Tag: Department for Transport

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 9 February 2023.

Sir Jonathan Thompson appointed as Chair of HS2 Ltd.

Sir Jonathan Thompson will be taking on the mantle of HS2 Ltd Chair and the responsibility of driving forward Europe’s largest infrastructure project.

Sir Jonathan’s appointment, which follows almost a year as Deputy Chair, comes at a pivotal time for the HS2 programme as the Crewe-Manchester Bill moves through Parliament and work at Euston continues to progress and regenerate the surrounding area.

In his role, Sir Jonathan will be providing strategic leadership, oversight and accountability for the HS2 programme, ensuring it is delivered on time and in budget while continuing to create jobs, boost local economies and provide much needed capacity on our railways.

Sir Jonathan brings decades of experience delivering major projects and world-class leadership having previously served as the Permanent Secretary at both the Ministry of Defence and HM Revenue and Customs. This is on top of overseeing huge landmark moments HS2 has already achieved during his time as Deputy Chair, including providing 1,000 apprenticeships and the completion of the first mile of tunnels at Long Itchington Wood.

HS2 is a once-in-a-lifetime project, which will improve transport connectivity across the North of England and the Midlands. As well as being the largest infrastructure project in Europe, HS2 is also spearheading new methods of construction such as 2000 tonne tunnel boring machines and using new technology to ensure the natural landscape across the route is left in the same, if not better, condition than it was found.

This comes just months after the Chancellor and Prime Minister set out the government’s commitment to HS2 in the Autumn Statement, and reiterated their dedication to ensuring the project provides fast, more reliable services and connects people to new job opportunities.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

HS2 goes far beyond simply making journeys quicker. It is a world-leading project that is already having a huge impact by regenerating communities and creating tens of thousands of jobs across the country.

I am delighted to appoint Sir Jonathan as Chair, and with his breadth of experience I have no doubt he will be successful in delivering our shared goals of increasing capacity on our rail network, levelling up our country and driving economic growth for generations to come.

Sir Jonathan Thompson said:

I am delighted to have been appointed as HS2 Chair. During my time on the board, this monumental project has already achieved some incredible milestones and I’ve seen first-hand how it will transform not only journeys but the lives of people across the country.

I look forward to working with our first-class stakeholders and partners in my new role, to ensure it this once in a lifetime opportunity fulfils its pioneering potential.

Also appointed today is Elaine Holt, as Deputy Chair of the HS2 Ltd board. Elaine is an existing non-executive director and an expert in both transport and the service industries. She will support the Chair in leading the board.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 9 February 2023.

The first digger powered by a hydrogen combustion engine will soon be on UK roads and building sites.

The world’s first digger, powered by a hydrogen combustion engine, will soon be on UK roads and building sites following recent government approval, helping to decarbonise the UK’s construction industry.

The UK government has given special dispensation, under a vehicle special order, that allows JCB, the British construction equipment manufacturer, to test and use its world-first hydrogen-powered backhoe loader on UK roads.

The vehicle special order given by the Transport Secretary allows JCB to test its new hydrogen-powered machine on the public highway. This backhoe loader is the first of its kind and offers a pioneering solution to help reduce emissions on construction sites.

With 25% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions coming from the built environment, it’s vital the entire construction industry looks to decarbonise at every stage.

Today (9 February 2023) not only marks a new direction for reducing emissions but will help grow the economy, with JCB having already created 150 new jobs in the Midlands with the promise of hundreds more as the company’s hydrogen project advances. These developments also help to equip the country with the skills and expertise to not only reduce emissions but provide learning to would-be apprentices, future-proofing the nation’s skillset.

Technology and Decarbonisation Minister Jesse Norman said:

From cars to construction sites, industry has a vital role in decarbonising our economy and creating green jobs and prosperity.

JCB’s investment in greener equipment is a great example of how industry can make this happen, using alternative fuels to generate sustainable economic growth.

JCB’s prototype hydrogen-powered backhoe loader is an important first step in the construction industry’s efforts to decarbonise in what is a ‘hard to decarbonise’ sector. Hydrogen combustion machines can play a vital role in reducing carbon emissions in settings where other types of clean power may not be the most practical or efficient.

JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said:

Securing this vehicle special order from the Department for Transport is an important first step in getting JCB machines that are powered by hydrogen combustion engines to and from British building sites using the public highway. It’s an endorsement that JCB is on the right path in pursuit of its net zero ambitions.

