Coastal landmarks which have fallen into disrepair have the opportunity to have life breathed back into them by a government fund launched today (17 May) by Coastal Communities Minister Jake Berry.

The £1 million Coastal Revival Fund will support the restoration of some of the nation’s most iconic and best-loved coastal architecture – including places like the Pavilion Theatre within the Grade II* Winter Gardens building of Blackpool – and Swanage’s historic Victorian pier in Dorset.

The fund, now in its third year, will provide grants to at-risk coastal heritage sites to fund repairs and restoration, or support large scale projects to see them through to completion.

The government is inviting bids from local communities, charities and councils to receive up to £50,000 per project from today.

Coastal Communities Minister, Jake Berry, said:

The protection of our iconic coastal landmarks plays an important role not just in making the Great British Coast an attractive tourist destination, but in regenerating our coastal communities and supporting them to grow.

The launch of this new Coastal Revival Fund today represents government’s unwavering commitment to support coastal communities and we’re investing over £250 million in our coastal areas by the end of the decade.

Jake Berry made the announcement while visiting Bournemouth today (17 May 2018) to officially open the Pier Approach which has been completely transformed into a world-class gateway to the south coast thanks to £1.9 million of funding, part of £5.6 million granted to the Dorset Coastal Connections portfolio from the government’s Coastal Communities Fund (CCF).

Later in the day, the Minister also visited Poole Harbour to officially open the new 650 foot £10 million berth. Catering for cruise and cargo ships, the new berth is set to increase revenue by £1.5 million or 10% in the first year of operation.

Over £23.3 million of government’s Growth Deal Funding has been invested in the Port of Poole by the Local Enterprise Partnership delivering new approach spans for the Poole Bridge, 25000 new homes around the Port of Poole and major improvements to the A349.

Further information

The £1 million Coastal Revival Fund is in addition to a £40 million investment in Coastal Communities announced last year as part of a government pledge to invest over a quarter of a billion pounds in coastal communities by 2020.

Now in its fifth round, the Coastal Communities Fund supports the development of UK coastal communities by giving funding to create sustainable economic growth and jobs. Analysis shows this has been money well spent, with every £1 invested having the potential to create an £8 boost to our coastal economies.

By 2020 the £264 million awarded by the Coastal Communities Fund is expected to have attracted around £369 million in additional funding for coastal projects giving a total investment of around £633 million.

The Coastal Revival Fund grants will support communities in unlocking the economic potential of those hard-to-tackle buildings, landscapes, facilities and amusements and sustain them in the longer-term. We are therefore inviting bids from local communities, charities and councils of up to £50,000 per project. Further details and guidance on how to apply can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/coastal-communities.

The Bournemouth Pier Approach project involved major public realm regeneration of the principal coastal public space in Bournemouth to a world-class standard. The project included de-cluttering the street scene including investment in revolutionary semi-submerged waste bins. Beach at Pier Approach. Over £1.9 million of the £3.7 million project came from the fourth round of the Coastal Communities Fund with the remainder of the project supported by match funding.

Local Enterprise Partnerships are playing a vital role in driving forward economic growth across the country, helping to build a country that works for everyone. That’s why by 2021 government will have invested over £12 billion through the Local Growth Fund, allowing LEPs to use their local knowledge to get all areas of the country firing on all cylinders. Analysis has shown that every £1 of Local Growth Fund invested could generate £4.81 in benefits. If you would like some further facts about the Fund, or the wider regeneration work going on across the country, please contact Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government press office by emailing NewsDesk@communities.gsi.gov.uk in the first instance to request any additional information you might need.

Dorset Coastal Connections – people and places is a portfolio project connecting and coordinating 18 coastal sites across Dorset, from Christchurch to Lyme Regis. The range of projects connects our urban coastal areas to rural coastal areas works to promote and sell the Dorset coast as a whole. It is funded by the Coastal Community Fund as well as partner organisations.

