As the UK exits the EU, new trade agreements for meat and agricultural products like milk, gelatine and hay could trigger a significant increase in the number of veterinary certifications needed, requiring many more vets to perform this role, highlighted the British Veterinary Association (BVA) in its response to the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EfraCom) inquiry into the impact on the UK’s trade in food after Brexit.

When the UK leaves the EU it may no longer enjoy the same trading freedom with EU countries and could be treated as a ‘third country’ by the EU. As such, exports and imports of animals and animal products to and from the EU will need new veterinary certifications. These will need to be developed and supervised, which will require an increase in the number of ‘Official Veterinarians’ to perform this role. According to the UK Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, the volume of products requiring veterinary certifications could increase by as much as 325%.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), a reference organisation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has recognised veterinary services and certification as “fundamental” for food safety. Veterinary surgeons, employed by their respective governments, work as official controllers in settings like farms and food premises to protect animal welfare, food hygiene and safety, and public health. For every animal or animal product that is imported or exported, specially trained ‘Official Veterinarians’ certify and supervise this process to and from third countries, ensuring smooth trade.

There are currently 1,063 Official Veterinarians authorised by the Government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to certify food products for export to third countries from Great Britain, and this number would need to increase significantly to accommodate the rise in certification that could happen post-Brexit. BVA is urging the Government to undertake a major timely review of third country certification to ensure we have the capacity to fulfil new trade agreements. To combat the potential shortage in veterinary capacity, BVA is also calling on the Government to guarantee working rights for non-British EU vets and veterinary nurses currently working and studying in the UK.

British Veterinary Association Senior Vice President, Gudrun Ravetz said:

“Vets are absolutely vital to facilitating UK trade by ensuring standards so that consumers at home and abroad have confidence in the food safety and welfare of the products they choose to buy. Veterinary certification is required not only for meat, but a whole range of products such as gelatine in sweets.

“Ironically, it is non-British EU vets who make up around 50% of our new workforce each year. However, since the EU referendum, we are facing serious problems in recruiting and retaining EU vets, which makes the need for more vets to perform this crucial trade-task an even more pressing concern. Vets’ role in the future of UK trade must be recognised and planned for, as an integral part of forthcoming trade negotiations.”

The BVA trade submission also outlines that access to veterinary medicines could potentially be restricted post-Brexit. In order to protect animal and public health, BVA is calling for any new trade deal with the EU to maintain the link with EU veterinary medicine approval systems.

The UK currently has high standards of animal health, animal welfare and public health, including food safety, in its food production. These standards help prevent the spread of pathogens and diseases in animal products, ensure farm animals have a humane death, protect food safety and safeguard responsible antimicrobial use. BVA’s submission to the EfraCom trade inquiry emphasises that, as public goods, the UK must prioritise the maintenance of these standards in all trade negotiations moving forwards.

Christmas in Birmingham is just four weeks away, with the Frankfurt Christmas Market, big wheel and ice rink returning to the city next month.

A popular community centre and local landmark building is undergoing a makeover.

Hill Top Community Centre, Hill Top is benefitting from £65,000 worth of refurbishment work being carried out to the front and rear of the building.

The external improvement works include minor roof repairs, gutter replacements, woodwork and minor stonework repairs plus repainting.

Councillor Pam Hughes, Town Lead for Wednesbury, who campaigned for the upgrade, said: "It's good news that these eagerly-awaited repairs are now underway.

"The building has housed a community centre since the 1970s and is extremely well-used and much-loved by local people and acts as a local landmark.

Councillor Paul Moore, cabinet member for regeneration, said: "I'd like to thank Councillor Pam Hughes for highlighting the need for these improvements.

"I'm pleased we are now carrying out the improvement works to this much-loved local building as it was beginning to look tired on the outside.

"This scheme will ensure the building's continued use by the local community and will also help to preserve it for future generations."

The foundation stone for the Hill Top building was laid in 1897 and the building  served as a local police station for 73 years.

It was turned into a community centre to complement the existing library.

The community centre hosts a wide range of activities including: aerobics, keep fit, luncheon club, older peoples' groups, police surgery, sewing classes, knit and natter and a youth club.

