LLWR workforce celebrate their £8,000 donation to Macmillan Cancer Support

LLWR responded to its charity of the year like never before and raised a record £8,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The sum included a company donation of £2,250 and Sue McDonald, Fundraising Manager for Macmillan, Cumbria, was delighted with the total.

She said: “It has been fantastic working alongside everyone at LLWR for the last year. The enthusiasm to fundraise was awesome and everyone was keen to get involved with the many, varied activities. I was blown away to discover that the total raised for Macmillan Cancer Support was £8,000.

“This will make a real difference to the lives of local people living with cancer. I’d like to say a massive ‘thank you’ from Macmillan and from me personally, to everyone who has played a part in raising this phenomenal total.

“Big thanks also to LLWR for allowing the fundraising to happen and for the generous corporate donation. I hope everyone concerned is feeling really proud.”

Published 12 April 2018

A new programme director has been appointed with immediate effect to implement the UK’s new communications infrastructure for emergency services.

Bryan Clark joins the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) after working in the technology sector for more than 30 years, previously serving as Director of Digital and Change at Her Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service.

Before entering the public sector Mr Clarke was the CEO of Sumerian Europe Ltd, and he previously spent 15 years as Partner and European CIO of KPMG. Earlier in his career, Mr Clarke held numerous technical and management roles including project management, analytics consulting and product management.

Bryan replaces Gordon Shipley who is leaving ESMCP after 5 years as Programme Director.

Joanna Davinson, Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer for the Home Office said:

Bryan’s experience will be invaluable in leading the programme as it moves into its vital delivery phase.

Gordon Shipley played a crucial role in driving the programme forward, from its inception in 2013 to where it is today. We would all like to thank Gordon for his achievements, and we wish him well for the future.

Bryan Clark added:

I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the programme delivering the Emergency Services Network at such an important time and look forward to working closely with the 3 emergency services, and colleagues across the Home Office and in other government departments, and in the Scottish and Welsh administrations.

Our emergency services deserve the best technology we can provide to help them do their often difficult and demanding job, and I am passionate about delivering value for money and ensuring that technology delivers what the business needs.

I look forward to the challenge of making sure the new network can enable the emergency services to become more efficient and make the day-to-day jobs of individuals on the front line easier. I am very excited to take up this amazing role and build on the excellent work done to date.

UK Minister for Africa at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Minister of State at the Department for International Development.

On her arrival in Luanda, Minister Harriett Baldwin said:

I’m delighted to be in Angola for my first visit and I look forward to discussing with government ministers and civil society representatives how we can work closer together on issues important to the UK and Angola. This includes economic cooperation, demining, and women’s empowerment, all in support of shared prosperity.

I am also interested in how our countries can work together to combat the terrible illegal wildlife trade, following the recent Giants Club meeting in Botswana which I attended alongside Angolan representatives, and ahead of the major conference we are hosting in London this October.

Notes:

Minister Harriett Baldwin is the UK’s Minister for Africa at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Minister of State at the Department for International Development. She is responsible for Africa, consular policy and international crime.

Published 12 April 2018

In UAE Defence Secretary met with His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defence, to thank leadership for their support to UK operations

Homes England has completed a £74 million deal that will unlock the next phase of development at Ebbsfleet Garden City in Kent – funding a range of infrastructure works that include earthworks to fill in a lake to prepare the land for the development of more than 5,000 new homes.

The infrastructure works will unlock 657 acres of land that will be used to develop up to 5,290 new homes – accounting for around a third of the total Ebbsfleet Garden City housing development – as well as around 180,000 sq ft of commercial development.

The Homes England supported enabling works through a loan deal to Henley Camland include preparing land for the development of housing on both the Castle Hill site and the Eastern Quarry at Ebbsfleet. Henley Camland, the residential infrastructure and place-making firm which recently purchased the Eastern Quarry site from Landsec, has simultaneously agreed land deals for 2,900 homes to be developed. 2,600 of these homes will be delivered by Countryside Properties and Clarion Housing Group in a new joint venture, while and Barratt Homes will built 300 homes on this part of the wider site as a direct result of the works funded by Homes England.

Representing one of Homes England’s largest deals of the past 12 months, the £73.97m loan is being made through the Home Building Fund (HBF). The HBF helps unlock or accelerate the delivery of residential and mixed-use housing developments through both development loans and loan funding for the infrastructure needed to prepare land for development.

More than 1,000 of these new homes at Ebbsfleet will be provided by 2021, with the full scheme due to be completed over the next decade.

Nick Walkley, Chief Executive of Homes England, said: “At Homes England we’re using our land, finance and expertise to speed up the delivery of new homes. The vital infrastructure works that we’re funding in Ebbsfleet will bring forward the development of many new homes by around four years overall and, importantly, will mean many more homes can be built in the earlier phases of the development as a result of our support with the significant infrastructure costs.”

The HBF loan will also mean other important services to support the housing development, such as a new secondary school, can be delivered much sooner than would have been possible without Homes England’s support. A ‘fast track’ route through the site connecting Bluewater to Ebbsfleet International Station will also be created.

Ian Piper, Chief Executive of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation who oversee Ebbsfleet Garden City, said: “This from Homes England, when combined with the investments already made by Ebbsfleet Development Corporation in key utilities infrastructure, is key to delivering the new homes that are required to create our vision for the Garden City. It is a good example of public bodies working together to deliver great places”.

Ian Rickwood, CEO of Henley, which has secured the delivery of 2,900 homes through a series of simultaneous deals commented: “Following Homes England’s investment and our quick succession of deals with various housebuilers, £1bn worth of quality homes will be delivered at a time when the UK is in dire need of them. We’ve worked hard alongside our partners to unlock these homes, as well as the new senior school and remain committed to bringing forward more homes and infrastructure at Ebbsfleet Garden City.”

Ends

For further information please contact Lisa Cattanach, Communications Manager at Homes England on 0115 852 6904 / 07880 475445 / email: lisa.cattanach@homesengland.gov.uk