Levelling up fund awards £2.1 billion

More than 100 projects have been awarded a share of £2.1 billion from Round 2 of the Levelling Up Fund.

The money will be spent in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with £627 million for better transport links, £821 million for community regeneration and £594 million to restore local heritage sites.

111 areas have been awarded funding from the fund which intends to create new jobs, drive economic growth, help restore people’s pride in the places where they live, and spread opportunity more equally.

Beneficiaries from Round 2 include the Eden Project North visitor attraction in Morecambe, a new AI campus in Blackpool, a new rail link in Cornwall, and a major regeneration scheme in Gateshead.

It has also been announced that there will be another round of funding from the Levelling Up Fund.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Through greater investment in local areas, we can grow the economy, create good jobs and spread opportunity everywhere.

“That’s why we are backing more than 100 projects with new transformational funding to level up local communities across the United Kingdom.

“By reaching even more parts of the country than before, we will build a future of optimism and pride in people’s lives and the places they call home.”

Cardiff Crossrail has been awarded £50 million to improve journeys to and from the city, £27 million has been awarded for a ferry for Fair Isle in the Shetland Islands and £5.1 million is to be spent on building female changing rooms in 20 rugby clubs in Northern Ireland.

Wales announces plans for 100 per cent renewable electricity sources by 2035

“I am very pleased that they propose a pathway for us to meet the equivalent of 100% of our annual electricity consumption from renewable electricity by 2035, and to continue to keep pace with consumption thereafter.”

A full list of recipients is available on the gov.uk Levelling Up website, as is an interactive map showing the projects across the country.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: “We are firing the starting gun on more than a hundred transformational projects in every corner of the UK that will revitalise communities that have historically been overlooked but are bursting with potential.

“This new funding will create jobs, drive economic growth, and help to restore local pride. We are delivering on the people’s priorities, levelling up across the UK to ensure that no matter where you are from, you can go as far as your talents will take you.”

Fire

New fire safety regulations for England

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 23 January, implementing the majority of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations.

Welsh climate change minister, Julie James, has published a consultation on targets for Wales for meet 100 per cent of electricity needs with renewable sources by 2035.

Wales already generates 55 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources.

The minister also announced a target for at least 1.5 GigaWatt of renewable energy capacity to be locally owned by 2035, excluding heat pumps.

There is also a target for 5.5 GigaWatt of renewable energy capacity to be produced by heat pumps by 2035 but this relies on scaled up support from the UK Government and reductions in the cost of technology.

James said: “Our previous targets signalled our high ambitions for renewable energy and this Government’s desire to move away from a use of, and reliance on, fossil fuels.

“However, the climate crisis shows that we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. Providing new targets compels us to stride towards Net Zero as quickly as we realistically can.

“The evidence is clear that towards the end of this decade we will need to rapidly ramp up our generation of electricity to meet our energy needs.

“The renewable energy target proposals that we are consulting on today are ambitious, but credible.

£1 million of funding has been announced to explore the potential of offshore wind. This funding will be matched by Associated British Ports for preparatory work to enable future floating offshore wind projects to deploy from Wales.

Andrew Harston, regional director, Wales & Short Sea Ports added: “Associated British Ports warmly welcomes this early-stage support from Welsh Government to help kick start the development of a major green energy hub at Port Talbot. This support is key to the construction of transformational infrastructure, which will enable the manufacturing, integration and assembly of floating offshore wind components at Port Talbot.

“The roll-out of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity for South Wales to lead a global market and will play a major role in contributing to Wales and the UK’s net zero targets. By doing so it will support and create thousands of long-term, high-quality jobs.

“As the gateway to the Celtic Sea, and with unique capabilities and natural advantages, this support will help position Port Talbot at the heart of these emerging green technologies and industrial decarbonisation.”

The new regulations include a requirement for ‘responsible persons’ of mid and high-rise blocks of flats, who will provide information to fire and rescue services to help them with operational planning and provide additional safety measures. Residents of multi-occupied residential buildings should be provided with fire safety instructions and information on fire doors.

Responsible persons will be required to provide their local fire and rescue service with up-to-date electronic building plans and information on the design and materials of their external wall; undertake monthly checks of firefighting lifts, evacuation lifts and other key pieces of firefighting equipment and install a secure information box and wayfinding signage.

In mid-rise residential buildings (over 11 metres), responsible persons will be required to undertake annual checks of flat entrance doors and quarterly checks of all fire doors in the common part.

Minister for crime, policing and fire, Chris Philp, said: “I am very pleased that measures to improve fire safety in blocks of flats are now law following recommendations made by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

“Keeping the public safe is our utmost priority and we are committed to ensuring that the Grenfell tragedy must never happen again.”