Housing Secretary Sajid Javid today (4 February 2018) confirmed government backing to create a new generation of town houses in cities like London and Manchester to ease pressure on valuable open spaces and help growing families.
Under the changes it will be easier to build upwards on existing blocks of flats and houses as well as shops and offices.
For example, an additional 2 levels could be added to a property – provided it was in keeping with the roofline of other buildings in the area.
It will ensure councils can protect valuable open space in inner city areas, maintain the character of residential areas, safeguard people’s privacy and stop unwanted garden grabbing. These developments must remain in keeping with the character of the local area, including the preservation of listed buildings and conservation areas.
Housing Secretary Sajid Javid said:
The answer to building new homes isn’t always an empty plot, or developing on a derelict site.
We need to be more creative and make more effective use of the space we already have available.
That’s why we are looking to strengthen planning rules to encourage developers to be more innovative and look at opportunities to build upwards where possible when delivering the homes the country needs.
Delivering development in built up areas is an important part of the government’s housing white paper proposals.
This policy will be included in the revised draft National Planning Policy Framework, which is due for consultation in early 2018.
Further information
The government consulted on a proposal to amend national planning policy to give greater emphasis to this matter as part of the housing white paper published on 7 February 2017.
In February 2016, the government consulted, jointly with the Mayor of London, on proposals to support building upwards in London to deliver new homes through development plan policies, a permitted development right or Local Development Orders.
Responses offered support for a policy approach to the principle of building upwards.
The government response to the consultation, published alongside the housing white paper in February 2017, set out the intention to “take forward the policy option through the National Planning Policy Framework to support the delivery of additional homes by building up”, as part of a package of measures to support building at higher densities and using land more efficiently.
The consultation draft of the revised National Planning Policy Framework will be published in early 2018, and will include building up policy alongside others to make efficient use of land and buildings, and building at higher densities.
This policy will be incorporated into the updated National Planning Policy Framework.
The UK Emergency Medical Team (EMT), deployed to the camps of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh following a deadly outbreak of diphtheria, is heading home after bringing the disease under control.
Medical professionals, including doctors, nurses and paramedics, will return this weekend having spent up to six weeks triaging more than 3000 Rohingya people.
Almost 500 people were treated for diphtheria and were it not for British help, many could have died.
Dr Derek Sloan, a consultant in infectious diseases from Fife, Scotland, examines a young boy for symptoms of diphtheria in Kutupalong, Bangladesh
Stationed across three diphtheria treatment centres, the 40-strong UK aid-funded EMT prescribed precautionary antibiotics to the displaced men, women and children suspected to have the disease. Those displaying clear symptoms were immediately given live-saving diphtheria anti-toxin.
With the outbreak now under control, local Bangladeshi health professionals working for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have taken over from the UK clinicians and will work to completely stamp out this disease from the camps.
Ummul Jesmin, one of the Bangladeshi nurses who worked alongside the UK EMT, has also learned vital infection prevention and control skills. These will be essential should another infectious disease outbreak like cholera occur. Pleased with the opportunity to work alongside the EMT, Ummul had nothing but praise for her British colleagues.
Ummul Jesmin, one of the Bangladeshi medics who worked alongside the UK EMT and who will continue to tackle the outbreak now that the British team is leaving.
Diphtheria, entirely preventable through vaccination, surfaced within the camps in late 2017. To date, there have been over 5,000 suspected diphtheria cases and at least 37 deaths.
The overcrowded camps, home to over 655,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled persecution in neighbouring Burma, are a breeding ground for diphtheria.
The contagious disease can cause extreme breathing difficulties and inflammation of the heart. This can lead to heart failure, damage to the nervous system and fatal paralysis.
It is especially dangerous to children; more than half the deaths recorded relate to those under the age of five. The expertise of the British clinicians has saved countless lives including that of four-year-old Settara.
Settara was brought to a treatment centre by her mother Moriam in mid-January with a fever, sore throat and in pain.
One of the nurses instantly identified that Settara was displaying symptoms of diphtheria. Doctors admitted Settara immediately and gave her diphtheria anti-toxin along with a course of antibiotics.