JCB’s hydrogen-powered backhoe loader is a world first in our industry, a digger with a purpose-engineered internal combustion engine that uses hydrogen gas as the energy source. It’s a real breakthrough – a zero CO2 fuel providing the power to drive the pistons in an internal combustion engine, a technology that’s been around for over 100 years, a technology that we are all familiar with.

I am delighted that the Decarbonisation Minister will witness for himself the first drive of a hydrogen-powered digger on the open road. It’s clear to me that, following this visit, he’ll appreciate the potential for hydrogen internal combustion engines to help deliver net zero targets more quickly, while adding jobs and contributing wider economic benefits to the construction sector.

Today Minister Norman will visit JCB’s headquarters in Rocester, Staffordshire, where he’ll see the digger take to the road near the factory where it was manufactured. He’ll also inspect one of JCB’s hydrogen combustion engines, which are the product of a £100 million investment project by JCB to build on their innovative British engineering and develop new lower emission powertrains.

The pace of JCB’s hydrogen developments showcase a level of commitment to decarbonisation that is needed across all sectors of the UK economy.

Hydrogen is just one of the many ways that the UK government is looking to accelerate decarbonisation. The recent announcement of second phase of the Tees Valley Hydrogen Hub builds on previous commitments to best explore how hydrogen can be utilised as an alternative fuel, whether that be through the use of hydrogen fuel cells on road or hydrogen internal combustion engines for off-road construction machinery.

The work seen as part of the hub in Tees Valley will work to address challenges such as providing refuelling infrastructure at scale and integrating that within a wider decarbonised energy network.

As hydrogen technologies develop here in the UK, it’s vital this knowledge helps shape the next generation of apprentices. During this year’s National Apprenticeship Week (6 to 12 February 2023), hydrogen continues to be a source of opportunity for new skills and jobs to be developed.

JCB’s expanding apprenticeship programme shows how apprentices can play a part in shaping a net zero future, building on the recent government commitment to deliver £300,000 towards the teaching of hydrogen skills as part of the Tees Valley Hydrogen Transport hub.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 6 February 2023.

New fund to help local authorities make improvements that enable more people to choose active travel.

Schools, high streets and main roads will benefit from improved crossings and junctions to support walking and cycling, reduce emissions and boost local economies, thanks to a £200 million fund announced today (6 February 2023).

Active Travel England is today inviting local authorities in England to apply for funding to make improvements to enable people to choose active travel, which can help them save money and stay healthy. Schemes could include:

• creating more paths in rural areas
• developing safer routes for children to walk to school
• improved safety at junctions for people walking and cycling

Funding will also be used to support people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters by making street designs more inclusive.

Projects will be designed in consultation with residents and businesses to ensure schemes are safe and work for local communities. The successful projects will be announced later this year. Guidance has been created to help local authorities develop active travel schemes that are well-designed and completed to a high standard.

Walking and cycling charity Sustrans has estimated that active travel generated £36.5 billion for the economy in 2021 through increased spending on high streets, reduced pressure on the NHS and better access to jobs. This investment could also generate up to 16 million additional walking and cycling trips a year.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

This £200 million investment for hundreds of upgraded routes and paths across the country will help to reduce emissions, boost local economies and create jobs.

These new schemes will make it safer for children to walk to school and will better connect rural communities, helping more people choose active travel as an affordable and healthy way to get around.

Previous funding rounds saw a new cycle lane built in Coventry which generated 10,000 trips in its first month and a new walking and cycling route in Manchester, where people travelling on foot and by bike are separated from motor vehicles.

Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman said:

Active travel is convenient, cheap, low carbon and health-giving. It’s a choice we need to make sure everyone has. Sometimes it only takes relatively small changes, such as crossings on school routes or convenient places to park a bike, to give us the option to walk, wheel or ride.

Our job is to help local authorities across the country ensure that everyone has more attractive options for their daily trips and we are excited to help them deliver those options.

The funding could see more young people choosing a healthier and greener way to travel from home to the classroom. With less than half of children aged 5 to 16 walking or cycling to school, this investment aims to boost uptake. The government’s objective is to enable 55% of all primary school children to walk to school by 2025.

Studies show that 1 in 2 women feel unsafe walking after dark in a quiet street near their home. Local authorities will also need to show that their proposed schemes take women’s safety into account.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 6 February 2023.

A multi-million-pound Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition launched to help decarbonise the UK’s maritime sector.

