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tiger 99bet Telangana: Dog bites scores at Tandur Renuka Yellamma JatharaSen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) reminded Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) that he once refused to give Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination a hearing after the Kentucky lawmaker suggested Republicans were being treated unfairly with current judicial nominations. During a Senate floor session on Monday, McConnell said he was alarmed after hearing that two judges might not follow through with plans to retire in light of Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election. "This sort of partisan behavior undermines the integrity of the judiciary," McConnell said. "Never, never before has a circuit judge unretired after a presidential election. It's literally unprecedented." "These vacancies now properly belong to the next president," he insisted. "As I repeatedly warned the judiciary in other matters, if you play political games, expect political prizes." Durbin responded by reminding McConnell that he had refused to allow former President Barack Obama to appoint Merrick Garland as a Supreme Court justice following the death of Antonin Scalia in 2016. "I listened carefully to my colleague from Kentucky explain his concerns about the filling of four circuit court vacancies," Durbin said. "And he raises a question about whether that's fair." "Well, I'd like to call the Senate's attention to the fact that there was a moment in time when we were shocked to learn that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had died while on a hunting trip," he continued. "And the decision was made almost instantly by the Senator from Kentucky, the same Senator who just talked about delaying and filling vacancies." "The decision was made by him not to fill the Supreme Court vacancy." ALSO READ: Will Trump back the FBI’s battle against domestic extremists? He won’t say. Durbin noted that McConnell refused to give Garland a hearing "so that Donald Trump was able to fill that vacancy, and not a situation where... President Obama would have that option." "So when I hear the Senator come to the floor from Kentucky and talk about whether there's any gamesmanship going on, I don't know," he added. "But I will tell you that we saw it at the highest possible level in filling the vacancy on the Supreme Court when Anton Scalia passed away." Watch the video below from C-SPAN or at this link .

The volunteer group running hospice services in Sussex says it’s trying to build up its organization as it aims to build a physical hospice in the next five years. Representatives from Hospice of Sussex presented at town council last week on its plans to launch a new “social enterprise” in the form of a medical equipment rental service, called Mobility+. Board chair Gwen Pope told council this came as part of the group’s strategic planning as it seeks to expand services and move towards a physical hospice building within the next five years. “In the last few years, the look has changed,” Pope told Brunswick News Friday. “Excitement doesn’t begin to describe how the board is feeling.” The non-profit, volunteer-run group was founded in 2006 and provides non-medical end-of-life support to the Sussex area, stretching as far as Norton and Penobsquis, according to a fact sheet. That includes arranging drives to medical appointments, short-term relief for caregivers, family support, and grief support, the hospice says. Vice-chair Florence Buchanan said they had been “very busy over the years,” but things “tanked” during the pandemic and the group has been trying to get back on track. They began developing a three-year strategic plan with consultants with goals to expand the group’s services, she said, including expanding the service to include those who have “life-limiting” chronic conditions or dementia.. “We want to get involved sooner,” Buchanan said. “You can improve their quality of life sooner, before they get to the end stage, and you also have a chance to develop a relationship with the family, so that when they get to the end stage they’re comfortable with you.” The group also partnered with Stockton Health Group to provide more types of grief counselling, including for caregivers and families who have experienced recent loss, with all services free of charge, Pope said. The group’s expansion has meant more training, which means more fundraising, taking up more of the volunteer board’s time, Buchanan said. That’s where the idea of a “social enterprise” comes in, similar to Hospice Greater Saint John’s Hospice Shoppe, or a small business that can be used to help fund the group’s operations, Pope said. “We have discovered there is a sad need for medical equipment,” Pope said. “We decided that medical equipment filled a need within the community, but it’s also part of our wheelhouse.” She said that people in the community after surgery face big price tags to stock equipment for home care, with the price of a hospital bed around $4,000. So the non-profit turned to a social enterprise developer to build a business plan and is trying to soft-launch online in January, Pope said. The idea is that those with leftover equipment would donate it to Mobility+, which would sell the equipment at a reduced price and then give the donor a tax receipt. The service could also purchase new equipment and rent it out, she said. “The client has secured equipment within the town of Sussex at a reasonable price, and the hospice has generated some income,” Pope said. “Any money generated will go towards not only sustaining our support services, but purchasing new equipment as well.” She said that the group’s board has also voted to pursue a physical hospice that could also help house the Mobility+ service, Pope said. That’s something they’d hope to do in at least five years, she told council. “We have great hopes and dreams,” she said. Sussex Mayor Marc Thorne asked if they have someone helping with grants, and Pope said their