Whilst Settara underwent treatment, the team established that Moriam had seven other children who had all been exposed to the disease. The entire family was provided with precautionary antibiotics and Settara went on to make a full recovery.
Six-year-old Sumaiya, sitting up in bed and already recovering after receiving diphtheria antitoxin treatment.
Six-year-old Samaiya was also brought to the treatment centre in mid-January with clear symptoms of diphtheria. Just a few hours after being given diphtheria anti-toxin, she started to look and feel much better and was seen happily sitting in bed drawing pictures. Samaiya was discharged shortly after to complete her course of antibiotics at home.
The UK, having led the way in providing medical expertise to the crisis, has also helped fund a UNICEF vaccination programme which protects vulnerable Rohingya children from diphtheria.
The first round of the vaccination campaign is now complete and has ensured more than 350,000 children aged between six-weeks and 15-years-old are protected. Children are now receiving their second dose of the vaccine; 110,513 have been vaccinated in the last week alone.
International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:
I have nothing but admiration and thanks for the UK medics who travelled to Cox’s Bazar over the New Year to help victims of diphtheria, who, without UK support, would have died.
These medics embody everything that the UK stands for. We are a nation which does not shy away from our responsibility. When the desperate and the displaced are in need of our help we step in. We should be incredibly proud of this.
Our team has now handed their knowledge over to medics in Bangladesh so they can carry on the fight against diphtheria. Diseases have no respect for borders and this vital work is ultimately making the world a safer place.
Notes to Editors:
The UK’s Emergency Medical Team (EMT) is a collaboration between DFID, the NHS, Public Health England, UK Med – a register of NHS volunteers ready to deploy to emergencies, Handicap International and the UK Fire and Rescue Service. This is the first deployment of the EMT since it was verified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in December 2016. UK medical personnel have previously been deployed to respond to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013 and the Nepal earthquake in 2015.
The deployment has been funded from DFID’s Bangladesh humanitarian budget – up to £650,000 has been earmarked for the EMT.
The EMT deployed to Cox’s Bazar on 28 December 2017 and some staff were rotated out of Cox’s Bazaar after three weeks. Replacement clinicians were deployed in mid-January. All staff were given a diphtheria booster injection before deployment.
Following the request for international assistance by the World Health Organisation on 15 December, a UK EMT team travelled to Bangladesh to conduct an emergency assessment, and recommended the deployment of the EMT.
In response to the diphtheria outbreak in Cox’s Bazaar, existing clinical facilitates have been converted and scaled up. This was led by Médecins Sans Frontières MSF and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). However IOM and other international NGOs are unable to manage the complex care needs of these patients, which is why they required the support of UK staff.
IOM has provided the medical facilities for the deployment. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has provided drugs. The UK EMT provided a specialised clinical team, clinical oversight, some key medical equipment not available in country, and accommodation and transport for staff.
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection. It most often causes infection of the upper respiratory tract. Diphtheria is most commonly spread from person to person through respiratory droplets (coughs and sneezes), or by direct contact with either respiratory secretions or infected skin lesions. Respiratory diphtheria usually occurs after an incubation period of 2-5 days. It causes life-threatening airway obstruction if untreated.
The first suspected case of diphtheria was reported on 10 November at an MSF clinic in Cox’s Bazar. The outbreak was confirmed through laboratory testing on 04 December 2017. As of 30/1, 5,120 suspected cases of diphtheria and 37 deaths have been reported.
DFID is working in partnership with the government of Bangladesh to ensure that children living in the camps and host communities are vaccinated against this deadly disease.
DFID is funding £2 million of the $4.6 million cost (£3.4 million) required to vaccinate 351,458 children aged six-weeks to 15-years-old as part of the vaccination campaign.
The wider UNICEF vaccination campaign will also vaccinate 130,000 school children living in host communities near to the camps in Cox’s Bazar.
Funding for this vaccination campaign has been provided from the response budget announced on 23rd October and 27th November 2017.
Medics have worked tirelessly to ensure the swift vaccination of those most at risk.
