Latest news with #LevellingUpFund
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Island ferry vessel build contract awarded to Yorkshire firm
Work is currently ongoing to finalise the vessel design and specification, before fabrication of the new vessel gets underway at Parkol's boatyard in Whitby, Yorkshire. The expected handover date for the vessel is October 2026. READ MORE: The requirement is to construct a new larger, faster monohull vessel built to modern standards, to replace the current ferry 'Good Shepherd IV' which was built in 1986 in Fife. This new vessel will be able to carry 12 passengers, and will have increased lift-on lift-off ('Lo-Lo') capacity for freight operations. The vessel will be roll-on roll-off ('Ro-Ro') capable and be built with a strengthened hull for regular linkspan, quay and slipway operations. In addition to this vessel-build contract, harbour infrastructure works are also now underway at Grutness and in Fair Isle. The anticipated total cost of the project to replace the Fair Isle ferry is £45.4 million, with Shetland Islands Council providing £18.6 million of funding and the UK Government providing a grant of £26.8 million through the Levelling Up Fund.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sadiq Khan said to be furious over lack of spending review cash for London
Sadiq Khan is understood to be furious at the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, over a lack of funding for London in the forthcoming spending review, with sources close to the mayor suggesting the capital will get none of its key transport requests. The mayor is also understood to share the concerns of senior Met police officers that London will not get a substantial uplift in funding. The Met police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, has already written to the chancellor warning about the effects on tackling crime if there is no serious increase in policing budgets. A city hall source said it would 'unacceptable if there are no major infrastructure projects for London announced in the spending review and the Met doesn't get the funding it needs'. Khan is also understood to have asked for powers to introduce a tourist levy in London, which has been rebuffed – though such changes would be likely to take effect at a budget rather than spending review. The mayor – who has rarely criticised the Labour government – had asked for two key transport investments – an extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead, and to complete the extension of the Bakerloo line. Transport for London's day-to-day costs are met by fares. 'Over the past nine years as mayor, Sadiq has fought to deliver for London – in the best interests of Londoners and the whole country,' a source close to the mayor said. 'We know that when London does well it means the whole country does well, and that it will simply not be possible to achieve national growth ambitions without the right investment and growth in our capital. 'We must not return to the damaging, anti-London approach of the last government, which would not only harm London's vital public services, but jobs and growth across the country.' On Monday evening it emerged there were also concerns that some English regions, including London, would lose money to support local economic growth and tackle poverty through schemes such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Growth Hub funding and the Levelling Up Fund. A source close to the London mayor said: 'If the Treasury go ahead with this cut it would be incredibly shortsighted. They say they want economic growth but their actions in failing to invest in new infrastructure in the capital and cutting local growth funds will actually damage our economy, not improve it. 'They say they want regional mayors to be the drivers of growth but then remove their levers to achieve growth.' A Treasury source declined to comment on the specifics, but said the government had granted London huge benefits, including support for the third runway at Heathrow – which Khan opposed – and expansion of Gatwick, Luton and City airports. They said the government had expanded late licensing and given approval to pedestrianise Oxford Street, as well as allocating money so HS2 would run to London Euston. They said city hall, which provides free school meals for all pupils in London, would also have cash freed up by the Treasury's new commitment to fund free school meals for children with parents on universal credit Khan will make the case that investment in London has growth benefits across the UK. 'We need backing for London as a global city that's pro-business, safe and well-connected,' a source close to the mayor said. 'It's absolutely crucial at this time of global uncertainty that we send the right message to attract investment, which helps to bring prosperity to the whole of the UK. 'It's also important to recognise that parts of London still have some of the highest levels of poverty anywhere in the UK. Sadiq will always stand up for London and has been crystal clear that the way to level up other regions is not to level down London.' Last week, Reeves announced £15bn more to be spent on transport infrastructure outside London and the south-east, part of what was seen as rebalancing of government priorities where London had mostly benefited from infrastructure spending. Research released on Monday from IPPR North found that if the north of England had received the same per person spending as the capital, it would have received £140bn more – enough to build seven Elizabeth lines. Over the decade to 2022-23, each year London received £1,183 per person, while the north of England got £486 per person. The analysis shows that the Midlands fared even worse, receiving just £455 per person. The East Midlands received the lowest investment of every nation and region of the UK at just £355 per person.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Work to start on £36m outdoor sports centre upgrade