The centre also offers room hire for clubs, parties and social meetings.

Organisers of Sandwell’s Bloomin’ Lovely summer arts trail have praised the standard of pieces of art that were submitted by local artists.

And the winner of the public vote has been announced as Molly Evans for her piece, 'Heather at Sandwell Valley'.

Sandwell's museum and arts service invited people to get out into nature and be inspired to create pieces of art which they then submitted to be part of the trail.

More than 60 pieces of art work were submitted and displayed across Sandwell and people were asked to vote in person and online through the Discover Sandwell website. More than 3,000 votes were cast.

Alex Howell, arts and projects officer, said: “I would like to thank all the people who submitted work to the trail which made it a huge success, and big congratulations to our winner and five finalists.”

Entrants attended a celebration event with live music at Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery. The Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Ahmadul Haque MBE presented the six finalists with their awards.

Councillor Richard Marshall, cabinet member for leisure, said: "The arts trail has been a big success and created a lot of interest among the public which proves we are on the right trail when it comes to art and culture in Sandwell.

"I am pleased to say that it was such a success that I can confirm that it will return again next year."

The head of China’s principal organisation for international investment has described Birmingham City University as “beautiful and impressive” following his visit.

Fang Qiuchen, Chairman of the China International Contractors Association (CHINA) was shown, from the fifth floor balcony of the University’s £63 million Curzon building, the site where high speed trains will be arriving in to the Second City from 2026.

With 3,000 members, CHINCA is currently responsible for one in five infrastructure projects being undertaken across the globe. In 2014, the newly-signed contract value of China’s contracted projects abroad amounted to $191.8 billion, with a turnover of $142.4 billion, and covered 190 countries and regions around the world.

Fang Qiuchen, Chairman, China International Contractors Association (CHINA), said:

“It is a pleasure and an honour to be here, and I am sure it won’t be the last time we visit. There are so many opportunities for investment in Birmingham and the wider region, and we have all been impressed by the Midlands’ ambitious infrastructure plans.

“Furthermore, partnerships with institutions such as Birmingham City University will enable us to understand local cultural and legal environments to ensure cooperation takes place going forward. As construction of high speed railway station progresses, it will be fantastic to see the area around the University develop into a modern place for the international community to gather – just like in the University’s classrooms today.”

Fang Qiuchen visited the University as part of a distinguished delegation led by Sun Tong, Director-General of the Department of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs. A senior official from China’s Ministry of Commerce, the Director-General was accompanied by more than 40 other senior delegates from mainland China and Hong Kong.

Birmingham City University’s fast-developing campus offered the Director-General and his delegation the best possible view of the proposed High Speed Two (HS2) terminal, including the Grade I listed entrance building to the original Curzon Street railway station – the world's oldest surviving piece of monumental railway architecture.

The visitors also heard presentations about the University by the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Julian Beer and the City of Birmingham’s economic growth was mapped out by James Betjemann, Regeneration Manager and Richard Woodland, Principal Capital Investment Officer, both from Birmingham City Council.

The visit forms part of a nationwide tour organised by the UK’s Department of International Trade and the delegates spent Friday exploring various enterprises found in the Midlands region and potential investment opportunities.

Dr Colin Clinton, Regional Manager, Department of International Trade Midlands Engine, said:

“The UK Midlands offers some of the most innovative and exciting companies and universities in the country, and we are keen to encourage more investment into our projects across the region to drive this economic growth.”

The economic growth plan for the Midlands region – known as the Midlands Engine – is worth £222 billion each year to the UK economy and if the region matches the predicted growth rate for the UK over the next 15 years, it could create 300,000 jobs and boost the national economy by £34 billion.

Professor Julian Beer, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Birmingham City University, gave strong support to the Midlands Engine, highlighting his institution’s contribution to the regional economy.

“Birmingham City University is supplying graduates to the region who contribute towards its economic growth, helping ensure that Birmingham as a city is constantly reinventing itself to secure a robust future. With the arrival of HS2, this is happening literally right in front of us, as the area around our City Centre Campus is set to emerge as an internationally-important focus of transport and education.

