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Premier League star in neighbour row over basketball court & firepit built without permission WINS battle to keep them

A PREMIER League star in an intense row with his neighbour over a basketball court and firepit has won a battle to keep them.

Ben Chilwell, 27, became embroiled in the disagreement when he raised the back garden of his £5m Surrey mansion and erected a retaining wall for a new walkway.

a driveway with a black gate and brick pillars leading to a house
Kevin Dunnett
The £5m mansion is undergoing works which neighbours have complained about[/caption]
a soccer player wearing a blue jersey that says infinite athlete
Alamy
Ben Chilwell has won a battle to keep his basketball court and firepit at his mansion[/caption]
an aerial view of a neighborhood with the words scored the winner at the top

But the Chelsea defender failed to get the go-ahead for the Ground Force-style makeover at his luxury five-bed pad which boasts a swimming pool, gym and two games rooms.

He needed consent from the local council for the “engineering operation” and faced a possible red card over the unauthorised development.

His next-door neighbour objected, citing loss of privacy and overlooking, but the council have now granted retrospective permission for the landscape alterations.

In his ruling, a planning officer said: “Despite the change in levels in this part of the garden, it is considered that the works do not significantly alter the overall land levels of the application site.

“Moreover, the works are located in the rear garden and would not be visible from the street scene and are therefore acceptable.

“The proposed development is considered in terms of scale, form, bulk, height, massing, spacing and design, and there would be no adverse impact on the character of the area or the visual amenities of the street scene as a result of the proposals.”

Chilwell wants to plant new laurel and yew hedges to provide screening with further soft planting in grey, green and purple – but no blue.

He also wants to splash out on a stone-stepped pool seating area with glass balustrade, and new paving at his home near Chelsea’s Cobham training ground.

Documents submitted as part of the planning application reveal that building work on the sunken fire pit and basketball court started in April but has not yet been completed.

In a letter objecting, the neighbour wrote: “This increase in height means someone in this section of the garden or on the firepit walkway now has direct line of sight into our garden, terrace and kitchen area.

“This is a loss of amenity and the new levels mean we are now overlooked.

“We are keen to retain the privacy and amenity of our home, terrace and garden and whilst we would prefer the new ground levels not to be so high we appreciate that some mitigation through screening foliage has now been proposed.”

Ben Chilwell ‘thrown career lifeline’

BY Tony Robertson

BEN Chilwell has been thrown a career lifeline after being offered a Chelsea escape route, reports suggest.

The 27-year-old has effectively been frozen out of Chelsea‘s squad by new boss Enzo Maresca after being told he does not feature in the manager’s plans.

Chilwell, who signed for the club for £45million from Leicester in 2020 and was named vice-captain last season, is down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.

Marc Cucurella and new signing Renato Veiga are both ahead of him for the left-back slot.

Chilwell had been joined in the Blues “bomb squad” by Raheem Sterling and Trevoh Chalobah, who both managed to secure loan deals away from the club on deadline day.

However, the 21-cap England international was unable to secure a transfer despite reported interest from Brentford and Manchester United, though the latter are understood to have never initiated talks.

Instead, Chilwell, who is earning £200,000-a-week with three years to run on his deal, will have to secure a transfer overseas if he is to earn playing minutes this season.

According to GiveMeSport, Chilwell is thought to be content at Stamford Bridge and will not move unless the right move presents itself.

The Dutch and Portuguese transfer windows both shut tonight, as well as the transfer window for Saudi Arabia, although it’s understood Chilwell is not keen on a move to the Middle East.

One window that will remain open for a while longer is the Turkish Super Lig window, which does not close until September 13.

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Ryanair’s most outlandish plans revealed – including £1 to use onboard toilets, scrapped armrests and standing cabins

RYANAIR is Europe’s largest airline and has a history of announcing some of the most outlandish plans for its passengers and planes.

The airline’s boss Michael O’Leary recently floated the idea of offering package holidays in the future but has often failed to follow through with many of the wild ideas he puts forward.

a stewardess stands in front of a row of ryanair seats
Getty
Ryanair has a history of mentioning wild ideas that never come into practice[/caption]
a ryanair plane is taking off from a runway
Getty
The airline is Europe’s largest and is known for its no-frills strict policies for travellers[/caption]
a man carrying a suitcase on top of an airplane
Alamy
One whacky idea included removing one of the two pilots in order to reduce costs[/caption]

Ryanair first mentioned offering package holidays in 2016, but has since failed to deliver them.