The UK has currently contributed £59 million to the crisis since 25 August 2017.
British Business Bank to support up to £100 million of lending to small businesses through its delivery partners
UK Finance confirms an additional multi-million pound package for SMEs and extra help for customers concerned about their mortgage or credit card payments
industry and government continue to work together to ensure businesses and workers are supported following Carillion’s liquidation
A further package of support for the businesses and workers affected by Carillion’s liquidation was welcomed today (Saturday 3 February) by Business Secretary Greg Clark.
Through delivery partners that include all the major high street lenders, the British Business Bank will provide support to make available up to £100 million of lending to small businesses who may not have the security otherwise needed for conventional bank lending using its Enterprise Finance Guarantee programme.
This will be of benefit to small businesses, including the chain of subcontractors to Carillion, who may not have sufficient assets as security to access conventional loans. These guarantees can be used to support overdraft borrowing and refinancing of existing debt.
The UK’s leading banks have also furthered their commitment to provide support to those affected with UK Finance confirming additional support for personal banking customers concerned about overdraft, mortgage or credit card repayments, as well as further financial support for small businesses to provide short-term relief to help keep them afloat.
Business Secretary Greg Clark said:
We want to signal very clearly to small and medium sized businesses who were owed money by Carillion that they will be supported to continue trading.
The banks have responded to my request by agreeing to support businesses and individuals affected. This further guarantee will help those businesses who may not be able to provide the usual security for a loan.
I will continue to work closely with business organisations, trade unions and banks to actively support those affected by Carillion’s insolvency.
British Business Bank CEO Keith Morgan said:
The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) is an important option for smaller businesses who need access to finance, but may not be able to meet a provider’s normal security requirements. To help in these exceptional circumstances, we have designed additional flexibility into EFG that could be particularly suitable for firms in the Carillion supply chain. We would encourage lenders to work with their customers to use these new flexibilities to meet their needs.
UK Finance Managing Director, Commercial Finance Stephen Pegge said:
UK banks are working with government to support customers and businesses who have been impacted by the Carillion liquidation. The enhancement of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee by the British Business Bank will help those facing temporary cash flow issues to access the finance they need to support their businesses through this period.
This package is in addition to the more than £200 million already announced by Lloyds Banking Group, HSBC and RBS.
Notes to editors
More than 40 accredited lenders provide finance to their SME customers under the British Business Bank’s Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme. The Business Secretary has written to all accredited Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) lenders to draw their attention to this additional support, and expects them to ensure that they are actively engaging with SME businesses in Carillion’s supply chain so they can give them the support they need. Accredited EFG lenders are listed on the British Business Bank website.
The Business Secretary has written to all accredited Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) lenders to draw their attention to this additional support, and expects them to ensure that they are actively engaging with SME businesses in Carillion’s supply chain so they can give them the support they need. Accredited EFG lenders are listed on the British Business Bank website.
Information on how the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme operates and supports businesses can be found on the British Business Bank website.
The British Business Bank is the UK’s national economic development bank. Established in November 2014, its mission is to make finance markets for smaller businesses work more effectively, enabling those businesses to prosper, grow and build UK economic activity. Its remit is to design, deliver and efficiently manage UK-wide smaller business access to finance programmes for the UK government.
On Thursday 18 January the Business Secretary chaired the first meeting of a taskforce set up to monitor and advise on mitigating the impacts of Carillion’s liquidation on construction firms, particularly SMEs and those working in the sector. This meeting builds on a series held by the Business Secretary last week with trade associations, unions and banks.
Alistair Burt, Minister for the Middle East, said:
The UK is deeply concerned by the three reports of chlorine attacks by Syrian regime forces in Eastern Ghouta so far in 2018. If it is confirmed that the regime has used chlorine, it would be yet another appalling example of the Asad regime’s blatant disregard for both the Syrian people and its legal obligation not to use chemical weapons.
Russia’s repeated vetoes – which ended the UN Security Council mandated Joint Investigative Mechanism – risk sending a dangerous signal to the Syrian regime that it can use chemical weapons with impunity.