Zero-emission ferries, cruises and cargo ships will set sail in UK waters within 2 years, creating thousands of new jobs, thanks to a £77 million government investment in clean maritime technology.

This is the first time in UK history the government is intervening to specifically target this level of funding on green maritime tech which is already well developed. The funding will take the tech from the factory to the sea – identifying which projects will have a long-term impact in reducing emissions.

Successful projects must show they could use this money to work with major UK ports and operators to launch a zero-emission vessel by 2025 at the latest.

Examples of such technology include battery electric vessels, shoreside electrical power, ships running on low carbon fuels like hydrogen or ammonia, and wind-assisted ferries.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

When it comes to tackling climate change, we are taking action on all transport modes, which is why we’re making sure our world-leading maritime sector has a greener future.

This multi-million-pound investment will help the latest tech ideas become reality and ensure UK waters will play host to green cargo ships, ferries and cruises in the next few years.

Our funding will support a cleaner freight system, a more environmentally friendly tourism industry, and a net-zero maritime sector.

The multi-million-pound Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition, launched today, 6 February 2023 – will see innovative companies apply for the funding, which must be used to decarbonise technology both on board and shoreside.

The investment demonstrates the government’s commitment to a new green age for maritime travel, which is free from emissions, in line with the 1.5-degree temperature target set by the Paris Agreement.

Defence Secretary and Shipbuilding Tsar, Ben Wallace, said:

Our National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh set ambitious plans to drive the green maritime revolution as a key step to reaching this government’s net zero targets.

This investment is a clear statement that we are taking these plans seriously, helping to put the UK at the cutting edge of clean maritime technology while benefitting thousands of UK jobs.

The competition will be overseen by Innovate UK, which has a record of delivering similar competitions across government successfully.

Innovate UK Executive Director for Net Zero Mike Biddle said:

This latest £77 million investment in clean maritime innovation is another major milestone in the delivery of the wider UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme to accelerate the transition to net zero.

Innovate UK will work closely with the Department for Transport in delivering the Zero Emission Vessel and Infrastructure competition, resulting in multi-year real world demonstrations of clean maritime technologies around the UK.

The government is also calling on universities across the UK to join forces to establish a new Clean Maritime Research Hub, with £7.4 million funding from government and additional funding from academia and industry.

Research in the fundamental science behind clean maritime technologies will be delivered by the hub, building evidence and expertise for the maritime sector. It will also support skills development across the industry and generate knowledge for maritime decision-makers.

The hub will be delivered in partnership with and co-funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The ZEVI fund and Clean Maritime Research Hub are part of the UK SHORE programme, launched in March 2022 with £206 million in funding. UK SHORE aims to tackle shipping emissions and advance the UK towards a sustainable shipping future.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 2 February 2023.

A study has been announced that will develop options for new stations and services on the South Wales Main Line.

The UK and Welsh governments have today announced they are working together on a £2.7 million study, funded by the UK government, to develop options for new stations and services on the South Wales Main Line.

The study follows Lord Hendy’s recommendations from his review of transport connectivity across the UK, which put forward the need to relieve congestion on the M4.

A series of options will be considered as part of this study, among which is the development of 5 brand new stations between Cardiff and Severn Tunnel.

Transport Minister, Richard Holden said:

Delivering better transport links is a vital part of how we transform opportunities for people from across the United Kingdom.

That’s why I am so delighted that, working with the Welsh Government, we are getting the ball rolling on in-depth work to boost connectivity and drive growth.

Following the publication of Lord Peter Hendy’s Union Connectivity Review in 2021, the UK government committed to forging and strengthening transport links that will create a more cohesive and connected United Kingdom.

Research carried out for the report specifically highlighted how important travel across the border between Wales and England is, with a large number of people travelling daily for work, services and leisure.

Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies said:

Good transport connections between south Wales and western England are essential for the economy in Wales, enabling businesses to grow and flourish and making life easier for people to travel for work and leisure.

This funding from the UK government is vital in exploring how best to relieve congestion across south Wales. I’m pleased to work with the Welsh Government on plans that could have a huge impact on the many thousands of people who use the transport network in south Wales every day.

Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister for Climate Change:

This is a key step to tackle congestion around Newport and was one of the main recommendations of the Burns Commission, which was endorsed by Lord Peter Hendy’s Union Connectivity Review. The business case is compelling and we are keen to make progress so that we can get more people onto South Wales Main Line trains, complementing Welsh Government’s investments in improving access to rail.