The low-cost carrier has had countless other whacky ideas in its near 40 year history that failed to occur.

For example, in 2007 the airline claimed it would be running flights across the Atlantic for just £6.

Almost 20 years later, there is still no sign of a transatlantic route for the Irish airline.

O’Leary grabbed headlines again in 2009 when he told the BBC that he was considering fitting the airline’s toilet doors with coin-slots so that passengers would have to pay £1 to use them.

Thankfully, he later admitted that the idea was unfeasible and would have gone against EU regulations.

A similar cost cutting move floated by the CEO was to remove two of the three toilets found on his aircraft in order to make room for more seats.

When he suggested this he claimed it would save passengers a ‘jaw-dropping’ £2 on the average ticket.

Given its measly saving, it’s no surprise the idea was never put into practice.

Standing cabins are also an idea that O’Leary has enjoyed pitching to the world now and again.

The Irishman had previously described planes as just “buses with wings” that could safely carry passengers.

But in 2012, the airline said an an unnamed regulator had thwarted its plan to sell the standing-only tickets, by refusing an application for test flights.

Cutting the cockpit crew in half is one of the more ridiculous ideas ever propositioned by the CEO.

“Why does every plane have two pilots?” asked Michael O’Leary back in 2010.

“Let’s take out the second pilot. Let the bloody computer fly it,” he told Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

He had also suggested training a member of the cabin crew to take over in the event that the sole pilot had a medical emergency.

Ryanair also once dabbled with premium tickets when it launched its potentially misleading business class product in the summer of 2014.

The airline’s ‘Business Plus’ tickets offered a bigger bag allowance, queue jumping and ‘premium’ seating.

Hand luggage rules for UK airlines

We've rounded up how much hand luggage you can take on UK airlines when booking their most basic fare.

Ryanair

One personal bag measuring no more than 40cm x 20cm x 25cm

EasyJet

One personal bag measuring no larger than 45cm x 36cm x 20cm

Jet2

One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm weighing up to 10kg

TUI

One personal item that its underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm weighing up to 10kg

British Airways

One personal bag no larger than 40cm x 30cm x 15cm and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm 25cm weighing up to 23kg

Virgin Atlantic

One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 36cm x 23cm weighing up to 10kg

However, there was no lounge access, any free hospitality, or a separate cabin for your ‘premium’ seat (a seat located near the front or rear door of the aircraft, or an exit row seat with more legroom.)

Given this, the word ‘Business’ was later dropped from the name but the product still exists in an add-on form for passengers to purchase.

Fifteen year ago, Ryanair shockingly declared it would introduce a ‘fat tax’ for overweight flyers.

A spokesman for the airline had said: “A ‘fat tax’ will only apply to those really large passengers who invade the space of the passengers sitting beside them.

a man stands in front of a ryanair plane
Reuters
Ryanair’s boss Michael O’Leary is known for his headline grabbing ideas[/caption]

“These charges, if introduced, might also act as an incentive to some of our very large passengers to lose a little weight and hopefully feel a little lighter and healthier.” 

At the time, O’Leary suggested that he was merely listening to feedback from his passengers.

Some of these passengers may have also requested another kooky idea, to have adult entertainment accessible on their devices.

In November 2011, O’Leary said that the airline was working on an in-flight app which would offer paid-for content, including pornography and online gambling.

He told The Sun: “It would be on handheld devices. Hotels around the world have it, so why wouldn’t we?”

It comes as no surprise that this never ended up happening but it is bizarre to imagine how flying would be if the CEO had followed through with the plans.

Finally, the airline also once had plans to scrap one of the few comforts of flying still left, seat armrests.

Originally floated in 2012, the ridiculous idea showed just how far Ryanair was willing to go to save money by reducing aircraft weight.

According to other comments made at the time, other fuel-saving tricks included reducing the amount of ice taken on board, slimming down the size of the Ryanair magazine, and using lighter trolleys for the bar service.