The unrelenting airstrikes and violence by the regime and its backers in Eastern Ghouta and Idlib continue to claim indiscriminately civilian lives on a daily basis and are worsening the already dire humanitarian situation.
The Asad regime must allow immediate, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance. We call on Russia and the regime’s backers to exert their influence to ensure this.
At a meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday (5 February) the UK will again call on Russia and the international community to unite to hold the Asad regime to account for using these abhorrent weapons, to seek justice for the victims and to prevent further attacks.
Further information
Follow Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt @AlistairBurtUK
Highways England is installing around 170 of the innovative LED road studs at one of England’s busiest motorway junctions – used by over 90,000 vehicles every day.
The intelligent road studs are being introduced as part of a £3 million project to improve journeys and safety at Switch Island in Merseyside, where the M57, M58 and 3 A roads all join together.
The LED road studs light up when traffic lights turn green so drivers can clearly see which lane they should follow. Cables under the road surface connect them to traffic lights through a nearby automatic controller unit.
The studs can be visible up to 1,000 metres away – far greater than traditional reflective road studs – and have been proven to help stop drivers drifting between lanes, reducing the risk of collisions.
Highways England has already installed the LED studs at Hindhead Tunnel in Surrey to guide drivers through the tunnel but the Switch Island scheme will be the first time they have been linked to traffic lights at a motorway junction.
Phil Tyrrell, Project Manager at Highways England, said:
We’re always looking for new ways to further improve journeys and safety for drivers, and I hope the new intelligent road studs will help better guide drivers around Switch Island.
The innovative light-up road studs along with the other improvements we’re introducing will make it much easier to navigate the junction, benefitting the tens of thousands of drivers who travel through it every day.
Construction work on the Switch Island scheme, which is being funded by the government’s £220 million congestion relief programme, is due to start on Monday 5 February and is expected to take around a year to complete.
The scheme is designed to improve the flow of traffic and enhance safety, following 49 collisions at the junction in the past two years – an average of one every fortnight. New traffic lights will be installed at a height of over 5 metres – higher than HGVs and double-decker buses – so that drivers approaching the junction can clearly see when the lights are changing.
Other improvements will include changes to the road layout and lane markings, new barriers between carriageways, coloured high friction surfaces and better signs. And a new 400 metre shared cycle path will be created through the junction, which will link up with the existing cycle path alongside the A5036 Dunnings Bridge Road.
Jerry McConkey, Sefton Council’s Transportation and Highway Infrastructure Service Manager, said:
We have worked closely with Highways England and Merseyside Police to look at the issues at Switch Island and develop improvement proposals.
As a result, we are delighted that these important safety measures are about to be introduced with Highways England implementing the latest technology solutions. This will further improve safety and give drivers a much higher level of confidence when negotiating this busy junction.
The new intelligent road studs which are being installed at Switch Island were designed by Oxfordshire-based company Clearview Intelligence.
Managing Director Nick Lanigan said:
The introduction of intelligent road studs, reacting to traffic light changes on a busy roundabout is a continuation of the traditional road studs legacy but takes advantage of new technology available. The new studs have been proven to reduce lane transgression by over 50% in certain conditions so it’s a great way to help improve the safety for all road users.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
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New European Union sanctions have been announced today (Friday 2 February), targeting three South Sudanese former and current officials responsible for serious human rights violations and obstructions of the political process.
Paul Malong, Malek Reuben Riak and Michael Makuei Leuth will now be subject to sanctions by all EU member states, effective immediately.
This action comes ahead of the start of new peace talks hosted by Ethiopia in Addis Ababa on Monday 5 February. These talks aim to restart the peace process following the repeated breaches of the cessation of hostilities agreed between South Sudanese government and opposition forces in December 2017.
Minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin said:
It is more vital than ever that those undermining the process recognise the price of their actions. The UK has played a leading role in pushing for these sanctions at an EU level and it is right that we are taking tough action against those who continue to act against the interests of the South Sudanese people.
We remain committed to supporting the peace process and urge South Sudan’s leaders to participate in good faith to agree a political solution and end the suffering of their people.
