A new pioneering noise barrier which will improve the lives of residents living next to the M1 at Wakefield will be installed later this year.

Living next to a motorway has its benefits, it makes it easier to access surrounding towns and cities to visit friends and family, or commute to work, but the noise of the motorway can be an issue for some communities.

The innovative design being installed at the Denby Dale junction has never been used before in the UK. The barrier not only reduces noise but will also act as a safety barrier.

Highways England’s project manager Sujad Hussain said:

There has been a long standing issue of noise from the motorway at this location and by installing 4 sections of barrier we will be able to improve noise levels for residents living nearby.

We are planning to start work in November but before then we will be holding a drop in session in September for people to find out more about the work. I would encourage people to come along and ask the project team any questions they may have about the barrier and the work that is planned.

Highways England is installing the barrier on 4 sections of the M1 at junction 39: On the southbound carriageway and southbound entry slip road and on the northbound carriageway and northbound exit slip road.

The barriers, 3 at 3 metres high and 1 at 1.85 metres, will be constructed off site meaning there will be less chance of weather having an impact on the work. It will also be safer as there will be fewer vehicles moving around the work site.

During the work a 50mph speed restriction will be in place for safety reasons. The hard shoulder and lane 1 on the main carriageways will be closed along with lane 1 on the northbound exit and southbound entry slip roads so a temporary safety barrier can be installed while the work is taking place. The same slip roads will be closed overnight with clearly signed diversions in place.

Anyone interested in the work can come along to a drop in event on Wednesday 5 September, 2pm-8pm in the Boardroom, second floor, Cedar Court Hotel, Denby Dale Road, Calder Grove, Wakefield, WF4 3QZ

The media is invited to attend the event between 2.30pm and 3pm. Please confirm attendance with Highways England Media Relations Manager Michaela Maunders on 07701295018.

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

Thank you, Mr President, for hosting me today, and for your very warm welcome to Nairobi.

I’m delighted to be paying my first visit to Kenya – and indeed the first by a British Prime Minister for 30 years.

Like the many thousands of British tourists who come here every year, I will take away unforgettable memories of this country’s vibrancy and its beauty.

Kenya holds a special place in the hearts of the British people and our countries share, as you have said, a long history that has left us deeply connected to one another.

Indeed, it was here that our monarch learned she would become Queen.

But the relationship we hold is about much more than those deep historical ties.

And today we have looked to the future and to a renewed partnership that will unlock the incredible potential of the next generation to benefit both our countries.

And we have agreed to build on the strong foundations of our relationship as we step up our cooperation to secure the prosperity and security that our people need and deserve.

We discussed today how the UK can work with you as you take forward your Big 4 agenda to transform Kenya – aligning our expertise, our investment and our aid behind that vision.

The UK is already the largest foreign investor in Kenya and I have set out this week our ambition to be the G7’s number one investor in Africa by 2022.

So as Britain prepares to leave the European Union we are committed to a smooth transition that ensures continuity in our trading relationship with Kenya, ensuring Kenya retains its duty-free, quota-free access to the UK market. And to building on our strong trade and investment ties to create even more opportunities for our businesses and for our consumers.

Mr President, yours is a country of huge opportunity, in a continent of dynamic young people who have the potential to play a transformative role in driving Africa’s growth in the years ahead.

Together we will make sure the next generation of energetic, ambitious Kenyans can get good, well-paid jobs so they can contribute to Kenya’s long-term prosperity. That’s not just good for Kenya, it’s good for the UK too.

And we’ll work with you and with governments across Africa to make sure your young people have the skills that businesses on the continent need to drive economic growth.

This is a partnership for opportunity but it’s also a partnership for our shared security and stability.

And today we discussed the work we’re doing together to make both our countries – and the world – more secure. Already, British terrorists and child abusers are in UK jails because of our cooperation.

This afternoon we have signed a new compact that will see us expand our joint work on security even further.

The UK is no longer just training our own military in Kenya, but training with Kenyans to promote stability in East Africa and beyond and to build the continent’s capacity to overcome its own challenges and deliver its own security.

Later today I will see our militaries training together in the techniques to identify and destroy improvised explosive devices.

The UK continues to support the commitment of the brave Kenyan soldiers fighting in Somalia against Al Shabaab. And I will announce a new package of funding to support the African Union mission in Somalia.

Mr President, I was glad to hear you call for a transition from peacekeepers to stronger Somali security forces. This is what the UK wants too, and as we work towards this we are leading international efforts to ensure AMISOM has the funding it needs to support its vital battle against terror.

