First deal for new UK Infrastructure Bank as it pumps £107m into green energy hub October 25, 2021 The brand new UK Infrastructure Bank said this morning it plans to invest £107m in the South Bank Quay development at Teesworks, a green energy hub in Teesside, North-East England, creating around 800 jobs. The deal marks the first investment for the bank, which launched in June of this year to finance innovative infrastructure projects, [...]
ULEZ from today: London’s £12.50 pollution charge zone for older vehicles 18 times larger October 25, 2021 From today, drivers of vehicles which do not comply with minimum emissions standards are being charged £12.50 to drive into London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez). The new rules come as London’s pollution charge zone for older vehicles has been significantly expanded, by 18 times, affecting tens of thousands of London motorists. The Ulez has [...]
Green, open and fiscally responsible: business demands revealed ahead of Budget October 25, 2021 UK businesses are calling on the Chancellor to focus on attracting investment back into the country as well as using incentives, rather than purely taxes, to transition to a greener economy. Data from EY’s Budget survey revealed that two third of the 1,000-plus businesses interviewed listed attracting investments as their main priority. However, respondents also [...]
No public support for France’s short-haul ban says Ryanair’s boss October 24, 2021 Ryanair’s boss Michael O’Leary said French President Emmanuel Macron is lying when he says there is public support for the French Government’s ban on short-haul flights, the Telegraph reported. “Be very careful with the French,” the paper reported him saying. “You can always tell when the French are lying because their lips are moving.” O’Leary [...]
HS2 trains on Yorkshire leg will run on existing track as part of government scaling back October 24, 2021 As part of the UK Government’s scaling back on the HS2 project, high-speed trains will run on existing tracks between Yorkshire and the Midlands, the Independent reported exclusively. In addition to a station in Leeds, the government is said to build only a new line to connect the city to South Yorkshire, leaving high-speed trains [...]
Budget: Chancellor admits transport investments will get £1.5bn of new money October 24, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has admitted that out of the £7bn pledged for transport investments, only £1.5bn has not yet been allocated, the Independent reported. Speaking this morning on Trevor Phillips on Sunday, Sunak said the government “topped that up by £1.5bn” when asked about the actual amount of funding that will come from new money. [...]
EV and low emission zones are not a panacea says e-bike boss October 24, 2021 Electric cars are not a “panacea that’s gonna fix everything”, said David Watkins, chief operating officer and cofounder of e-bike subscription service DASH Rides. “A more sustainable city is not going to be car-focused, even if that car is an electric vehicle,” he told Morning Wire “We need to move to a different way of [...]
City Hall calls for a long term London transport plan as regions set to receive £7bn Budget boost October 23, 2021 City Hall has warned that there can be no UK recovery without a strong London recovery in transport as it was revealed that Chancellor Rishi Sunak will allocate almost £7bn in next week’s Autumn Budget to funding urban transport in city regions across England. In a move aimed at the government’s “levelling up” agenda, cities [...]
Sunak set to hike long-haul flight costs through air passenger duty Budget ‘overhaul’ October 23, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak is plotting an air passenger duty hike for flights to long-haul destinations like Australia, Japan and South Africa in his Autumn Budget next week, as a penalty for their environmental damage. Passengers flying to such destinations can expect to pay more after the Chancellor has laid out his plans next week for [...]
Car reliance hits 15-year high as Londoners commute less and switch to driving October 23, 2021 Reliance on cars has reached a 15-year high despite a drop in commuting, according to a new survey. More than four out of five (82 per cent) Londoners in an annual RAC poll of motorists said they would struggle without access to a car. That is up from 79 per cent last year and 74 [...]