Advice for flying with Ryanair

  • All Ryanair passengers can bring a small personal bag on board but this must fit under the seat in front of you, but it must be no bigger than 40cm x 20cm x 25cm
  • Any over-sized cabin bags will be refused at the boarding gate and put in the hold for a fee
  • Ryanair also charges passengers up to £55 check-in at the airport
  • Anyone who loses their card at the airport will have to pay a £20 reissue fee
  • Book to sit in the front five rows if you want to head off the plane first
  • Extra legroom seats can be found in rows 1 A, B, C or 2 D, E, F as well as row 16 and 17 near the emergency exit
  • The worst seat on Ryanair’s Boeing 737-800 aircraft is also 11A because of its lack of window.

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Strictly’s Kai Widdrington breaks silence on NOT getting celeb partner and admits he’s unhappy about it

STRICTLY’S Kai Widdrington broke his silence on not receiving a celebrity partner and admitted he was unhappy about it.

The 29-year-old professional dancer won’t be competing in this year’s Strictly but will participate in group routines.

a man in a tuxedo stands on a red carpet that says shein on it
Rex
Kai Widdrington revealed his disappointment about not having a celebrity partner[/caption]
a man is holding a woman 's leg up in the air
BBC
The star competed with Angela Rippon last year[/caption]

Kai has now spoken out about not having a celebrity partner and, therefore, not being able to compete.

He told the Daily Star: “Everyone wants to get a celebrity.

“Unfortunately it wasn’t my time this series. Two boys couldn’t have one this series and sadly I am one of them.

“Some of us don’t get partners and that’s the way it is.

“Let’s see what happens next year. Hopefully I’ll get one then.”

Fans vented on social media after finding out Kai wouldn’t be competing.

One user wrote: “Gutted Kai isn’t getting a partner this year. He’s an absolutely sweetheart and surely is a great ambassador for #Strictly after the recent controversies”.

Whilst another added: “No way!! Kai is one of the best and a true gent; I think the Strictly shine is tarnishing before our eyes!”.

Although Kai hasn’t secured a spot as a dancer this series, the star is still excited about what fans can expect.

He said: “The line-up of celebs this year is amazing. It is going to be a fantastic series, as it always is excited for what viewers have to come.

“We have been filming a lot of the group routines. There are some amazing ones.

“We have worked really hard through the summer to get them ready for the series. One of the ones I feature in is very funny.”

The new Strictly series kicks off this weekend on BBC One.

Earlier this week, Kai had to be kept apart from his ex and co-star Nadiya Bychkova at the National Television Awards.

The former Strictly Come Dancing golden couple ended their two-year relationship in July.

The dance professionals were seen walking the red carpet separately- as mother-of-one Nadiya, 35 posed up a storm in a pink ruffled dress with a long train.

It was noted that Kai arrived later, and remained distant from the Strictly crowd, accompanied by his DJ friend Tyler West.

An onlooker told the Mail: “When the pair got inside the O2 they gave each other a very wide berth.

“Organisers had ensured there would be no awkward camera shots by keeping the frosty pair apart from each other.”

a man in a tuxedo is giving a woman a high five
Getty
Kai is excited for the new Strictly line-up despite not competing.[/caption]
a man kisses a woman on the cheek while on a boat
Instagram
The star was kept apart from his ex Nadiya Bychkova at the National Television Awards[/caption]
a woman in a strapless dress and a man in a tuxedo pose on a red carpet sponsored by the sun
Doug Seeburg/News Group Newspapers Ltd
The pair attended The Sun’s Who Cares Wins Awards together just last year[/caption]

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‘Give me my f***ing date,’ fumes blindsided Conor McGregor as Dana White axes Chandler fight leaving UFC future in limbo

CONOR MCGREGOR has pleaded with the UFC to give him his return “date” after Michael Chandler abandoned their showdown.

The Notorious’ fighting future is in limbo after it was announced that Chandler will rematch Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 on November 16.

two men looking at each other with a referee in the background
Getty
Michael Chandler has officially moved on from his clash with Conor McGregor[/caption]
two men standing next to each other in front of a sign that says ufc
Chandler has opted to rematch former UFC LW champ Charles Oliveira in November
GETTY
two men shaking hands in front of a sign that says t mobile
GETTY
The Notorious was left blindsided by the announcement and has pleaded for clarity on his future[/caption]

Chandler, 38, has opted to move on with his career after nearly TWO YEARS of inactivity and over 19 months waiting to get his hands on McGregor.