Conflict has devastated South Sudan, causing a humanitarian, political and economic crisis. Over one and a half million people are on the brink of famine – twice as many as the same time last year. Over four million people, a third of South Sudan’s population, have fled their homes causing Africa’s largest refugee crisis.
Further information
Follow Foreign Office Minister Harriett Baldwin on Twitter @hbaldwint
Body worn camera footage captured by Environment Agency officers on patrol has been used to support a conviction for the first time.
Callum Bell, 26, of Lyndsey Street in Houghton-Le-Spring, was fined for obstructing Fisheries Enforcement officers during an incident at Ouston near Chester-le-Street in June last year.
The footage shows Bell using insulting and threatening behaviour towards the two officers as they investigated an illegal fishing offence.
He appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 31 January, where he pleaded guilty to two offences of wilfully obstructing the officers in the execution of their duty, and two offences of using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour towards the two officers. He was fined £534 and ordered to pay costs of £530.
In a separate offence from the same incident, David Daniel Bilverstone, 23, of Northlands in Chester-le-Street was charged with fishing without a licence. He failed to appear and the case was proved in his absence. He was fined £110 and ordered to pay costs of £180.
Threatening towards officers
Acting on behalf of the Environment Agency, Chris Bunting told the court that on 18 June last year, the enforcement officers were carrying out a patrol of the freshwater lake Ouston Springs. They saw Bilverstone fishing with a rod and Bell seemingly asleep on the bankside.
One of the enforcement officers took Bilverstone aside to fill in an offence report form. He said he goes sea fishing and claimed he didn’t know he needed a licence.
At this point Bell awoke and walked towards where the officers were standing by the lake side. It was apparent he was affected by alcohol. He quickly became aggressive and threatening towards the two officers.
He tried to grab the offence report book, threatened to push them in the lake and twice lunged towards one of the officers, trying to grab the officer’s baton from its holster. Over the course of several minutes he continued to be verbally abusive, repeatedly swearing and making threats.
Even after the officers had finished dealing with the illegal fishing offence, he continued to shout abuse towards them from across the lake.
When interviewed, Bell said he was drunk and hadn’t meant to obstruct the officers. In court, he offered an unreserved apology for his actions.
‘Safety of staff is paramount’
Rachael Caldwell, Environment Agency Enforcement Team Leader for the north east, said:
Bell was told on more than one occasion that he was being recorded by the cameras but he continued to be threatening and abusive.
Our officers are doing an important job to ensure people are fishing legally and taking action against those that aren’t. The safety of our staff is paramount and they shouldn’t have to put up with any kind of abusive or threatening behaviour.
This is the first time cameras worn by our officers have been used to support a conviction. Our preference is to prevent hostility in the first place and I hope this serves as a warning to others that their actions are being recorded and will be used in future court proceedings. Hopefully people will think twice before acting in such a way.
Environment Agency enforcement officers in the north east first trialled the use of body worn cameras last year to help reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour, assaults and threats against staff. It’s expected they will be rolled out to teams elsewhere in the country in the coming months.
The cameras – which are the norm among many enforcement agencies – can be used in a variety of ways, including at visits to poor performing waste sites, illegal waste sites, during fisheries and navigation patrols and even during incident response.
Officers must follow clear guidelines on use of the cameras, including telling people they are being filmed, and deleting any footage after a month unless it is used for evidential purposes.
Fishing is free for children under 16, although those aged between 12 and 16 still need a junior licence. For anyone over 16, a full annual licence costs from just £30, with some short term and concessionary licences also available. You can buy your rod licence online
The scheme, which launched in 2014, helps to give patients with life threatening or seriously debilitating conditions earlier access to new and innovative treatments.
Medicines developers, including research organisations, can apply for a PIM designation if they have evidence to support that a medicinal product is likely to offer major advantage for patients. Upon designation, the application can then proceed to a scientific opinion assessment which leads to patient access in the NHS.
EAMS is a key part of our commitment to accelerating patient access to innovative treatments and supporting the UK life sciences environment. Between April 2014 and December 2017, 18 positive scientific opinions have been awarded in a number of different clinical areas with unmet medical need.