project manager was on it, but the problem is “visibility.” She said they’re working on a website and will be launching social media at that time. Asked about volunteers, she said that their grief counsellors are accredited professionals, but those who do home visits are trained volunteers, and that they have a volunteer base of about 20 people. Pope told Brunswick News that the group is without an executive director, but has a “great working board” with 11 of 12 seats full that will help execute the plan to launch the social enterprise. She said that they’ve had “tremendous success” thanks to partnerships, and are currently in negotiations for a location that can help host Mobility+ and the future hospice building. Pope said finding funding for the building will take time, but the initiative is “much needed for the community,” she said. She said that getting awareness for the group’s services is also a need. “It comes back to the same old saying, until you need it you’re not aware it’s there,” she said. “People have a tendency to shy away from anything that has to do with dying and death. Sadly, it’s a part of life, and we’re all about quality end-of-life.” Thorne told Brunswick News that the hospice has the town’s “deep admiration” for the work it provides. “I can tell you from my own experience it’s life-changing,” he said. “The efforts that these volunteers provide, the comfort that they bring and the knowledge that they bring with them, long after you’ve lost your loved one, all of that remains.” He said he doesn’t think people “need to be convinced” of the group’s value, they just need to learn who they are and what they do. “I love their ambition, their vision, I think they will be successful, and I think they’ve got it just right,” he said. The group is currently running its Angels Remembered campaign until Dec. 21 at the Gateway Mall, and has a New Year’s eve gala planned at the Sussex Legion. More information can be found by emailing info@hospicesussex.ca .

US lawmakers concluded a two-year investigation Monday into the Covid-19 outbreak that killed 1.1 million Americans -- backing the theory that the virus likely leaked from a Chinese laboratory. A 520-page report from the Republican-controlled House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic looked at the federal and state-level response, as well as the pandemic's origins and vaccination efforts. "This work will help the United States, and the world, predict the next pandemic, prepare for the next pandemic, protect ourselves from the next pandemic, and hopefully prevent the next pandemic," panel chairman Brad Wenstrup said in a letter to Congress. US federal agencies, the World Health Organization and scientists across the planet have arrived at different conclusions about the most likely origin of Covid-19, and no consensus has emerged. Most believe it to have spread from animals in China, but a US intelligence analysis said last year that the virus may have been genetically engineered and escaped from a virology lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where human cases first emerged. The congressional panel was persuaded by the lab leak theory after meeting 25 times, conducting more than 30 transcribed interviews and reviewing more than one million pages of documents. The investigation included two days of interviews behind closed doors with Anthony Fauci, the government scientist who became the nation's most trusted expert in the chaotic early days of the 2020 outbreak. Fauci's clashes with former and incoming president Donald Trump over the response sparked fury on the right, and he now lives with security protection following death threats against his family. Republicans accuse the 83-year-old immunologist of helping to set off the worst pandemic in a century by approving funding passed on to Chinese scientists they accuse of manufacturing the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Among its headline conclusions, the report said the National Institutes of Health had indeed funded contentious "gain-of-function" research -- which seeks to enhance viruses as a way of finding ways to combat them -- at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Fauci angrily denied covering up the origins of Covid-19 before the panel in June, arguing that it would be "molecularly impossible" for the bat viruses studied at the lab to be turned into the virus that caused the pandemic. But the panel's report said SARS-CoV-2 "likely emerged because of a laboratory or research related accident." The probe found that lockdowns "did more harm than good" and that mask mandates were "ineffective at controlling the spread of Covid-19," contradicting other research showing that masking in public does reduce transmission rates. Social distancing guidelines also came under criticism, although travel restrictions were deemed to have saved lives. Investigators found that Trump's Operation Warp Speed -- the publicly-funded project to develop Covid vaccines -- was a "tremendous success" but that school closures would have an "enduring impact" on US children. ft/jgc

A former Penticton support worker who claimed discrimination for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine has had her complaint against the B.C. General Employees' Union dismissed by the Labour Relations Board. According to the Nov. 22 decision, Amie Harbor claimed that her employer had constructively dismissed her for failing to disclose her vaccination status, and alleged that the union had provided bad faith and discriminatory representation when she filed a grievance with them. Harbor started work for Thomspon Community Services (TCS) in 2018 and stopped in 2021 after the public health order requiring vaccinations against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic went into effect. Ahead of the order coming into effect, Harbor declined to share her vaccination status with her employer and had informed them that she was seeking an accommodation due to her "strongly and conscientiously held political beliefs" that align with those of the BC Libertarian Party. To support her request, she attached a letter of support from Keith MacIntyre, the party's leader. According to the Labour Relations Board's decision, Harbor's employer then informed her that before it could make an accommodation assessment, needed her to disclose her vaccination status. TCS also requested evidence of more long-term involvement with the BC Libertarians, asking for any membership receipts or documentation. "In terms of the letter of this date from Mr. MacIntyre, we have received several very similar letters and will require more substantive evidence of your long-term political belief and participation with the British Columbia Libertarian Party," TCS was quoted as saying. TCS also noted in its reply to Harbor's accommodation request that she should notify the union of her request and also asked how her case was different from a BC Human Rights Tribunal case heard already that year. Harbor did not provide any of that information, and once the deadline arrived, was placed on an unpaid leave due to failing to meet the requirements of the provincial health order. A year later, Harbor went to the union to ask about filing a grievance over the issue. The union then contacted TCS, which informed both them and Harbor that it remained willing to end the leave should the public health order be lifted or if Harbor discloses her vaccination status for TCS to do an assessment. A month after that, Harbor officially filed a grievance claiming that TCS had constructively dismissed her from employment, discriminated against her, psychologically harassed and terminated without cause. All of the claims were denied by TCS, and the union initially forwarded the case to arbitration, before deciding otherwise. A staff representative then informed Harbor that the union had decided against going to arbitration after further review and multiple other arbitrations that had found ineligibility to work under a public health order offering just cause for termination. Harbor then appealed the decision not to go to arbitration to the Union's Area Grievance Appeal Committee, which finally dismissed the appeal in February of 2024. The provincial appeal committee declined to hear a further appeal of the area committee's decision. As a result, Harbor brought forward a complaint against the union, claiming that they had made representations and responded to her grievance based on "a pre-determined, discriminatory position regarding employees and vaccine choice." To back up her argument, she pointed to publications made by the union in advance of the public health order taking effect which had sections pointing out accommodations could be applied for on a medical basis, which Harbor argued disregarded political beliefs. The Labour Relations Board rejected Harbors arguments, stating that the staff representative had explicitly considered her accommodation request for her political beliefs, and came to the decision not to advance the grievance to arbitration due to a lack of compelling evidence of success. "Similarly, the GAC considered the issue of the applicant’s request for an exemption due to her political belief in its decision dated February 1, 2024," reads the Board's decision. "Again, there is no indication in the GAC’s response to the Applicant that it relied on a view that there could be, or should be, no exemptions for pollical beliefs." The board also noted that Harbor had waited a year before filing the grievance, that Harbor had not disclosed her status to even begin the accommodation assessment, and that she had not provided any additional material as requested by TCS.BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and with the government forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. As they have advanced, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands rushed the Syria border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those that remained open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some shops were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reach the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. Assad's status Amid the developments, Syria’s state media denied rumors flooding social media that Assad has left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. Assad's chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. Pedersen said a date for the talks in Geneva on the implementation of U.N. Resolution 2254 would be announced later. The resolution, adopted in 2015, called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. The insurgents' march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were also marching from eastern Syria toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. Syria’s military, meanwhile, sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth largest city. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani told CNN in an interview Thursday from Syria that the aim is to overthrow Assad’s government. The Britain-based Observatory said Syrian troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs, where a battle is looming. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support. The Syrian army said in a statement Saturday that it has carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists.” The army said it is setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. After the fall of the cities of Daraa and Sweida early Saturday, Syrian government forces remained in control of five provincial capitals — Damascus, Homs and Quneitra, as well as Latakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast. Tartus is home to the only Russian naval base outside the former Soviet Union while Latakia is home to a major Russian air base. Diplomacy in Doha In the gas-rich nation of Qatar, the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey met to discuss the situation in Syria. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. After the fall of the cities of Daraa and Sweida early Saturday, Syrian government forces remained in control of five provincial capitals — Damascus, Homs and Quneitra, as well as Latakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast. On Friday, U.S.-backed fighters of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces captured wide parts of the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq as well as the provincial capital that carries the same name. The capture of areas in Deir el-Zour is a blow to Iran’s influence in the region as the area is the gateway to the corridor linking the Mediterranean to Iran, a supply line for Iran-backed fighters, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah. With the capture of a main border crossing with Iraq by the SDF and after opposition fighters took control of the Naseeb border crossing to Jordan in southern Syria, the Syrian government's only gateway to the outside world is the Masnaa border crossing with Lebanon. ____ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report. Bassem Mroue And Zeina Karam, The Associated PressBEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad's erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; and Josef Federman and Victoria Eastwood in Doha, Qatar, contributed to this report.What Snoop wants: Arizona Bowl gives NIL opportunities to players for Colorado State, Miami (Ohio)

LA Galaxy win record 6th MLS CupKash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead FBI, appears to have support of GOP while alarming the leftSilksworth is set to see a boost in sports facilities, with plans for upgraded football and basketball amenities due to be decided upon by councillors in the new year. Sunderland City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee will consider an application for land at Silksworth Recreation Park in January 2025, which includes proposals for new fencing and floodlighting at the existing multi-use games area (MUGA). The development forms part of the Football Foundation’s PlayZones Programme, aimed at tackling physical activity inequalities and improving access to high-quality facilities in targeted areas. The scheme also seeks to benefit lower socio-economic groups, women and girls, disabled people and ethnically diverse communities by providing safe, inclusive and welcoming facilities. Plans for a PlayZone in Southwick have already been approved, and Sunderland City Council recently revealed proposals to roll out more PlayZones to enhance access to sport. The new plans for Silksworth Recreation Park, submitted earlier this year, are linked to the existing MUGA near Wilson Terrace and adjacent to the park’s bowling green. A design and access statement from Sports Labs Ltd, on behalf of the city council, stated that the application is in partnership with the Youth Almighty Project. The scheme's proponents said upgrades to the MUGA would provide an exciting opportunity. The proposed development is aimed at creating an "attractive and enticing space" for the local community, with a focus on promoting physical activity through football and other sports. The current MUGA is described as "basic and simple in nature", "tired and unused". The planned upgrades, including new benches, goals, basketball hoops and a sports court with anti-slip paint, are expected to bring wider benefits to the local area. These include "increased opportunities for sport", "use during evenings and weekends", and serving as a "valued training facility improving the team sports experience; used for educational, club and community football training and matches". The design and access statement further highlighted that the proposal aligns with the principles of the PlayZone scheme – accessibility, inclusivity, sustainability, engagement and usage – and can positively impact vital social and health priorities. Council planning officers have recommended approval of the PlayZone scheme in a report published ahead of a decision-making meeting on January 6, 2025. The committee report stated that the proposal would "aid the continued use of Silksworth Recreation Park for recreational purposes and improve the facilities at the park". It was also noted that the development would be "acceptable in principle at this location and would have no unacceptable impacts on residential/visual amenity, highway safety, ecology, land contamination or flooding". The council committee report stated: "Due to the potential to impact upon residential neighbours during evening hours, the council’s environmental health team recommended that the floodlights and their hours of use are limited to 08:00-21:00." "As the pitch will be unlikely to be utilised should the lights not be in use, this will reduce the likelihood of noise after 21:00. With regard to lighting a detailed lighting scheme was submitted confirming the flood lighting type which would be installed at the site. "The design access statement notes that the lighting has been selected with flat style optics designed to reduce upward waste light and overspill. "It is stated that there will be no light spill directly impacting on neighbouring dwellings or natural habitat." Planning documents confirmed proposed opening hours for the PlayZone aimed to "satisfy the demands of curriculum activities" and to "allow the wider community access to the pitch". The design and access statement also referenced letters of support from Silksworth ward councillors, local businesses and a community group praising the proposed upgrades to the park’s MUGA. It was noted that "efforts have been made to ensure that any negative impacts of the proposed development are minimised as far as practicable". A decision on the PlayZone rests with councillors on the Planning and Highways Committee, who will next meet on Monday, January 6, 2025. The meeting is scheduled to start at 5.30pm at City Hall and will be open to the public. For further details on the planning application or to follow its progress, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search for reference: 24/02109/LP3. 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