The UFC’s poster boy was blindsided by the announcement and has publicly pleaded with bigwig Dana White to provide clarity on his future.

In an expletive-filled X rant, the former two-weight world champion said: “Give me my f*****g date!”

He later added: “As far as Chandler rematching Oliveira, I’m happy with the date.

“It’s November. Maybe we can still do it after, if they’re not going to line me up until December, maybe January or February, one of these dates.

“Maybe we can still do it. I’m just a bit out of the loop with it. All I can do is carry on doing what I’m doing.

“I test under the testing administration, I train daily, and that’s it.

“Let’s see what happens. Hopefully, it all comes to fruition.”

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Inside McGregor's Notorious lifestyle

With more sides to his personality than an Octagon, Conor McGregor's rise has been an enthralling watch.

Going from UFC icon to entrepreneur and Hollywood star, the Irishman has transcended the sport he helped bring to the masses.

He has four children with fiancee Dee Devlin and the family enjoy a lavish lifestyle.

McGregor has not fought in UFC since breaking his leg in a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021.

That has not stopped him amassing a net worth of over £150m thanks to his Proper No Twelve whiskey and fashion line.

And he is due to return to the Octagon at UFC 303 in an eagerly-awaited headline clash with Michael Chandler.

McGregor also starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the Amazon Prime remake of classic movie Road House, although he is dreading his mum seeing one X-rated scene.

Notorious turned up to the premiere in a £60,000 suit that was outdone by his £460k watch.

The only thing sharper than his fashion sense is his tongue and the Dubliner has several bitter spats under his belt, including with UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov.

That row led to one of his biggest controversies in 2018 as he travelled 3,000 miles to confront Khabib in a vicious attack on his bus.

He pleaded guilty to assault after punching a man in a pub in 2018 and had his £150k Bentley seized by police for driving offences four years later.

Joe Rogan lashed out at McGregor in a four-letter outburst and the Irishman has also fired shots at Jake Paul, KSI and Tommy Fury.

Boxing great Floyd Mayweather also has McGregor on his enemy list after the pair clashed in a cross-sport bout in 2017.

Read all of our latest Conor McGregor stories.

McGregor has two fights left on his contract with MMA‘s top promotion, which he hasn’t fought in since breaking his left leg in July 2021.

But talks over a new deal ground to a standstill after injury forced him out of his comeback clash with Chandler.

The UFC’s first simultaneous two-weight champion told SunSport: “You know, the fight never happened.

“So it’s just about getting the fight on.”

Fan favourite Chandler risks losing the biggest payday of his career by rematching Oliveira, who knocked him out in the second round of their lightweight title fight in May 2021.

But he insists the opportunity to avenge his first octagon loss and put himself back in the title picture is too good to pass up on.

“I still have [the McGregor fight], even though the fight is still to be determined,” he said. “But I am pivoting. Why?

“Because I’m a fighter through and through, and I think you guys have forgotten that.

“Nobody would have had the balls to make this decision and bet on themselves like this.

“And for me, this is personal. This is a revenge fight. Charles Oliveira stole my dream of becoming UFC champion.

“My number one goal, becoming the No. 1 guy in the entire world.

“So now… we’re going to go beat him in the rematch.”

a fighter wearing a ufc glove sits on the ground
AP
Conor McGregor hasn’t set foot inside the octagon since breaking his left leg three years ago[/caption]

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What Happened To Ant’s Real Parents In Speak No Evil 2024

The following contains spoilers for Speak No Evil, now playing in theaters Speak No Evil‘s reveals about Ant’s family are some of the film’s darkest moments. Speak No Evil is a brutal remake of a similarly grim 2022 Danish film, focusing on an average family that unwittingly is lured into a trap by friends they …

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Sam Bankman Fried appeals for fresh trial over $8 billion FTX fraud 

Former Crypto Billionaire and FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has appealed for a fresh trial over his $8 billion FTX fraud case. The Former Executive was convicted following his $8 billion FTX trial and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The Five-week trial which happened late last year convicted Sam Bankman Fried of defrauding FTX …

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Dele Alli in limbo as he’s left out of Everton Premier League squad after contract ran down… but star handed lifeline

DELE ALLI has been left out of Everton’s Premier League squad following the end of his contract last season.

