Month: July 2018

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Press release: Sunshine lights up A38 in East Midlands

Highways England has installed more than 4,500 innovative solar road studs that harness sunlight in the daytime and light up the road at night, helping drivers stay safe.

The beauty of these road studs is that they are also effective in heavy rain, mist or fog and a four-hour charge from daylight can power the devices for over 200 hours.

The studs have been introduced as part of £8.5 million worth of improvements to journeys along the A38 between Ripley and junction 28 of the M1 near Mansfield – a stretch that is used by more than 23,000 vehicles every day.

The improvements also include high visibility lane markings that make it easier for drivers at night or in adverse weather conditions, and coloured high friction surface that reduces the risk of skidding.

Highways England project manager, Matthew Carruthers, said:

We’re always looking for new ways to further improve journeys and safety for drivers and this is a great example of that.

This section of carriageway has no street lighting so the solar road studs and improved lane markings make a real difference.

At the same time the new technology is more durable, meaning less disruption for motorists in the long term thanks to fewer roadworks.

Standard road studs require car headlights to illuminate their reflective surface – typically this means that the headlights can be seen up to 90 metres away, giving drivers travelling at 60mph around three seconds to react to conditions on the road.

The new road studs are powered by solar energy, with a panel absorbing power during the day. Throughout the night they generate their own light through a battery powered LED and can be seen up to 900 metres away, giving drivers travelling at 60mph more than 30 seconds to react.

The new studs are also more durable, lasting up to five years longer than standard studs, require less maintenance during their lifetime and at only 4mm in height means are they safer for motorcycles.

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.

Link: Press release: Sunshine lights up A38 in East Midlands
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Large fine for Leicester textile firm

Leicester based Euro Dyers Ltd have been ordered to pay a total of £59,259 after operating an illegal textile dye house in a residential area.

Euro Dyers Ltd pleaded guilty at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on 25 July 2018 and were ordered to pay a fine of £40,000, costs of £19,084 alongside a £175 victim surcharge.

The company, who operate at the Saffron Works, Saffron Lane, Leicester had been told on several occasions that they needed an environmental permit to operate. Despite numerous warnings from Environment Agency staff who encouraged and tried to assist them with an application, they never successfully applied for a permit.

A permit would have introduced conditions to manage odour, regulate emissions to air and sewer, the generation of waste, noise pollution and the prevention of accidents. The latter would have been especially important as inspections found flammable liquids stored on top of oxidising chemicals and chemicals stored with no containment to control leaks.

Environment Agency officers also found waste water leaking into a roadside drain outside.

Speaking after the ruling, an Environment Agency officer involved with the investigation said:

Despite several attempts to assist the company and after numerous warnings, this company still refused to be brought into the permitting regime., We hope that this fine will serve as a warning to them and others in the industry that there are strong penalties if they flout the law.

This is great news to the residents who live nearby, the environment and to competitors who do the right thing and comply with the law.

We are committed to working with the industry to ensure they operate legally. However, we will take enforcement action where a company refuses to comply. We make sure the impacts from these sites are controlled in accordance with a permit and that all companies in the industry are operating on a level playing field.

Dyehouse operators across England who do not currently hold an Environmental Permit from the Environment Agency should proactively assess the capacity of their sites to check whether they require a permit. Any company, who finds that their site’s capacity is above the threshold of 10 tonnes per day, should contact the Environment Agency for advice and guidance on their application for a permit.

Link: Press release: Large fine for Leicester textile firm
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: Funding boost for Scottish charity working in Yemen

Yemen continues to be the worst humanitarian crisis in the world with over 22 million people – 75% of the population – in need of humanitarian assistance.

Mercy Corps’ new work, funded by the UK government, will help thousands of people who have had to flee from conflict in and around Hodeidah in northern Yemen to the cities of al Mokha and Dhubab.

Mercy Corps will provide these vulnerable people, many of whom now have no access to essential services, with life-saving access to over 73,000 litres of clean water every day. They will also help over 21,000 people buy vital food through cash transfers, which are one of the most effective and direct ways of helping communities facing crisis, like those displaced from Hodeidah.

Cash transfers work by providing a modest amount of cash to vulnerable families so that they can buy essential items such as food, water and medicine. This provides better value for money for UK taxpayers and gives recipients the dignity they deserve, with some research showing that £1 delivered through cash transfers can buy £1.20 worth of traditional aid.

The Minister for International Development, Alistair Burt, made the announcement during a visit to Mercy Corps’ offices in central Edinburgh.

Mr Burt said:

It was great to visit Mercy Corps’ offices in Edinburgh this morning and hear more about how UK aid is helping their vital work in Yemen and throughout the world.

The UK remains deeply concerned by the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which is the largest in the world. That’s why the UK was the second-largest donor to the UN Humanitarian Appeal last year.

The conflict has forced thousands to leave their homes, jobs and livelihoods. Our support to Mercy Corps will put cash directly in the hands of 21,000 of some of the most vulnerable Yemenis, to make sure that they have enough money to buy the food and other essentials they need to survive.

Ultimately only a political settlement can bring long-term stability to Yemen and end the humanitarian crisis, so peace talks are the top priority. We call upon all parties to join the UK in supporting the efforts being made by the United Nations to find peace for the sake of the Yemeni people and the security of Yemen’s neighbours.

Simon O’Connell, Mercy Corps Executive Director said:

At a time of unprecedented need in Yemen, UK Aid plays a vital role in helping Mercy Corps meet the emergency needs of families who have been forced to flee their homes. However, until there is a political solution to the conflict in Yemen, their suffering will not end.

Humanitarian organisations, like Mercy Corps, need to be able to provide life-saving support safely and securely, and we must continue all efforts to protect the humanitarian space.

Notes to Editors

  • The UK remains deeply concerned by the humanitarian crisis in Yemen – the largest in the world. Over 22 million people – 75% of the population – are in need of humanitarian assistance. More than 11 million are in need of immediate help to save or sustain life. The UN estimates that 17.8 million people in Yemen do not have reliable access to food and 8.4 million people face extreme food shortages.

  • This is an additional funding allocation of £2.7 million to Mercy Corps for their work in Yemen. Earlier this year the UK announced a total of £170 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen for the financial year 2018 – 2019. This will meet immediate food needs for 2.5 million Yemenis, and brings the total UK bilateral support to Yemen to over £570 million since 2015.

  • Independent research on a cash transfer programme in Lebanon show it delivered 20% better value for money, so every £1 of UK support delivered through cash transfers delivers £1.20 worth of aid. Evidence shows that digital cash transfers are more accountable and better safeguarded against theft, diversion and corruption.

  • Mercy Corps is a leading global organisation powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, they partner to put bold solutions into action – helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. www.mercycorps.org.uk

General media queries

Follow the DFID Media office on Twitter – @DFID_Press

Link: Press release: Funding boost for Scottish charity working in Yemen
Source: Gov Press Releases

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The Plant Health (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2018

This Order amends the Plant Health (England) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/610) to introduce emergency measures to prevent the introduction of Thaumetopoea processionea L. (the Oak Processionary Moth) into the area in England which is recognised as a protected zone for this harmful plant pest. In particular, the Order imposes additional requirements on the introduction of certain plants of Quercus L. into the protected zone and on their movement within that zone.

Link: The Plant Health (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk