Day: January 29, 2018

Jodrell Bank Observatory has been chosen as the UK’s nomination for World Heritage site status in 2019, Heritage Minister Michael Ellis announced today.

The Observatory, part of the University of Manchester, is home to the Grade I Listed Lovell Telescope and is a site of global importance in the history of radio astronomy.

Founded in 1945, it is the earliest radio astronomy observatory in the world still in existence and pioneered the exploration of the universe using radio waves.

The UK currently has 31 World Heritage Sites, with The Lake District having been inscribed in 2017.

In order to be inscribed as a World Heritage Site, nominations must show that they possess Outstanding Universal Value, which transcends borders.

The nomination will now be formally assessed by the International Council of Sites and Monuments before the World Heritage Committee decides whether it will join the likes of The Great Barrier Reef, the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China as a designated World Heritage Site.

Jodrell Bank is the only site in the world that includes evidence of every stage of the post-1945 development of radio astronomy. As well as the Lovell Telescope, it also includes the Grade I Listed Mark II Telescope and the Park Royal building, which was the control room for the Transit Telescope, whose detection of radio waves from the Andromeda Galaxy confirmed that the Universe extends beyond our own galaxy.

Michael Ellis, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, said:

“Jodrell Bank played a central role in transforming our understanding of the Universe and is therefore a site of global importance.

“The nomination process for UNESCO is rightly thorough but I believe Jodrell Bank deserves to be recognised.

“The diverse heritage of the UK is world renowned and the observatory would be a worthy addition to our list of World Heritage Sites.”

Professor Teresa Anderson, Director of Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre said:

“The Jodrell Bank Observatory, and Lovell Telescope in particular, have become icons of science and engineering around the world and we’re delighted to reach this milestone. We have been preparing the case for nomination for inclusion of Jodrell Bank on the World Heritage list for several years now and we look forward to showcasing its rich scientific heritage on the international stage.”

Professor Tim O’Brien, Associate Director of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, said:

“Jodrell Bank really is an iconic site and institution, not just here in the northwest of England but to people around the world.

“It is the one remaining site, worldwide which has been a working observatory from the very first days of radio astronomy to the present day. It’s important that we protect its rich heritage as we celebrate its current and future work.”

Last year the Government announced it will award £4 million to Jodrell Bank to help fund its new interpretation centre project, promoting the historically significant scientific work.

New figures out today (29 January 2018) show the Northern Powerhouse is one of the most connected regions in the UK thanks to the government’s £1.7 billion broadband roll out programme.

97.2% of the North East is enjoying unprecedented access to superfast broadband – the highest coverage in the country. The North West follows only shortly behind with 96% of the region having access to superfast broadband.

More households and businesses across the North are now accessing superfast broadband speeds of 24 Mbps – more than double the 10 Mbps required by a typical family home.

Today’s figures published by Think Broadband show that the government is succeeding in improving connectivity in the Northern Powerhouse with businesses across the region benefitting from improved digital infrastructure and faster broadband; last year’s Autumn budget announced up to £1.8 billion of further government funding for the North to improve transport, digital connectivity, and economic regeneration.

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry, said:

The Northern Powerhouse is leading the charge in bridging the rural-urban digital divide. Strong digital infrastructure, including access to superfast broadband, is vital for a flourishing local economy by helping to spur growth and create thousands of new jobs.

We’re doing all we can to bring broadband access to even the most remote and rural areas in the country and are giving businesses the tools they need to meet the demands of the digital age.

DCMS Secretary of State, Matt Hancock said:

Over the last 5 years, the government’s rollout of superfast broadband has made superfast speeds a reality for more than 4.5 million homes and businesses who would otherwise have missed out. But there’s still more to do in our work building a Britain that’s fit for the future.

We’re reaching thousands more premises every single week, and have committed to making affordable, reliable, high speed broadband a legal right to everyone by 2020.

The government’s £1.7 billion rollout of superfast broadband to areas deemed “not commercially viable” by industry has so far reached more than 4.5 million UK premises that would otherwise have been left in the connectivity slow lane, the majority of which are in rural areas.

With 19 out of 20 UK homes and businesses now enjoying superfast broadband access, the government has also delivered on its manifesto pledge to bring superfast broadband to 95% of UK premises.