This work is coordinated by the lead partner Dorset Coast Forum (DCF) who are hosted by Dorset County Council (DCC). DCF has a proven track record of project delivery on the Dorset coast. DCC are the accountable body for this project and the lead project delivery partners include: Lyme Forward, Bridport CCT, Dorset County Council, Jurassic Coast World Heritage Team, Bournemouth Borough Council, Christchurch Borough Council, Borough of Poole, Purbeck District Council, Dorset Wildlife Trust, The Arts Development Company, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, Bridport Town Council, Dorset AONB, Bounce Back Arts.

Follow the latest tweets from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on coastal communities by visiting @MHCLG or searching #GreatBritishCoast

Andy assumed the role of Temporary Chief Constable last July following the untimely death of Alf Hitchcock.

The MDP provides a range of specialist armed policing skills and capabilities that help to ensure the protection of Defence people, assets, information and the Defence estate. As Chief Constable, Andy will lead the MDP’s delivery of armed policing services to a range of Defence and external customers.

Andy joined the MDP in September 2015 as the Deputy Chief Constable, having previously served as the Deputy Chief Constable of Hertfordshire Constabulary. He has overseen the MDP’s ongoing programme of organisational reform and development, including the implementation of the new MDP Operational Policing Model and the MDP’s deployments under Operation Temperer.

Julie Taylor, Director General Head Office and Commissioning Services said:

I am delighted that Andy has been appointed as Chief Constable for the MDP. Having worked for the Force since 2015 he has a comprehensive and effective understanding of the emerging threats facing our Armed Forces and the country. He’ll continue to take the Force from strength-to-strength and I look forward to continuing to work with him closely.

Sir Brian Burridge, Chair of the MOD Police Committee, said:

As the new Chief Constable of the MOD’s specialist police force, Andy Adams brings an extensive wealth of experience from across the spectrum of policing. This will be vital in transforming the MDP in order to meet tomorrow’s complex security challenges.

Andy Adams, Chief Constable of the MDP, said:

I am absolutely thrilled to have been appointed as the Chief Constable of the MDP and look forward to leading the Force and continuing our important work, protecting our people at home and overseas.
“I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me whilst in the role of Temporary Chief Constable.

Andy formally takes up post with immediate effect.

Deadlines are approaching to submit bids and take advantage of further tender opportunities in four different areas of work.

Here is a reminder of the tender deadlines and the categories of law:

5pm on 21 May 2018

This deadline is to submit bids for face to face 2018 civil contract work in family/housing and debt/immigration and asylum.

5pm on 1 June 2018

This deadline is to submit a bid to work for specialist legal advice in the discrimination category of the Civil Legal Advice (CLA) telephone helpline.

There is more information about these tenders in the recent news stories listed below and on our civil 2018 contracts tender page.

Further information

Further tender opportunities for 2018 contract work

2018 CLA contract discrimination tender opportunity

Civil 2018 contracts tender – to find out more and download IFA documents

e-Tendering system – to submit your tender

Fintech – short for Financial Technology – is one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK economy. It encompasses innovation in financial services including digital banking, payment technologies, peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding platforms. Richard Theo will be responsible for championing Wales’ thriving fintech sector and promoting it as a place for firms to develop and grow their business.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond said:

The financial world is being transformed by the fintech revolution, so it’s vital that each corner of the UK can harness its power. That’s why we’ve invited Richard Theo from Wealthify – one of Wales’ greatest fintech success stories – to be our envoy for the region.

I’d like to congratulate Richard on his new role. His extensive experience in the industry makes him the ideal candidate, and I am certain he will build on the success of the existing envoys in helping the UK to remain at the cutting edge of the digital revolution.

Alun Cairns, Secretary of State for Wales, said:

Congratulations to Richard Theo for being appointed the UK Government’s Fintech Envoy for Wales. This is an exciting and emerging technology in which Wales is now an established UK leader, with companies ranging from giants like Admiral and Go Compare to a burgeoning host of start-ups.