Dr Ian Hudson, Chief Executive Officer at MHRA said:
Reaching this milestone means 50 new indications from promising medicinal products have emerged in the last four years alone. As a result, current and future patients will be able to access potentially life-saving drugs that they may not have otherwise had the chance to have.
We are delighted with the success of the scheme, to date, which is part of our priority to ensure, new, good quality, safe and efficacious innovative treatments are available to patients at the earliest opportunity.
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After carefully considering the field of candidates who applied through an open recruitment exercise that was launched in July 2017, the Prime Minister has taken the decision to re-run the competition to appoint the Chair of the National Citizen Service (NCS), under paragraph 3.2 of the Governance Code for Public Appointments.
A new campaign will launch in due course, and will be focused towards identifying a candidate with appropriate commercial experience, or experience of setting direction and supporting an organisation to develop.
Government is committed to the continued development of the NCS programme. The new Chair will lead NCS through a period of organisational change, so it is vital that we find the right candidate for the job.
The following designers will be awarded contracts to help develop and refine the detailed plans for the four stations, due to open in 2026:
Birmingham Curzon Street – WSP UK Limited (working with Grimshaw Architects LLP)
Birmingham Interchange – Ove Arup & Partners International Limited (working with Arup Associates and Wilkinson Eyre Architects Limited)
Old Oak Common – WSP UK Limited (working with Wilkinson Eyre Architects Limited)
London Euston – Ove Arup & Partners International Limited (working with Grimshaw Architects LLP)
The wining teams have a track record of delivering cutting edge design and have worked on some of the largest and most complex international infrastructure projects, including Gateshead Millennium Bridge, The Eden Project in Cornwall, Biljmer Arena station in the Netherlands, and the new concourse at London’s King’s Cross station.
London and Birmingham are already planning for the arrival of HS2 which is expected to unlock opportunities for 30,000 new homes and 130,000 jobs as part of wider developments around the four stations.
Welcoming the news, HS2 Minister Nusrat Ghani said:
HS2 is a modern railway fit for Britain’s future, improving vital links between some of our country’s biggest cities, driving forward growth and significantly improving services for passengers with thousands more seats on faster trains.
Appointing these leading creative firms ensures that passengers on our world-class railway will experience modern and accessible stations. I am confident that these firms will deliver these projects at value for money, with designs that are both innovative and in keeping with their surroundings.
HS2 Ltd Chief Executive, Mark Thurston said:
Our new stations in London and Birmingham will be at the heart of the first phase of the project, increasing capacity, improving journeys and helping to unlock opportunities for tens of thousands of new jobs and homes around what will be four new landmark buildings.
That’s why I’m delighted to welcome these talented designers to the team, and we look forward to working with them to create station designs which showcase world-class architecture, ease of use and value for money that our passengers and communities expect and deserve.
The new HS2 stations will be designed with input from local communities, using best practice principles from stations around the world, and guidelines and specifications endorsed by an independent panel of leading architects and designers.
Working with HS2 Ltd, the winners will be tasked with delivering:
People-centred design, which offers high-quality customer experience including shopping, business facilities, and opportunities for art and leisure
Architecture which enables accessibility for all, including step-free access from street-to-seat which is simple and easy to navigate
‘Timeless design’ for future-proofing and flexibility so stations accommodate changes in technology and in the population
Respecting and contributing to the physical and cultural legacy of the location – responding to the local built and natural environment, using local materials and ensuring local people identify with their station and have pride in it
An independent HS2 Design Panel has scrutinised HS2’s guidelines and specifications for the stations, and will continue to play a key role in reviewing the detailed designs as they develop through 2018.
Chair of the HS2 Design Panel, Sadie Morgan from DrMM architects, said:
We welcome the appointment of these world class designers and look forward to working with them and HS2 to help deliver iconic stations which set new standards in design and ease of use, and provide a legacy of great architecture of which Britain can be truly proud.
HS2 services from London and Birmingham will travel beyond the new high speed network via existing tracks to a wide range of destinations including Liverpool, The North West, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
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