Plans to improve Derbyshire M1 junction in 'early stages'
National Highways is in the "early stages" of exploring ways to improve "safety and travel times" at a motorway junction in Derbyshire.The organisation, which maintains motorways and major A roads in the UK, said it was seeking to "develop solutions" to benefit all road users at junction 28 of the M1 in South Normanton.This comes after transport focused group Midlands Connect said there could be more than 80,000 additional journeys a week at the junction in 2035.National Highways said it was awaiting the results of a government spending review for a longer-term strategy after it received a £4.8bn interim settlement from the Department for Transport for 2025/26.
Midlands Connect said data showed there could be 81,830 extra trips a week using junction 28 of the M1 in 2035 due to the potential increase in the number of homes and jobs in the area.The organisation, which is made up of local authorities, businesses and representatives of government bodies, said "rat-running" through nearby towns and villages would be reduced if repairs were carried out.
'Maximum capacity'
MPs, councils and businesses have asked for the project to be included in the government's upcoming Road Investment Strategies (RIS), Midlands Connect said.Bolsover MP Natalie Fleet said upgrades to the junction were "essential" and added she would "continue to press" the government to make the improvements.The government said it would fund works on motorways and major A roads by providing an interim settlement of £4.8bn to National Highways in 2025/26 while a new longer term strategy is agreed.Councillor Rob Reaney, deputy leader of Derbyshire County Council said the junction was at "maximum capacity"."This problem isn't going away and it's clear that extra investment is needed now to keep pace with the level of economic development, in the area in the future," he said.National Highways head of planning and development, Kamaljit Khokhar, said the body was "always looking" at ways to improve journeys. "Working closely with Midlands Connect, we continue to support a strategic approach to long-term investment as we seek to develop solutions to benefit all road users," he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
36 minutes ago
- The Guardian
US-China trade talks to resume; UK jobs market ‘weakening' as payrolls tumble
Update: Date: Title: Introduction: US-China trade talks resume in London Content: Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy. Trade talks between the US and China are set to resume in London today, as officials push for a breakthrough over shipments of technology and rare earth elements. After more than six hours of talks on Monday, negotations will resume at Lancaster House later this morning. Investors are hopeful of a breakthrough that could continue to ease tensions between the two economic superpowers. President Donald Trump has indicated that the first day of talks were encouraging. He told reporters that 'We are doing well with China. China's not easy….I'm only getting good reports.' The US are unhappy that China has not released crucial rare earth minerals, and magnets, as rapidly as hoped since the two countries agreed an initial trade pact in Geneva a month ago. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent told reporters in London they had a 'good meeting', Bloomberg reports, while commerce secretary Howard Lutnick called the discussions 'fruitful.' 7am BST: UK labour market report 10.15am BST: FCA CEO Nikhil Rathi and FCA chair Ashley Adler testify to Treasury Committee 2.30pm BST: World Bank to release latest economic forecasts Update: Date: 2025-06-10T06:23:19.000Z Title: UK payrolls fall 'notably' in May Content: Newsflash: The number of people on payrolls across the UK has fallen notably, in a sign that the jobs market is weakening. The latest labour force statistics, just released, show that payrolled employment decreased by 109,000 employees (0.4%) in May, compared with April. On an annual basis, there were 274,000 fewer employees last month, compared with May 2024, pulling total payrolls down to 30.2 million. The Office for National Statistics does caution that these estimates are more uncertain than usual; if they're accurate, though, it indicates that demand for workers at British firms is cooling. The revised estimate of employees on the payroll in April 2025 was down 55,000 on the month. The provisional estimate for May 2025 was down another 109, more about this release ➡ The largest decrease was in the accommodation and food service activities sector, a fall of 124,000 employees in the last year, while health and social work added 62,000 employees. ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown says: 'There continues to be weakening in the labour market, with the number of people on payroll falling notably. Feedback from our vacancies survey suggests some firms may be holding back from recruiting new workers or replacing people when they move on. Update: Date: 2025-06-10T06:22:54.000Z Title: Introduction: US-China trade talks resume in London Content: Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy. Trade talks between the US and China are set to resume in London today, as officials push for a breakthrough over shipments of technology and rare earth elements. After more than six hours of talks on Monday, negotations will resume at Lancaster House later this morning. Investors are hopeful of a breakthrough that could continue to ease tensions between the two economic superpowers. President Donald Trump has indicated that the first day of talks were encouraging. He told reporters that 'We are doing well with China. China's not easy….I'm only getting good reports.' The US are unhappy that China has not released crucial rare earth minerals, and magnets, as rapidly as hoped since the two countries agreed an initial trade pact in Geneva a month ago. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent told reporters in London they had a 'good meeting', Bloomberg reports, while commerce secretary Howard Lutnick called the discussions 'fruitful.' 7am BST: UK labour market report 10.15am BST: FCA CEO Nikhil Rathi and FCA chair Ashley Adler testify to Treasury Committee 2.30pm BST: World Bank to release latest economic forecasts
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
What is Sizewell C and what does it mean for Suffolk?
