his part Mr Andrew, an MP for Pudsey in West Yorkshire, said it is "important that access to arts and culture needs to be more fairly spread" and that "the economic growth also that comes from creativity should be felt by everybody".
 The Bowes Museum at Barnard Castle, County Durham
Meanwhile, 33 museums and galleries in England will get a share of a funding pot worth £4 million thanks to grants from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Wolfson Foundation. Arts Minister Lord Stephen Parkinson said the funding contributes to the "government's commitment to levelling up" agenda as 80% of it goes to 26 museums outside the capital. The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle will use its grant of £254,900 to develop four new gallery spaces – bringing more of their collections to the public. In 2019, conservators discovered at the museum a 16th century painting of a nativity scene hidden beneath a 400-year-old painting depicting the beheading of Saint John the Baptist. X-ray analysis by Northumbria University experts revealed another image underneath, with a baby in a manger, angels with halos and the outline of what appears to be stables.
Also yesterday, the Government approved councils' plans to invest a new £2.6 billion development fund which replaces EU investment the UK no longer receives after Brexit. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has been working with local leaders across the UK to allocate money from the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to areas most in need. The UKSPF, which succeeds EU structural funding, is intended to be used by councils for initiatives to boost business and skills, regenerate high streets and improve local pride.
'Just put us out of our misery': North East wants answer on A1 dualling  If approved, the scheme would involve dualling eight miles of the A1 in Northumberland
Is the Government ever going to make a decision on dualling the Northumberland stretch of the A1, the historic road connecting London with Edinburgh, Yorkshire and parts of the North East. A decision on the long-awaited project has still not been made despite the Government's twice-delayed deadline having been reached, writes Local Democracy Reporter James Robinson. A short statement on the planning inspectorate's website confirmed that Transport Secretary Mark Harper - the third person in three months to hold the role - was still considering the plans. Two previous deadlines have already come and gone this year. In a written statement in July, then-Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the deadline for a new decision would be December 5 after previously being extended from January 5 to June 5. If approved, the scheme would involve converting eight miles of the A1 into a dual carriageway between Morpeth and Felton, as well as a further five miles between Alnwick and Ellingham. Isabel Hunter, who represents Berwick West with Ord on Northumberland County Council and runs a haulage business from the county's northerly-most town, said: "I'm very disappointed that we've still not got an idea as to whether it's a yes or no. Just let us know, just put us out of our misery."
Sheffield council 'hampered' probe it ordered into tree felling scandal  Tree campaigners outside Sheffield Town Hall
Nearly a decade on from the start of Sheffield's divisive street tree felling programme which led to protests, arrests and even the intervention of a senior government Minister, the aftershocks from the scandal are still being felt. Campaigners who objected to the felling of healthy trees were furious after discovering council emails relating to the saga inappropriately marked 'not subject to FOI [meaning the Freedom Of Information Act]', which resulted in information being wrongly withheld in at least once instance. Law firm Bevan Brittan was called in to investigate the complaint, with its £25,000 report into the Labour-run authority expected to be completed last May but only released this week, writes Local Democracy Reporter Molly Williams. Read the full review here. It found that Sheffield Council "significantly hampered" the investigation and that its inability to provide details to the inquiry prevented investigators from finding out whether the authority followed Freedom of Information law. The council failed to provide required information relating to 13 out of a total 17 requests reviewed by the firm which used the legal privilege exemption – making it impossible to say with certainty what was going on, investigators said. Campaigner Marcus Combie said: "The council insisted the use of 'not subject to FOI' was to enable the use of filtering and sorting messages to release to FOI, it begs the question why did they have such a hard time providing documentation to Bevan Brittan?" 
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Northern Stories  Internationally acclaimed artist Jason Wilsher-Mills will have a bronze sculpture displayed in Wakefield as part of new sculpture trail planned for his home city
- A new sculpture trail featuring the work of leading British artists is planned for Wakefield city centre. Wakefield Council has been awarded over a million pounds in funding to deliver the public art trail which will see five unique sculptures go on permanent display. One has been designed by internationally-acclaimed artist Jason Wilsher-Mills, who was born and grew up in the city. Jason said his bronze sculpture of an 'Amazon love god' was inspired by the painting of Victorian conservationist Charles Waterton capturing a caiman, the love story of his mum and dad and his own connections with the city.
- The taxi industry has been overcharged £181k by Middlesbrough Council over the past three years, it has emerged. The local authority has handed out refunds to more than 500 of the 600 proprietors that are owed and the rest will be contacted in due course. A council spokesperson said the surplus payments were largely due to an error relating to the cost of the taxi vehicle inspection. A spokesperson for Boro Cars said they appreciated the honesty of the council in admitting its error, even if it was disappointing that vehicle licence holders had been overcharged. The taxi licensing service is funded from the fees paid by drivers, taxi owners, and private hire operators.
- Tameside councillors have voted to leave a partnership with Stockport and end a system of sharing a single education chief amid falling grades. The executive cabinet agreed in March last year to explore a 'trial partnership' of having just one director of education operating across both boroughs. It was proposed that the shared position would support the 'exploration' of how things could be done differently in education services 'with less money'. The officer was Tim Bowman, part of the senior management team at Tameside council.
- The former Tory MP for Wakefield jailed for groping a 15-year-old boy has lost a Court of Appeal challenge against his conviction and sentence. Imran Ahmad Khan, 49, was jailed for 18 months at Southwark Crown Court in May, after being found guilty of sexual assaulting the teenager after a party in 2008. The former MP brought an appeal against his conviction and sentence, which was heard at the Court of Appeal in November.
- Greater Manchester's new deputy mayor, who has responsibility over police, crime, the criminal justice system and the fire service has been appointed. Outgoing Stretford and Urmston MP Kate Green, who will take over from Baroness Beverley Hughes when she steps down on January 9, had her appointment approved by the local police, fire and crime panel. Meanwhile Northumbria Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness has named Vanessa Jardine as her preferred candidate to be the force's new chief constable from Spring 2023.
- Three popular Kirklees leisure centres will be closing their doors for months from December 16 as bosses try to save money on rocketing fuel costs. They can be revealed as Batley Baths and Recreation Centre, Colne Valley Leisure Centre (swimming pool only) and Deighton Sports Arena. The closures are temporary and will last until the end of March next year when the situation will be reviewed. Kirklees Active Leisure manages 12 leisure centres across Kirklees and earlier this month revealed that their premises were under threat of temporary closure due to financial pressures that have been felt since the pandemic.
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