The 28-year-old midfielder had reportedly been working towards gaining a new deal with the Toffees, after being named on the club’s retained list in May, but remains unemployed.

File photo dated 12-02-2022 of Dele Alli who has revealed he was abused at the age of six and was dealing drugs by the time he was just eight years old. Issue date: Thursday July 13, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Everton. Photo credit should read Peter Byrne/PA Wire.
Dele Alli has not been named in Everton’s Premier League squad after failing to win a new contract
File photo dated 30-07-2024 of Everton manager Sean Dyche, who admits it is his responsibility to ensure his side do not suffer any more collapses like the one which cost them their first Premier League win of the season. Issue date: Friday September 13, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Everton. Photo credit should read Bradley Collyer/PA Wire.
Sean Dyche had suggested their was a chance for Alli to win a new deal

But Alli has been offered a lifeline as there remains hope for a space to open up in Everton’s 23-man squad .

According to Prem rules, free agents can join the squad after the deadline if less than 25 players have been named.

With Youssef Chermiti, Roman Dixon and Harrison Armstrong classed as youth, there is room on the first-team list of free agents.

Any Prem squad with 25 players or more cannot add free agents until the next registration window in January.

Alli made just 13 appearances for Everton in two-and-a-half years and didn’t feature once in the previous campaign due to fitness issues.

But he continued to train with Everton, who have remained supportive, at Finch Farm despite technically being a free agent.

Dyche suggested in August that Alli could play his way into a new deal if he impresses in some behind-closed-doors friendlies.

After leaving Tottenham for Everton in January 2022, Alli joined Turkish team Besiktas on a season-long loan with an option to buy eight months later.

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He has not played competitively at all since he was substituted at half-time for Besiktas in a goalless draw against Antalyaspor in February 2023 and returned to Everton last summer.

In July 2023, Alli bravely opened up on his mental health battle after previously revealing his childhood trauma over being abused and selling drugs.

The 37-capped England international also went to rehab for a sleeping pill addiction.

But Alli told Monday Night Football that he was getting back to a better place.

He said: “I’m doing really well, it’s been nearly a year now. I’m feeling good, obviously injured which is disappointing. 

“I think when I did that interview that I’d said it was the best I’d felt at that time, obviously coming out of rehab and getting ready to be back playing.

“It’s been tough but it’s a journey I’ve been on and I’m enjoying it and just waiting to get back now.

“The reaction and support that I got was obviously overwhelming. 

“It was amazing to see how many people that did help and I’m definitely very proud of it.”

At his pomp, Alli looked to have the world at his feet after scoring 67 goals and providing 58 assists in 269 games for Spurs.

Meanwhile, Dyche’s own job is safe for now after a vote of confidence from the Everton board following three defeats from three this season.

Changes to the Premier League for 2024/25

NOTHING stays the same forever.

And that includes the Premier League, which is making a number of tweaks this season.

Team news will now be released 75 MINUTES before kick-off, 15 minutes earlier than had been the case before.

Things could get crowded on the touchline, with the number of substitutes permitted to warm-up boosted from three players per team to FIVE.

There’s also a change to how added time is calculated when a team scores a goal, an update to the ‘multiball’ system and the introduction of semi-automated offsides – but not straight away.

Go here to read about all the changes to the Premier League for 2024/25.

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AccuWeather: Beach day

Our beautiful stretch of sunny weather continues on Saturday in a picture perfect start to the weekend. Expect highs to be in the low 80s.

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Maiduguri Flood: ‘Some Boko Haram Leaders May Have Escaped From Prison’ – Gov Zulum

The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has expressed concern that several leaders of the Boko Haram terrorist group, who are currently incarcerated, may have managed to flee from the state’s correctional facility. Naija News reports that Zulum’s worries come after a devastating flood hit Maiduguri, the state’s capital. The extent of the damage caused …

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