In addition to the huge benefits to day-to-day life that superfast speeds offer, this closing of the “digital divide” has also delivered a significant boost to local economies – creating around 50,000 new local jobs and generating an additional £8.9 billion in turnover in the areas covered by the government rollout between 2013 and 2016.

Further information

The latest broadband coverage figures are available at www.thinkbroadband.com.

Highways England announced the preferred route for the £290 million improvement scheme, part of the Government’s £15 billion Road Investment Strategy, in July last year.

The improvement to the eight-mile stretch will help to improve journey times for residents, businesses and visitors, as well as unlocking one of the last bottlenecks in Cornwall.

Since the preferred route was announced, Highways England has been working with landowners along the route to develop the design of the scheme, the details of which will be announced from today (Monday 29 January 2018) when consultation is launched.

Josh Hodder, Project Manager for Highways England, said:

We recognise the strategic importance of improving this section of the A30 in helping to unlock economic growth in Cornwall and the whole of the region.

We look forward to sharing our progressed plans with local stakeholders, businesses and the community, full details are available from today, and we welcome all feedback during consultation.

The scheme offers a number of benefits to the area – as well as boosting the area’s economy, upgrading this stretch of the A30 is vital to improving motorists’ journeys, cutting congestion, improving safety and connecting local communities.

After the opening of the Cornwall Council-led A30 Temple to Higher Carblake dualling scheme last summer, Highways England is proposing to upgrade the eight-mile Chiverton to Carland Cross section, which will offer drivers more than 100 miles of dual carriageway between the M5 and Camborne in Cornwall.

The cost of developing the scheme is being partly funded by an £8 million contribution from the European Regional Development Fund, with an additional £12 million for the construction phase. The remainder of the cost of developing and delivering the scheme will be funded by central Government.

Cllr Geoff Brown, Portfolio Holder for Transport at Cornwall Council added:

I welcome this next step and the further consultation with communities. The scheme will help to improve journey times for local people, businesses and visitors and we know from previous public engagement that there is strong support locally to improve this stretch of the A30.

This project will build upon the excellent working relationship that we have with Highways England and I encourage people to take this opportunity to view the proposals and discuss them with the Highways England design team.

Public consultation events will offer people the chance to see detailed plans of the scheme, including junction and slip road access, roundabout and bridge designs, and meet with members of the project team. Information will also be available to view at local information points.

Full details of the scheme and information on the consultation events and information points can be found on the dedicated consultation webpage.

Following consultation, the scheme will then progress through the formal planning process and, subject to statutory approval under the 2008 Planning Act and the Secretary of State, construction is planned to start in spring 2020.

European Regional Development Fund

The project is receiving up to £8 million of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth programme webpage.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

The Committee on Standards in Public Life has today called for evidence about how local councils are supporting good ethical standards in local government in light of changes over the past ten years.

Committee member, Dr Jane Martin CBE who will be leading on the review, said:

“Robust arrangements to support ethical standards are needed to safeguard local democracy and facilitate the representative process, but also to ensure high standards of conduct by councillors. The Committee considers it is timely to undertake a health check of local government so the public can have confidence that the standards arrangements supporting local democracy are working effectively.

“The Committee has maintained a longstanding interest in local government ethical standards, and regularly receives correspondence from members of the public expressing their concern about this issue.

“We are keen to hear first-hand how effective councils’ standards arrangements are, in light of the substantial changes in the standards landscape for local government over the last ten years.

“We are interested in how local authorities have designed their complaints handling, scrutiny and sanctions regimes in order to maintain excellent ethical standards and how members, local government officials and the public experience them.

“The Committee would like to hear from councils and individuals who can help us understand how ethical standards issues are dealt with by local authorities.”

Based on the submissions to this review and meetings with key stakeholders, we intend to publish our findings and recommendations late in 2018.

Notes to Editors

1. Interview requests and media enquiries should go to Maggie O’Boyle on 07880 740627.
2. The independent Committee on Standards in Public Life advises the Prime Minister on ethical standards across the whole of public life in the UK. It monitors and reports on issues relating to the standards of conduct of all public office holders.
3. The Committee has an independent Chair. Its membership is comprised of four independent members and a representative from each of the Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democratic parties.
4. You can follow the Committee on Twitter @PublicStandards