Plans for the Sizewell C nuclear power station have taken a step closer to the final go-ahead after the government announced significant funding. But what exactly is Sizewell C and what are the arguments for and against it? What is Sizewell C and where will it be built? French energy company EDF wants to build a new two-reactor nuclear power station on the east Suffolk coastline that could generate 3.2 gigawatts of claims Sizewell C could power the equivalent of about six million homes and will generate electricity for 60 power station will sit right next to Sizewell B that has been operating since 1995, just off Sizewell beach, close to the town of decommissioned Sizewell A site, which first opened in 1967, can also be found here. What is nuclear and is it safe? To generate nuclear power in non-military reactors, uranium atoms are bombarded by much smaller neutron causes the atoms to break down in process called nuclear fission, which releases huge amounts of energy as heat is used to boil water, producing steam, which drives turbines and generates electricity. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the plants are among the "safest and most secure facilities in the world" and are subject to strict international safety standards. When was Sizewell C first proposed? In 2008, the then Labour prime minister, Gordon Brown, said the UK needed to increase its nuclear power years later during the coalition government between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, Sizewell was identified as a site suitable for a new power November 2012, EDF launched its first public consultation to get the feedback of local people ahead of any formal planning other public consultations were held, with the final one finishing in September C said more than 10,000 East Suffolk residents had been involved in the consultations. Does Sizewell C have planning permission? In May 2020, EDF submitted an application for a development consent order to build the power is a legal document that grants permission for large-scale and nationally significant projects in England and was granted by the government in July 2022 despite the Examining Authority recommending it was not approved over water supply and nature site has also had its nuclear licence granted too in May both these have been given, there were still questions over how it would be funded. How much will Sizewell C cost and how much money has already been given? The power station is expected to cost about £ previously rejected claims the project would cost £40bn, but did accept its nuclear plant being built at Hinkley Point, in Somerset, would cost more than that government confirmed a total of £3.6bn worth of investment had been put into the project so included some funding from a subsidy scheme called Devex. What does today's news mean? The government said it would now be investing £14.2bn to build Sizewell C - this figure included £2.7bn announced in November last year, a spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security confirmed. It means £17.8bn has been invested in the project in the government said a final decision on the funding model was due later this summer as the project was still in need of private and EDF previously said there had been plenty of potential investors coming forward and an agreement was close to being finalised. What is the argument for Sizewell C? No new nuclear power plant has opened in the UK since 1995 when Sizewell B began to the government, all existing nuclear stations with the exception of Sizewell B, are likely to be phased out by the early government has previously said it was on a "mission" to deliver clean power by 2030 and reach its net zero target. Nuclear power stations do not produce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide or methane while in operation and therefore it could be key to help with this government also said this "clean, homegrown power" could play a part in building economic growth, improve its energy security and reduce the country's dependency on fossil key argument around the project is the jobs it could create for the surrounding in construction, the project could employ up to 10,000 people and once in operation there will be 900 people employed at Sizewell C. What do campaigners say? There has been strong opposition against Sizewell C since it was groups Stop Sizewell C and Together Against Sizewell C both fear the plant could have negative effects across a range of different have significant worries over the environmental impact and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has similarly protested in the past over this C has argued it has worked to protect the wildlife around the site by rehoming displaced animals in new nature reserves it has campaign groups also argue the project is "too slow" to combat climate change and is too Downes, director of Stop Sizewell C, said the government would come to "regret" its most recent investment announcement and felt the money could be spent elsewhere. When could Sizewell C be operational? If the final investment decision on the funding model this summer goes ahead without issue, Sizewell C could be operational by the 2030s. Sizewell C also recently announced plans to open a post-16 college in Leiston which it hoped would help train up its future workforce. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Courage on the seas, silence on our shores over Gaza
Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater In the early hours of yesterday morning, the world witnessed yet another brazen violation of international law by the Israeli government. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Madleen, a UK-flagged humanitarian aid vessel, was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters while en route to Gaza. Aboard were 12 peace activists, including high-profile figures such as climate activist Greta Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham and French MEP Rima Hassan. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This ship was not a threat, Israel knew that before it had even left port. It carried no weapons, only vital humanitarian supplies - food, water and medicine for the besieged people of Gaza. Greta Thunberg with part of the crew of the ship Madleen Yet, despite the clear protections of international maritime law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Israeli forces boarded and seized the vessel in a violent, nighttime raid. Let us be clear, this was not just an attack on a ship. It was an attack on humanitarian principles, on international law and on the right of civilians to live free from siege and starvation. It was an attempt to silence the growing global demand for justice and dignity for Palestinians. Scotland and indeed the UK, cannot look away. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The presence of global figures like Thunberg and Cunningham on the Madleen highlights the international scale of concern over the continued blockade of Gaza and is putting the strongest of spotlights on Israel's actions facilitating arguably the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. We must not allow the UK Government's silence to imply consent. Successive governments have remained complicit in the face of clear war crimes, continuing to arm and support the Israeli regime while turning their backs on the victims of its actions. With a UK vessel now seized and its passengers detained, the Labour government's refusal to speak out is both shameful and dangerous. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We cannot claim to stand for peace, human rights and the rule of law while funding, arming and enabling a regime that so flagrantly violates all three. We must demand action. The blockade of Gaza must end. The UK must halt all arms sales to Israel, suspend military cooperation and stand on the side of humanity. The Madleen's mission was to shine a light on the suffering of Gaza and the complicity of the international community in its ongoing tragedy. That light is now brighter than ever. What happens next will show whether the world is willing to act or merely watch. Lorna Slater, Scottish Green party co-leader