The Hub will be one of the site's new buildings [Southampton City Council] Work is due to start on Monday on a £36m upgrade to a leisure and sports park, a council has announced. New buildings, pitches and a skatepark are planned for the 150-acre (60ha) Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre, with completion scheduled for early 2027. Advertisement The park's outdoor artificial ski slope will also be transformed, with new lifts and a ski lodge. Southampton councillor Toqeer Kataria, in charge of leisure, said the project would improve activity levels and create jobs. He said: "I am delighted that the works to the Outdoor Sports Centre project are about to start. "The new state-of-the-art facilities will also significantly help improve health inequalities often felt by our most deprived communities." The outdoor ski slope is being upgraded (artist's impression) [Southampton City Council] The sports centre opened in 1938 with the objective of promoting health, the government previously said. It allocated £20m from the Levelling Up Fund towards the scheme in February 2024, when the total cost was put at £30m. Advertisement An additional £6m was allocated from council resources earlier this year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. New buildings on the site will include The Hub, incorporating a gym, cafe, and "two covered netball and tennis courts", the council said. The existing sports centre is spread over 150 acres (60 hectares) [Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities] An athletics track grandstand, a skatepark and three new artificial grass football pitches will also be added. A bike park with obstacles and ramps will be retained, but a long-disused boating lake will disappear. Some existing facilities will be affected by the work, with updates on closures due from contractor Morgan Sindall. The site also includes a mini-funfair, the Children's Pleasure Park, which is temporarily closed. Advertisement You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. More on this story Related internet links
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Work to start on £36m Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre upgrade
Work is due to start on Monday on a £36m upgrade to a leisure and sports park, a council has buildings, pitches and a skatepark are planned for the 150-acre (60ha) Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre, with completion scheduled for early park's outdoor artificial ski slope will also be transformed, with new lifts and a ski councillor Toqeer Kataria, in charge of leisure, said the project would improve activity levels and create jobs. He said: "I am delighted that the works to the Outdoor Sports Centre project are about to start."The new state-of-the-art facilities will also significantly help improve health inequalities often felt by our most deprived communities." The sports centre opened in 1938 with the objective of promoting health, the government previously allocated £20m from the Levelling Up Fund towards the scheme in February 2024, when the total cost was put at £ additional £6m was allocated from council resources earlier this year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting buildings on the site will include The Hub, incorporating a gym, cafe, and "two covered netball and tennis courts", the council said. An athletics track grandstand, a skatepark and three new artificial grass football pitches will also be added.A bike park with obstacles and ramps will be retained, but a long-disused boating lake will existing facilities will be affected by the work, with updates on closures due from contractor Morgan site also includes a mini-funfair, the Children's Pleasure Park, which is temporarily closed. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sizewell C power station to be built as part of UK's £14bn nuclear investment
The biggest nuclear programme in a generation will 'get Britain off the fossil fuel rollercoaster', the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, has said, announcing £14.2bn to build a new nuclear power station and a drive to build small modular reactors. The multibillion-pound investment at Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast, which has been long expected, will create 10,000 jobs and power the equivalent of 6m homes. Nuclear will be one of the key investments Rachel Reeves will champion at Wednesday's spending review, which the chancellor hopes will overshadow uncomfortable decisions for the government including the U-turn on the winter fuel payment and a major row over police funding. Miliband said the 'golden age' of nuclear investment was critical to the government's net zero goals, which will probably require a significant increase in electricity demand, and said that it would not detract from investments in renewables. 'I'm doing this because of my belief that climate change is the biggest long-term threat facing us,' Miliband said. 'The truth is that we have this massive challenge to get off fossil fuels. That is the central driving ambition of the government's clean energy superpower mission. We know that we're going to have to see electricity demand at least double, by 2050. 