Lord Peter Hendy also proposed reviewing the route connecting north Wales to the north-west of England, better connectivity with HS2 and a package of railway improvements to increase connectivity and reduce journey times between Cardiff, Birmingham and beyond.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 2 February 2023.

Government pledges £10 million to support innovation in transport decarbonisation.

A new research hub is being launched to boost innovative measures to decarbonise and improve transport, as the country works towards its net zero goals.

Decarbonisation Minister Jesse Norman has announced applications are open today (2 February 2023) for organisations to host the new hub, with the government pledging £10 million in funding for the centre, which will establish a UK centre of excellence for transport innovation.

Currently, transport accounts for 27% of the UK’s emissions and the Net Zero Transport for a Resilient Future Hub will drive decarbonisation solutions, such as greater use of recycled materials and reducing the carbon footprint of repairs and maintenance.

The hub will also develop and implement innovative ideas to ensure future transport is resilient and meets the challenges of climate adaption, such as changes to weather and water levels.

It will focus on the UK’s transport sector’s needs over the next 25 years as the government works to meet its 2050 net zero goals, helping to ensure the sector can build UK skills, jobs and innovation.

Decarbonisation Minister Jesse Norman said:

Innovation is key to the growth of the transport sector, and the creation of high-skilled jobs and business opportunities across the UK.

This new UK research hub will build a centre of excellence for the future development of low-carbon transport.

By working to develop real-world solutions across a wide range of academic disciplines, such as architecture and design, computing and behavioural sciences, the hub will help support innovation in the UK which could lead to high-skilled jobs across the UK.

It will aim to provide a link for early-stage innovation and later stage demonstration across multiple transport modes to create, develop and test climate-resilient solutions that recognise how different places and types of transport will require different answers.

By researching the challenges of the transport sector in adapting to climate change and securing UK innovation, the centre will look to offer responsive, practical, evidence-based support to transport decision-makers and develop and implement sustainable, low-carbon solutions across existing and new infrastructure.

Some of the areas the hub will be expected to research include:

• solutions for resilient transport infrastructure – researching ways to improve the design of transport related infrastructure to better cope with potential climate impacts and reduce emissions, for example increasing use of recycled materials, increasing biodiversity in projects, or ways to use fewer materials
• streetscape – designing streets to minimise carbon emissions, improve drivers’ and pedestrians’ mental health and wellbeing, and ensure their resilience to potential climate impacts
• localised climate modelling of temperature, sea-level and weather – gaining a better understanding of potential climate impacts on specific areas, in part, to prioritise those places most in need for possible adaptive measures and projects
• bridge the gap between infrastructure research and policy – researching ways to shorten the time between developing innovative solutions and their wider adoption

UK Research and Innovation Building a Green Future lead, Professor Sir Duncan Wingham, said:

A partnership between the Department for Transport and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Net Zero Transport Infrastructure for a Resilient Future Research Hub will lead the cross-UK research that is needed to effect transformational change in the transport sector.

It will lead future developments to decarbonise our transport sector, a crucial component of achieving the UK’s net zero 2050 target.

It will also help to ensure our transport systems remain resilient to hazards caused by extreme weather events and climactic changes that are already apparent.

The hub will be funded through UKRI’s Building a Green Future strategic theme to accelerate the UK’s transition to a secure and prosperous green economy by 2050. This theme is a partnership between government departments, industry and UKRI to fast-track the development of innovative solutions needed to meet the UK’s net zero goals, keeping the UK at the forefront of the green industrial revolution.

Over 80% of the funding for the hub will come from government through the Department for Transport, UKRI (via the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council), and organisations in the Transport Research and Innovation Board, with the remaining coming from the winning research centre, which will become the home of the hub.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 1 February 2023.

The Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund will help to get young people from all backgrounds into aviation.

The government is today (1 February 2023) announcing the winners of its Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund, which will help to get young people from all backgrounds into aviation.

Eleven non-profit organisations have been selected, with £700,000 going to fund outreach programmes and events to show the next generation what opportunities the aviation sector can offer.

For those who have previously struggled to get a foothold in this exciting industry, the aim of the fund is to break down barriers – targeting those schemes which provide an entry point for people who are from underprivileged backgrounds or under-represented groups.

It forms part of the new Generation Aviation campaign which recognises that, for the sector to successfully adapt to the challenges of tomorrow, it needs a robust, open, and diverse workforce – with a reliable pool of talent from the full range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and other critical roles.