We also spoke about the pernicious effects of corruption in Kenya. And I welcome the commitment you have made to drive this vice from your country, and we stand with you in this fight.

And today, as you’ve said, we signed an agreement to ensure that any proceeds of corruption in Kenya that end up in the UK will be given back to the Kenyan people and spent for their benefit.

I also welcome, Mr President, your commitment to political reconciliation in this country. The UK stands ready to support an inclusive Building Bridges process as you work to further strengthen your democracy and your institutions.

Mr President, as I conclude my visit this week to some of the UK’s most important African partners I have reflected on the role my country can play in partnership with this vibrant continent in the future.

As I have said this week, I want to ensure that the UK’s relationship with Kenya and with Africa is more and more about private investment, about doing business and making the most of commercial opportunities together.

Here, as elsewhere in the continent, we are using our aid and our investment partnerships to lift countries out of poverty, spread stability, and create jobs and prosperity for the future.

The UK and Kenya are two strong, diverse countries. We are partners in the Commonwealth, and global hubs – open to the world.

We thrive because of the entrepreneurship and innovation of our people, the strength of our democracies and our shared values.

Our cooperation today makes our people safer, more prosperous and more secure – here in Kenya, and in the UK.

Mr President, I will leave Nairobi excited by the huge opportunities of Kenya and of this continent. And I look forward to working with you in the years ahead for the benefit of both our countries.

Thank you all for coming today which is a particularly exciting one for me.

I have always been an ‘Africa’phile – if you’ll excuse the term – and have returned again and again over the last 30 years.

In over 20 trips I have spent time in 12 countries, and today I proudly add another to that list albeit on a, literally, flying visit.

I have always wanted to visit Nigeria, the continent’s largest economy and truly a nation of the future – set to become the world’s third most populous nation by 2050.

This country is rapidly ascending a path that will lead it to becoming nothing less than an African ‘powerhouse economy’.

And I’ve particularly wanted to visit Lagos, one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in all of Africa.

In fact, I am told that if Lagos itself was a country, it would be the continent’s 5th largest economy.

It is certainly the coding capital for the whole continent and the undisputed finance and technology hub of Nigeria. So it is particularly appropriate that we are being hosted here in the new premises of FMDQ, which, in just 5 years, has driven financial innovation in Nigeria and established itself at the heart of the financial architecture of the country.

The current relationship

This event – to explore deeper collaboration between UK and Nigerian businesses – is a testament to the strength of the relationship already in place between Nigeria and the UK.

Some of the UK’s most well-known firms – Unilever, Shell, Diageo and British Airways, to name but a few – have had a long and successful presence here.

Others, realising the potential of the opportunities, are now flocking to Nigeria. For example, Prudential Zenith Life has announced that it will expand its ‘bancassurance’ operations from September, entering into a further 70 Zenith Bank branches in Lagos and 40 in and around Abuja, increasing Nigerian consumers’ access to life insurance and savings products.

Successes like these are reflected in our fast-growing trading relationship. UK-Nigeria trade was worth £4.2 billion in 2017, an extraordinary 23% increase on the previous year.

And African firms with a market capitalisation of around £200 billion are now listed in London, helping to make it the world’s most international exchange.

Looking outward to the world

This event is also a testament to our shared outlook – international, globally minded and innovative.

And as the UK prepares to exit the European Union in 2019, I want to make it clear that this outlook will not change.

Far from wishing to build barriers, it is through leaving the European Union that we seek to strengthen our relationships with key economic partners like Nigeria.

We want to renew our relationships, strengthen our economic ties and look to the future.

This is what we mean by a Global Britain.

And as such, it is our sincere ambition to create a successful, supportive and mutually beneficial partnership with partners like Nigeria.

Indeed, this is what the Department for International Trade (DIT) was established to do and here, in West Africa, we have been growing our presence, focused on Nigeria, with just this purpose in mind.

Quite simply, a more prosperous and secure Nigeria means a more prosperous and secure UK – and a more stable and secure world.

Business relationships

Of course businesses are looking for more than just warm words. They need certainty to allow them to make their investment decisions.

And, as such, I’m delighted to tell you that I have just come from a meeting between Prime Minister May and President Buhari, where I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Minister Udoma Udo Udoma to launch the UK-Nigeria Economic Development Forum.