'All of the expert advice says nuclear has a really important role to play in the energy system. In any sensible reckoning, this is essential to get to our clean power and net zero ambitions.' The announcement comes as part of the £113bn of new capital investment Reeves will announce in the spending review that the Treasury hopes will be the key theme – and enough to stave off further disquiet over expected cuts to day-to-day spending. On Monday, it emerged that all departments had settled with the Treasury after a deal was done with the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, who was deeply dissatisfied with funding for policing. The Home Office could still be forced to cut the overall number of police officers in the aftermath of its lengthy spending review negotiations with the Treasury. Whitehall sources said the department had been asked to look at all options including reducing officer recruitment, which would mean an overall cut in the headcount. On Monday morning, Cooper was the last minister still to reach a deal, with reports suggesting greater police spending would mean a squeeze on other areas of her department's budget. On Monday afternoon, a source said that cuts to police numbers remained 'a possibility'. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has also privately complained to the Treasury about Met police funding and a failure to finance any of the capital's key transport infrastructure requests. On Monday evening it emerged there were concerns that some English regions, including London, would lose money to support local economic growth and tackle poverty through schemes such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Growth Hub funding and the Levelling Up Fund. A source close to the London mayor said: 'If the Treasury go ahead with this cut it would be incredibly shortsighted. They say they want economic growth but their actions in failing to invest in new infrastructure in the capital and cutting local growth funds will actually damage our economy, not improve it. 'They say they want regional mayors to be the drivers of growth but then remove their levers to achieve growth.' Earlier on Monday, Reeves formally announced plans to restore the winter fuel payment to all pensioners with an annual income of £35,000 or less, after a furious backlash to the government's most unpopular policy to date. While the reversal was welcomed by Labour MPs worried about pensioner poverty and the political toxicity of the issue, there were concerns the £1.25bn price tag would mean more tax rises or spending cuts this autumn. The green light for the development at Sizewell C marks the end of a long 15-year journey to secure investment for the plant since the site was first earmarked for new nuclear development in 2010. Campaigners argued the development of the site would be hugely expensive compared with investment in other energy sources and would create only short-term job opportunities. The government announced Rolls Royce as the winners of a long-running competition on Tuesday for a bid to build one of Europe's first small modular reactor (SMR) programmes – a model that some in government hope could eventually attract private investment, especially from tech companies, which might build SMRs to power datacentres. The FTSE 100 manufacturer Rolls-Royce was the long-running favourite to be chosen to build the first British SMRs. Reeves will confirm the nuclear investment in her address at the GMB congress on Tuesday, including £6bn of investment to the nuclear submarine industrial base to deliver on recommendations in the strategic defence review. The investment also includes £2.5bn over five years for research and development of fusion energy. Combined, the Treasury said they would be vital to the UK's energy security, replacing the UK's dependency on fossil fuel markets with homegrown power. 'We need new nuclear to deliver a golden age of clean energy abundance, because that is the only way to protect family finances, take back control of our energy, and tackle the climate crisis,' Miliband said. He said projects such as these were also essential for making the economic case to voters that the transition to net zero would not come at a cost to their families. 'There aren't enough industries in this country that provide good jobs at decent wages with strong trade unions. Nuclear is one of them. This is absolutely about delivering the kind of economic change right across the country,' he said. He said investment in fusion in Nottinghamshire would be directly on the site of the old West Burton coal-fired power station. 'That is the transition in action – from an old coal-fired power station to a new fusion prototype plant,' he said. So for climate, for energy security, for jobs, I genuinely think this is the right choice.' Miliband has argued for nuclear power to be a part of tackling the climate crisis since 2009. As energy secretary in the last Labour government, he said he was brought up in a family that opposed it, but he now saw it as vital. 'I didn't expect to have to become the energy secretary again to make it happen,' Miliband said. 'We've been too slow, definitely. This is also about accepting the role of government because this is going to be majority state-owned and state invested. 'Hinkley was done under a different model. That is a way of lowering the cost of capital, getting a return for the taxpayer. So I think there have been real missed opportunities in the last 14 years.' Sizewell C was one of eight sites identified in 2009 by Miliband as a potential site for new nuclear. The project was not fully funded in the 14 years that followed under subsequent governments. The Treasury said that combined with the ambition to build SMRs, it would deliver more new nuclear to the grid than over the previous half century by the 2030s. Campaigners opposed to Sizewell C said they believed the development would end up as 'HS2 mark 2' with years of overspending and delay. Alison Downes of Stop Sizewell C said: 'Ministers have still not come clean about Sizewell C's cost and, given negotiations with private investors are incomplete, they have signed away all leverage and will be forced to offer generous deals that undermine value for money.'