The Transport Secretary will announce the winners today at the very first Aviation Council – one of the first commitments in the government’s 10-year strategy for the sector, Flightpath to the Future.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

Innovation propels aviation and for it to face up to tomorrow’s challenges it needs an open and diverse workforce that can bring fresh ideas and ways of working.

Our Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund recipients will be key to that, inspiring the next generation into the sector and helping to build an aviation workforce fit for the future.

I was pleased to chair the first ever Aviation Council today and continue our healthy collaboration with industry, supporting it in every way we can, so it can continue to push boundaries.

Among the 11 winning organisations are:

Resilient Pilot – a non-profit organisation who will receive £100,000 to develop a special mentoring and coaching programme for young students aged 11 to 18, inspiring the next generation to explore exciting and rewarding careers in the UK’s aviation sector.

The Air League – a charity which will receive £50,000 to support their Soaring to Success programme, looking to improve social mobility and helping support 35,000 spaces on their programme and up to 1,100 flying and engineering taster days and workshops targeted at young people from lower socio-economic groups.

Aerobility – a charity which will also receive over £100,000 to fund their Equal Skies Charter, aimed at increasing accessibility in the sector. They will use the funding to work with partners across the industry to raise the level of understanding of what disability is and what accessibility means to their organisation.

Before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the air transport and aerospace sectors contributed at least £22 billion to gross domestic product (GDP) each year and provided at least 230,000 jobs across all regions of the country directly. However, there are several challenges ahead, from decarbonisation to changing travelling patterns following the pandemic.

Tackling these challenges is the aim of Generation Aviation, which forms part of the government’s 22-point plan to support aviation as it recovers from the pandemic. Also included in the campaign is the government’s aviation skills recruitment platform (ASRP) – which signposts careers and opportunities to people looking to enter or move up in the industry – among other schemes.

Organisations meeting the criteria for the Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund were able to apply for a share of £700,000, with funding decisions agreed by a joint panel of the Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority – which manages the fund on DfT’s behalf.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 1 February 2023.

Passengers will be boarding the world’s first fully sized, self-driving bus service in Edinburgh from the Spring, after it was awarded a share of £81 million in joint UK government and industry support for self-driving transport technology.

Passengers will be boarding the world’s first fully sized, self-driving bus service in Edinburgh from the Spring, after it was awarded a share of £81 million in joint UK government and industry support for self-driving transport technology.

The project is one of seven successful projects from around the UK, and forms the most advanced set of commercial, self-driving passenger and freight operations anywhere in the world.

The grants, part of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Connected and Automated Mobility programme, will help British companies seize early opportunities to develop experimental projects into offerings ready for the market.

The joint government and industry funding winners are:

• CAVForth II – Fusion Processing – £10.4 million to launch the world’s first operational, full-sized, self-driving bus service, in Edinburgh, with Stagecoach and Alexander Dennis
• V-CAL – North East Automotive Alliance – £8 million to roll out self-driving and remotely piloted HGVs between the Vantec and Nissan sites in Sunderland
• Hub2Hub – HVS – £13.2 million to develop a new, zero emissions, self-driving HGV with Asda
• Sunderland Advanced Mobility Shuttle – City of Sunderland Council – £6 million to build and trial a self-driving shuttle service to the University of Sunderland and the Sunderland Royal Hospital
• Project Harlander – Belfast Harbour – £11 million to deploy a self-driving shuttle service around Belfast Harbour
• Multi-Area Connected Automated Mobility – Conigital – £15.2 million to establish a remote driving control hub, to oversee self-driving vehicles operating in Solihull and Coventry, with the NEC and local councils.
• Project Cambridge Connector – Greater Cambridge Partnership – £17.4 million to trial on-demand, self-driving taxis, to complement existing transport services in parts of Cambridge

£42 million in government funding is being matched by industry.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps said:

In just a few years’ time, the business of self-driving vehicles could add tens of billions to our economy and create tens of thousands of jobs across the UK. This is a massive opportunity to drive forward our priority to grow the economy, which we are determined to seize.

The support we are providing today will help our transport and technology pioneers steal a march on the global competition, by turning their bright ideas into market-ready products sooner than anyone else.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

Self-driving vehicles including buses will positively transform people’s everyday lives – making it easier to get around, access vital services and improve regional connectivity.

