Tag: communications

People interested in plans to upgrade the A38 in Derby are urged to have their say as Highways England prepares to launch a consultation this week on proposals to upgrade a busy bottleneck in the city.

The project, valued at around £225m, will make journeys between Birmingham and the M1 and through Derby quicker and simpler by separating long distance traffic from those making local journeys.

The Kingsway, Markeaton and Little Eaton roundabouts will be replaced with two underpasses and a flyover respectively, which will collectively help to reduce congestion on this busy route.

The consultation is the next step in making the scheme a reality and runs from Friday, 7 September until Thursday, 18 October 2018.

Highways England project manager, Paul Nagra, said:

This upgrade is an important development for the A38 and the tens of thousands of people that rely on the road every single day.

Once this work is complete it will provide smoother and more reliable journeys along this important route helping support future investment and economic growth opportunities in the area.

The design has now been developed in more detail and people attending the consultation can have their say on the proposals.

Anyone interested in the scheme can attend any of the public information events that are running between 7 September and 22 September at various locations throughout Derby.

For more information about the events and about the consultation, please visit the scheme website.

Alternatively email A38derbyjunctions@highwaysengland.co.uk.

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.

Britain has pledged to champion Climate Risk and Resilience at next year’s UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit, and has confirmed that its three missions in Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu will all be free of avoidable single-use plastics.

The uninhabited Henderson Island was recently established to have the worst levels of plastic rubbish on its shores of anywhere in the world, and marine plastic pollution elsewhere in the region is a growing problem. The UK’s three additional diplomatic missions in the region will be barred from using avoidable single-use plastics, and will help promote further joint work on climate change issues in the region.

Making the announcement at the Pacific Islands Forum, Minister for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field said:

Climate change poses a clear and present danger to the people of the Pacific islands like nowhere else in the world. The UK is already working with Vanuatu through the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance to tackle the scourge of plastic pollution, and it is important our own representatives lead by example by cracking down on single-use plastics.

But addressing climate change needs massive transformational change and I am proud of Britain’s contribution through the Green Climate Fund. We will be building on this by working much more closely with all the Pacific islands through our missions in the region in the coming years.

The UK is among the largest contributors of international climate finance and in the four years to 2020 will be giving developing countries over £5.5 billion to help them mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

This will build on commitments made at the Commonwealth Head of Governments Meeting in London earlier this year which saw the creation of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance.

The government has today also announced that the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are the first of six countries to receive support through Defra’s £6 million Commonwealth Litter Programme, partnering with countries in their efforts to reduce single-use plastics and other litter entering the oceans.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) will eliminate avoidable single-use plastics from its UK operations by the end of the year, and from its global operations by 2020. It is the first UK government department to announce such a ban and the commitment makes the FCO global a leader in the fight against plastic pollution.

Notes to editors

1. Britain has in the past had missions in Tonga and Vanuatu and is now re-establishing High Commissions in each, along with a new High Commission in Samoa. They will collectively deliver significant bilateral and regional impact and help increase UK influence in multilateral fora.
2. Initial estimates suggest that the FCO globally is consuming at least 3.45 million items of avoidable single-use plastics.

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CURRICULUM VITAE

Full name: Melanie Robinson

Married to: Lucas Robinson

Children: Two

Further information

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The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Cathrine Armour as the new Director of its Customer Division.

Cathrine brings experience in leading data, science and technology-centric organisations, and will be instrumental in developing the UKHO as a leading marine geospatial information agency and hydrographic office.

Cathrine joins the UKHO from Catapult’s South West Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications, a partnership led by the University of Exeter to stimulate the data economy; helping UK businesses develop new products and solutions using satellite technology. Cathrine also led the development of the Ordnance Survey’s Geovation Hub and accelerator program. An award-winning initiative, Geovation has helped many UK start-ups find innovative uses for geospatial data.

Commenting on the timing of her appointment, Cathrine explained: “More people are starting to understand the importance of our marine environment and the need to use ocean resources in a sustainable way. Marine geospatial data is essential to help unlock the value of our oceans whilst ensuring their protection for years to come.

“In its position as a leading marine geospatial agency, the UKHO has a key role to play in how this data is applied and used across our oceans. This means thinking differently about data we hold, and ensuring that, as an organisation, we can package our data in ways that meet the needs of a wide range of users.”

“The potential for users, from commercial and government to philanthropic and aid, to use this data is limitless.”

Cathrine is also a leading commentator on the economic power of innovation, and is a guest lecturer at the University of Exeter’s Business School. In 2016, her work to facilitate international collaboration and cooperation in environmental data for sustainable development was recognised as a finalist for the WISE International Open Source Award sponsored by Bloomberg.

Cathrine explained how her belief in the power of innovation would benefit her in her new role at the UKHO: “Innovation is a powerful and compelling force for change. Be it economic, societal or environmental, data for decision-making is critical to shaping our shared future. I am looking forward to leading the UKHO’s development in this area as we further strengthen our position as the authoritative marine geospatial agency and hydrographic office.”