“We are proud of our close educational links with the People’s Republic of China. Thirty-one per cent of our international students are Chinese, enriching our campus communities here in the UK, and our partnership with Wuhan Textiles University saw the Birmingham Institute for Fashion and Creative Arts open in China last year.”

Located in Hubei's capital city, the Birmingham Institute for Fashion and Creative is the first non-profit Chinese-foreign cooperatively run educational institution in the province offering undergraduate programmes. It welcomed 280 students in its first intake and represents Birmingham City University’s most significant engagement with China to date.

Birmingham City University has over 5,000 Chinese alumni and recent graduates now occupy senior positions in a wide range of organisations including Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Jaguar Land Rover, Kimberly-Clark Professional, Lenovo, Michael Kors and Shanghai Disney Resort.

Low-carbon developments; future-proofed buildings; clean technology, and increased recycling could help Haringey become London’s first zero carbon borough, according to a set of ambitious recommendations unveiled this week by the Haringey Zero by 2050 Commission.

The independent commission brings together leading experts in sustainable regeneration and climate change. It was convened by Haringey councillor Natan Doron, Cabinet Adviser for Carbon Reduction, and asked to consider how the borough’s regeneration ambitions and pioneering measures could be a catalyst for carbon reduction. It was also invited to explore what more the borough could and should be doing to reduce its carbon footprint.

Commissioners last night (Monday 16 October) unveiled their findings, including a raft of recommendations that demonstrate how carbon reduction measures could be adopted in the short, medium and long term.

Haringey Zero by 2050 builds on the work of the pioneering Haringey Carbon Commission in 2009, which recommended a raft of measures to reduce Haringey’s carbon footprint, with targets of a 40 percent reduction by 2020 on track.

The Zero by 2050 Commission goes further, with ambitions for new developments to be carbon neutral and the borough to be a leader in innovative renewable energy and climate change “future proofing”.

The seven overarching recommendations – each underpinned by a series of actions – are:

• Improve the health and wellbeing of the community by creating a natural environment through greening of outdoor spaces and mitigating the urban heat island effect
• Create a climate change adaptation and resilience plan to future-proof and reduce vulnerability
• Deliver a zero-carbon and net energy positive Haringey by 2050
• Abolish waste to landfill to zero and increase recycling rates by 2020
• Drive the uptake of clean technology across Haringey’s built environment, targeting new developments
• Ensure that low and zero carbon buildings are delivered
• Set a strategy for connecting communities, work places and high streets through walking and cycle paths, reducing transport emissions by 20 percent by 2020

“I commend what Haringey have done here: they’ve set a really ambitious goal and allowed this high powered group of sustainable development professionals to challenge them on every aspect – and we have. It is tremendous to see such leadership from a public authority. As a Commission we have said we will “hold their feet to the fire’ to make sure the manifesto is delivered and we look forward to seeing this transformational plan taking shape.”

Shirley Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy, joined the panel for last night’s launch. She said:

“We need the strong support of boroughs, businesses and Londoners to work towards the Mayor’s ambition of making London zero carbon by 2050. This report shows that boroughs like Haringey can become zero carbon and we look forward to more boroughs making this commitment.”

The council is working on a detailed action plan to show how some of the recommendations could be met.

Cllr Joe Goldberg, Haringey Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Social Inclusion and Sustainability, said:

“The Commissioners’ report presents a bold and ambitious challenge, not only to Haringey but to the whole of London and any other city serious about achieving carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability while still delivering the growth on which our residents’ prosperity and wellbeing depend.

“I look forward to publishing our detailed response to the commission’s recommendations later this year. I’m clear that there is little in the commission’s report that doesn’t align with our ambitions for Haringey and its residents, and we are serious about implementing as much of this as possible.

“We also know that we cannot achieve our goals without looking beyond Haringey’s border – the wider city systems that are so central to the zero-carbon target can only be tackled on a London-wide basis. We look forward to working with the Mayor of London on a combined effort to achieve a zero-carbon London. That effort starts in Haringey.”