We’re supporting and investing in the safe rollout of this incredible technology to help maximise its full potential, while also creating skilled jobs and boosting growth in this important sector.

Almost £600,000 is also being awarded for feasibility studies, looking into how self-driving technology could improve public transport in four parts of the UK. These projects will look into potential routes where automated vehicles could operate exclusively from other traffic, to relieve congestion on the A414 through Hertfordshire and Essex, parts of Eastern Cambridge, Birmingham and Solihull, and Milton Keynes.

Innovate UK Executive Director for Net Zero, Mike Biddle, said:

The Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) sector is of crucial importance to the UK, with the potential to deliver safer, cleaner and more efficient transport systems across a wide range of settings.

This latest, multi-year round of government’s Commercialising CAM funds builds on the success of previous collaborative R&D programme, stimulating innovation to ensure the UK is at the forefront of the transition towards the commercialisation of self-driving services.

Self-driving vehicles could revolutionise public transport and passenger travel, especially for those who don’t drive, better connect rural communities and reduce road collisions caused by human error. Forecasts predict that by 2035, 40% of new UK car sales will have self-driving capabilities, with a total market value for connected and automated mobility worth £41.7 billion to the UK. This could create nearly 40,000 skilled jobs in connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology.

The government is also committed to introducing legislation that will enable the safe and timely rollout of self-driving vehicles on UK roads. Under a proposed ‘safety ambition’ for self-driving vehicles to be equivalent in safety to a competent and careful human driver, vehicles will need to meet certain standards to be allowed to ‘self-drive’ on the roads throughout the lifetime of the vehicle. Organisations overseeing self-driving vehicles could face sanctions if standards are not maintained.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 31 January 2023.

Airport take-off slots to return to pre-pandemic levels.

The UK government has today (31 January 2023) laid regulations before Parliament that brings airports slots rules for the upcoming summer season back in line with pre-pandemic levels, while retaining certain flexibilities to support the aviation industry’s recovery.

From 26 March 2023, airlines will once again need to use their slots 80% of the time in order to keep them – the ratio in place before passenger numbers dropped as a result of the pandemic. It’s a vote of confidence in the aviation industry as demand for international travel returns – with passenger numbers at UK airports reaching 85% of equivalent 2019 levels by October 2022.

The government remains focused on reducing disruption and ensuring a positive passenger experience for those taking a well-earned break this summer. As part of that, airlines will be able to hand back up to 5% of their slots before the start of the season, to help plan realistic schedules and avoid last-minute cancellations.

The Transport Secretary will announce the new measures during his keynote speech at the Airport Operators’ Association’s (AOA) annual conference today, where he is expected to say:

Today, I can confirm that slots rules will return to normal this summer. But we’re maintaining the safety net introduced during covid…and airlines can hand back 5% of slots to help minimise last minute cancellations.

Now we’re able to start a new, more optimistic, conversation about the future. About an industry no longer constrained by outdated practices, but modernising its infrastructure and operations. No longer the poster child for environmental decline, but committed to a future of sustainable flight. And no longer at risk of becoming a diversity desert, but attracting talent from all backgrounds.

These are just some of the areas where aviation has a golden opportunity to move from recovery to renewal. And I look forward to working with all of you to make that happen.

Airlines will also continue to benefit from increased flexibility over when they are justified not to use their slots, for example, where either end of a route is affected by COVID-19 restrictions. This will reduce the risk of environmentally damaging so-called “ghost flights” – empty planes flying just to make the slots usage ratio.

A bit like parking spaces for planes, slots are used to manage capacity at the busiest airports. A slot gives permission for an airline to use the full range of airport infrastructure (runway, terminal and gates, for instance) necessary to operate an air service at an airport on a specific date and time.

To retain their slots for the next equivalent season, airlines must use their slots a certain number of times – but during the pandemic the usage ratio was reduced to provide relief to airlines as they saw a drop in demand as result of COVID-19 restrictions. Without these alleviations, there would have been a rise in ‘ghost flights’.

The decision follows a period of consultation with the sector on how the government can best support its recovery while ensuring slots get used where demand allows.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 25 January 2023.

Funding for 7 local highways authorities to develop and use new technologies to reduce emissions, improve regional connectivity and move to net-zero local roads.

Future roads could be built using asphalt made from grass cuttings and ‘carbon capturing’ cement, supported by £30 million government funding awarded to 7 innovative, net zero projects.