This provides a more structured mechanism through which to identify and address barriers to bilateral trade and is an important first step in creating the stability and predictability in the business environment that we are all seeking.

And today’s event is all about building new business to business relationships which can ensure firms in both our countries can reach their potential.

Financial Services

And it is perhaps in the financial services sector that the opportunities are most tangible.

Access to London’s deep global capital pool is already a key component of Nigeria’s continuing development – as the major successes of Nigerian bond listings attest to.

This is testimony both for the City’s capacity to raise finance, and vote of confidence from international investors in Nigeria’s future.

And I particularly welcome the announcements today that Dangote Cement plans to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) in the near future and that Seplat will be launching a London based Eurobond.

Further, the fact that David Schwimmer, the CEO of the LSE, has chosen to join us here today is testament to the importance that the Exchange attaches to these Nigerian listings.

And finally, that our own Financial Conduct Authority is committed to exploring collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria on regulatory framework to support innovation.

This is truly a two-way relationship.

And we are determined to develop greater access for Nigerian firms to the first-class professional services available across the City of London in addition to that provided by the LSE.

I hope those Nigerian firms represented here today will take the opportunity to speak to senior representatives from the City of London in attendance – not least the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Charles Bowman, who will speak to you in a moment.

But the UK’s offer does not end with financial services – far from it.

Other Services

We have a world class business-friendly regulatory environment and are home to some of the world’s leading international research institutions and universities.

Our mutual use of English Common Law makes Nigeria and the UK natural partners in collaboration on legal services.

First-class legal advice is a key component of the City of London’s attraction for companies looking to access finance.

As such, I am delighted that members, and indeed clients, of our top ‘Magic Circle’ law firms are with us today to help launch our ‘Legal Services are GREAT’ campaign in Nigeria.

Whether in sharing best practice, advising on regulatory and legal reforms, facilitating finance or sourcing world class financial and related services professionals, we want you to see the UK as a delivery partner of choice for Nigeria’s future development.

Credit

The UK also has an unbeatable export credit offer.

UK Export Finance, our world leading credit agency, has up to £750 million available for Nigerian initiatives – and a large development finance offer. This means that firms in Nigeria can get loans or Naira denominated credit guarantees when buying British products.

And the UK’s development investment arm, CDC, has a portfolio worth over $350 million in Nigeria and a further $125 million investment was announced by the Prime Minister today.

The potential for broadening our regulatory dialogue – to share knowledge, build capacity and technical know-how – is also substantial.

With all this in mind, I hope we can agree that today’s event is a crucial next step to explore how UK and Nigerian businesses can better co-operate to advance prosperity in both our countries.

And as we continue our discussions today I want us to do so with the context in mind:

The UK is a long-standing friend of Nigeria – and we are determined to build on the strong foundations that already exist.

All of us here today – whether UK or Nigerian, in the public or the private sector, have a role to play – to come together to help us realise our core vision: to create the new markets, trade and growth that Nigeria and the UK needs, and to help build a more secure and more prosperous world.

Following an open competition, the Secretary of State for International Development, Penny Mordaunt, is pleased to announce that Dr Tamsyn Barton has been selected as the Government’s preferred candidate to succeed Dr Alison Evans as Chief Commissioner of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), the independent body responsible for scrutiny of UK aid.

Dr Barton was identified following a rigorous selection process, which was conducted in accordance with the Public Appointments Governance Code and validated by an independent assessor from the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

The appointment is now subject to an International Development Select Committee pre-appointment hearing, scheduled to take place next Tuesday, 4 September 2018.

Biography: Dr Tamsyn Barton

Dr Barton was until recently the Chief Executive of Bond, following an extensive and varied career in international development since 1993. She was previously Director-General at the European Investment Bank, which she also represented on the Board of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development.

Prior to that, Dr Barton worked for a range of NGOs and the Department for International Development in a range of policy and programme management roles, in both India and the UK. She is also a Trustee of the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Notes to editors:

1. Pre-appointment hearings involve select committees taking evidence from the preferred candidate for certain public appointments before they are confirmed. Following the public hearings, committees publish a report setting out their views on the candidate’s suitability for the post.
2. Pre-appointment hearings are non-binding but Ministers will consider the committee’s views before deciding whether to proceed with an appointment.
3. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.
4. ICAI’s current chief commissioner, Dr Alison Evans, will leave ICAI at the end of 2018 to take up a post as Director General Evaluation at the World Bank Independent Evaluation Group.