Financial services and fintech are a dynamo that will create many more high-pay high-skills jobs in Wales. I look forward to receiving Richard’s advice on steering this sector to even greater success.

Richard Theo, co-founder and CEO of Wealthify, said:

It’s a huge honour to be appointed as the Government’s fintech envoy for Wales and to have a chance to help support the growth of fintech in our region.

Wales already enjoys considerable fintech success and is well placed to become a leading fintech centre. It is a fantastic place to do business, benefitting from a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial culture, low operating costs, excellent connectivity and a great lifestyle. It is already home to a wide range of accelerators and incubators, and a phenomenal network of tech, fintech and financial services businesses.

Richard joins the current envoys in championing fintech in their home region:

• David Ferguson, CEO of Nucleus Financial, and Louise Smith, Head of Current Account Design for RBS (envoys for Scotland)
• David Duffy, CEO of CYBG (envoy for England)
• Chris Sier, Professor of Financial Technology at the University of Leeds (envoy for the Northern Powerhouse)

The Chancellor also announced today that Georgina O’Leary, Director of Innovation, Research and Development at Allstate Northern Ireland, would become the government’s new Fintech Envoy to Northern Ireland.

Further Information

• Fintech is the apps, computer programs and other technologies that support and improve how we bank and access finance. It encompasses innovation in financial services such as crowdfunding, e-banking, payment technologies, peer-to-peer lending, and cryptocurrencies
• Fintech is one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK economy, contributing roughly £6.6 billion to GDP and employing over 61,000 people across the country. More people work in UK Fintech than in New York Fintech or in the combined Fintech workforce of Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan

The UK will remain a world leader in financial services after Brexit, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is expected to say as he visits financial centres in Halifax and Edinburgh today (17 May 2018), where he will also announce the appointment of two new regional fintech envoys.

With two thirds of financial services jobs based outside of London, the Chancellor will meet leading figures from banking, asset management and fintech to discuss how the expertise on offer in the UK’s regional financial centres will help the sector to flourish after Brexit.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said:

Over a million people across the country are employed in our financial services sector, and it is truly a nationwide industry, with two thirds of the jobs based outside London. It fuels growth across the regions and is a vibrant part of our economy.

Across the UK, from the local high streets to the regional financial centres, the skills and expertise of the people working in the sector are unrivalled, and I am determined to maintain our world-leading position at what is a crucial period for the industry.

In Yorkshire, Philip Hammond will visit the flagship Halifax bank offices and meet with representatives from financial and professional services firms to discuss how financial services fuels economic growth in the regions.

In Edinburgh, the Chancellor will meet with representatives from the Scottish asset management sector. He will also visit Nucleus Financial, one of Scotland’s biggest fintech firms, where he will build on the success of the existing regional fintech envoys by announcing the appointment of two new envoys for Wales and Northern Ireland.

The new Fintech Envoy for Wales will be Richard Theo, Co-Founder and CEO of Wealthify, and the new Fintech Envoy for Northern Ireland will be Georgina O’Leary, Director of Innovation, Research and Development at Allstate Northern Ireland.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond said:

Fintech is the future of financial services, and the UK leads the world in harnessing its power. Our two new regional fintech envoys for Wales and Northern Ireland will help the sector to grow and flourish across the UK, bringing its benefits to every region.

I’d like to congratulate Richard Theo, and Georgina O’Leary on their new roles. I am certain they will build on the success of the existing envoys in helping the UK to remain at the cutting edge of the digital revolution as we create an economy fit for the future.

They join the current envoys in championing fintech in their regions and supporting its growth:

• David Ferguson, CEO of Nucleus Financial, and Louise Smith, Head of Current Account Design for RBS (envoys for Scotland)
• David Duffy, CEO of CYBG (envoy for England)
• Chris Sier, Professor of Financial Technology at the University of Leeds (envoy for the Northern Powerhouse)