Seven projects spread across the UK, from Lanarkshire to Devon, have been awarded funding today through the Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads competition. The programme supports projects led by local highways authorities focused on tackling the long-term decarbonisation of highways infrastructure, such as streetlights, and transforming local authorities’ approach to decarbonising roads.

The winning projects include cutting carbon emissions from our streetlights to producing asphalt made from green waste like grass cuttings. Other projects plan to drive changes to the design, construction and maintenance of typical UK highway construction, as well as plans to develop a first-of-its-kind system approach to creating a net carbon negative model for green infrastructure delivery.

Roads Minister Richard Holden said:

The UK is a world leader in technology and innovation and we must use that strength to drive decarbonisation and the next generation of high tech jobs that go alongside it.

We are supporting this vital agenda to help level-up through £30 million funding for ground-breaking projects and boosting regional connections to support growth.

The government is determined to create good, well paid jobs – via innovation and investment across the UK – as we accelerate the road to net zero.

The 7 successful local highways authorities and their partners will be provided funding, subject to due diligence, to develop, test, pilot and roll out new technologies to facilitate decarbonisation, including in supply chain emissions. The 7 successful bids are:

• Highways CO2llaboration Centre for materials decarbonisation, Transport for West Midlands: supporting upskilling and developing a team in the West Midlands to decarbonise highways via 2 initiatives, including a ‘Highways CO2llaboration Centre’, and demonstrator sites showcasing and monitoring innovative decarbonised highway materials
• UK Centre of Excellence for Material Decarbonisation in Local Roads, North Lanarkshire Council: creating a centre that will develop a materials testing programme identifying and deploying the latest tech for road construction, in addition to testing and deploying recycled materials from other industries to build roads
• a net carbon-negative model for green infrastructure management, South Gloucestershire Council and West Sussex County Council: aims to develop a first-of-its-kind approach to creating a net carbon negative model for building and delivering green infrastructure, for example recycling biomass from green waste
• A382 Carbon Negative Project, Devon County Council: aims to drive changes to the design, construction and maintenance in typical aspects of highway construction to reduce carbon emissions, and to build a new link road including walking and cycling options
• Ecosystem of Things, Liverpool City Council: aims to introduce an ‘Ecosystem of Things’, exploring a scalable and transferrable approach to understanding various systems (including design, public spaces, materials/process technology, recycling infrastructure and the legal, contractual and procurement processes) at city level to embed and adopt decarbonisation initiatives
• decarbonising street lighting, East Riding of Yorkshire Council: plans to work on increasing efficiency for low carbon lighting to make sure they can still be clearly seen by drivers and to create a framework for an alternative manual for highway lighting, signing and road marking
• Net Zero Corridors, Wessex Partnership: will pioneer net zero roads that are built without creating more carbon emissions overall in Somerset, Cornwall, and Hampshire in 9 ‘net zero corridors’ linking rural and urban areas

Live Labs 2 is designed to ensure innovations are shared across the whole of the UK and bidders were encouraged to create partnerships across the public and private sector, and academia. As such, the winning projects will be working together across 4 interconnected themes, including:

• a green carbon laboratory: examining the role that non-operational highways ‘green’ assets can play in providing a source of materials and fuels to decarbonise highway operations, for example, using biomass from green waste to create alternative fuels and asphalt additives
• a future lighting testbed: researching the future of lighting for local roads to determine what is needed in the future and how they can be further decarbonised
• a UK centre of excellence for materials: providing a centralised hub for research and innovation that would help test construction materials and their use
• corridor and place-based decarbonisation: working to create decarbonisation across specific, wider regions and corridors covering both urban and rural areas

Live Labs 2 is funded by the Department of Transport (DfT) and organised by The Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT), which represents ‘directors of place’ who are responsible for providing day-to-day services, such as local highways, as well as strategic long-term delivery.

Mark Kemp, President of ADEPT, said:

Tackling the carbon impact of our highways’ infrastructure is critical to our path to net zero but hard to address, so I am pleased that bidding was so competitive. Live Labs 2 has a huge ambition – to fundamentally change how we embed decarbonisation into our decision-making and to share our learning with the wider sector to enable behaviour change. Each project will bring local authority led innovation and a collaborative approach to create a long-lasting transformation of business as usual.  I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn from our successful bidders and taking that into my own organisation.

This programme follows the previous and successful Live Labs 1, a £22.9 million innovation programme that focused on adoption of digital technology across the local roads sector in England.