logo
Hull to receive £3.9m funds for 42 new green buses

Hull to receive £3.9m funds for 42 new green buses

Yahoo08-04-2025

Hull City Council has been allocated £3.9m of government funding for 42 new zero-emission buses.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said the green vehicles, which are expected to be operational in the city by spring 2027, would "make bus travel cleaner, greener and more comfortable".
It is part of a wider £37.5m investment to fund 319 new vehicles across England, with Hull among 12 authorities benefitting from the scheme.
Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood, who is due to visit the city later to announce the plans, said the funding would also create jobs, support local economies and "accelerate the journey towards a zero-emission future".
"By backing local councils and UK manufacturers, we are putting the power in the hands of communities, while helping to deliver on our vision of a sustainable, green transport network," said Lightwood.
The investment comes as the Bus Service Bill, which aims to give control back to local authorities, progresses through Parliament.
Last month, Hull City Council approved £7.6m of DfT funding to improve its bus services, which includes increasing frequency on all key routes, installing up to 30 new bus shelters and improving accessibility.
Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Electric buses and new services for Hull
Hull approves £7.6m funds to improve bus services
Electric buses
Hull City Council

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Israel's Strikes on Iran Trigger Elevated Shipping Risks Across Middle East
Israel's Strikes on Iran Trigger Elevated Shipping Risks Across Middle East

Yahoo

time9 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Israel's Strikes on Iran Trigger Elevated Shipping Risks Across Middle East

Israel's airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities early Friday morning have prompted the U.K. and Greece to advise their merchant shipping fleets on taking a more cautious approach to sailing certain trade bottlenecks in the Middle East. According to a report from Reuters sharing information from the U.K.'s Department for Transport, all U.K.-flagged vessels, which include ships registered under the flags of Gibraltar and Bermuda, were advised to avoid sailing through the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. More from Sourcing Journal China-to-US Freight Rates 'No Longer Surging'-Is it All Downhill from Here? As Houthis Warn of 'War' Amid Israel-Iran Tensions, Red Sea Shipping Still Stagnant USTR Eases Port Fees for Foreign Vehicle Carriers, Scraps LNG Export Mandate If transiting these areas, vessels must adhere to their highest level of security measures and limit the number of crew on deck during transits, said the advisory. The Union of Greek Shipowners, which represent more than 60 percent of the E.U. controlled merchant fleet, urged shipowners to send details of their vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz to Greece's maritime ministry, Reuters said. The Strait of Hormuz flows into the Persian Gulf, with roughly one-fifth of the world's daily oil supply passing through, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The pre-emptive airstrikes bring speculation as to the immediate future of Red Sea shipping, particularly since the Iran-aligned Houthi militant group responsible for attacks in the waterway have been in direct conflict with Israel in recent months. Ahead of Friday's attacks, the Yemen-based Houthis had warned both Israel and the U.S. that any escalation against Iran would 'drag the entire region into the abyss of war.' The militants had conducted drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels traveling through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait starting in late 2023, which lasted throughout 2024. The U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization said it began the attacks in support of Palestinians in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. Overall, the Houthis conducted more than 130 attacks on commercial vessels in that time frame, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a crisis monitoring organization. The onslaught resulted in container shipping firms mostly abandoning the Suez Canal, instead committing to rerouting their ships around southern Africa's Cape of Good Hope. The mass diversions lengthened East-to-West ocean shipping times by roughly one-to-two weeks. Although the Houthis have not conducted any attacks in the Red Sea in 2025, most of the major ocean carriers have refused to return to the trade artery due to a lack of safety guarantees. A circular shared by maritime security firm Ambrey early Friday said there was no impact to shipping at the time of the report. The firm warned of heightened risk to Israel-affiliated shipping in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, similar to a warning sent out by the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office of the Royal Navy ahead of the Israeli airstrikes. For safety precautions, Ambrey recommended thorough affiliation checks for vessels planning to transit through the affected regions. Vessels with strong affiliations to Israel are advised to avoid these areas where possible. With tensions continuing to escalate in the Middle East amid Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza, roughly 200 protesters occupied the lobby of Maersk's Manhattan headquarters on Wednesday morning. The demonstration occurred in protest of the container shipping giant's transport of military equipment to Israel, namely the reported shipping of F-35 fighter jet parts. Maersk has stated that while it carries military equipment to Israel, it does not transport weapons or ammunition to the area, or any other conflict zones. Earlier this year, the company's shareholders voted against a proposal to halt shipments of arms to Israel on the grounds that premise of the proposal was incorrect. Members of the protesting group, which was organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement and Jewish Voice for Peace, refused to move from the lobby and chanted phrases like 'Maersk, Maersk, drop the cargo, we demand an arms embargo.' The demonstrators also demanded that more food and aid be sent to Gaza. Members of the NYPD's strategic response group moved in after about an hour and cuffed protesters. At least 50 had been taken into custody by the time the protest ended. The Manhattan demonstration follows a series of protests in major cities like Copenhagen, Paris and Berlin. Last month, more than 50 activists including Greta Thunberg held a demonstration in the Copenhagen office of Maersk's tankers division in protest of the equipment shipments, as well as the carrier's overall carbon emissions. Thunberg and a group of other activists on a Gaza-bound flotilla were later detained by Israeli officials after attempting to bring food and humanitarian aid to the region. The detainees were brought to Israel before they returned to their home countries.

Hundreds of homes approved despite job concerns
Hundreds of homes approved despite job concerns

Yahoo

time15 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Hundreds of homes approved despite job concerns

Plans to build more than 250 homes and an 80-bedroom care home in Stamford will go ahead, despite concerns about the "long-term sustainability" of the town. The Exeter Fields development, for agricultural land off Empingham Road, was approved by South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) at a meeting on Thursday. Town councillor Barry Devereux was among opponents who argued the site should be retained for employment use, because more housing without job opportunities would threaten the viability of the town. But Andrew McPheat, from applicant Commercial Estates Group said there was no "appetite or demand" to justify "a strategic employment site". The plans cover a 22-acre site between a Taylor Wimpey housing estate and the A1, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. Of the 268 homes, 80 would be "affordable" and there would be a local centre with shops and community buildings. However, in 2012, Exeter Fields was set aside for industrial and commercial use. During the meeting, residents and councillors argued it should remain reserved for employment, noting Stamford's growing population. Councillor Richard Cleaver, the cabinet member for property at SKDC, said the site was "completely irreplaceable" and allowing the application would deprive the town "of any employment opportunities within its boundaries forever". The idea that a site so close to the A1 was unsuitable for employment was "frankly laughable", he added. Mr McPheat said the landowners had spent 10 years marketing the site to potential occupiers, but had found no demand for it as an employment site. He argued a local centre in the estate could create up to 155 direct and 78 indirect jobs. Council planning officers acknowledged the concerns but warned that if developers were "not willing to develop" then the land could not be retained "indefinitely". Councillor Helen Crawford backed the application, noting that "employment has changed", particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic, with more people now working from home. In total, nine committee members voted to approve the development while two voted against. The proposal was put forward by Commercial Estates Group and the Cecil Estate Family Trust. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. New homes approved despite concerns for village Council hopes not to lose money on land deal 'Significant milestone' reached at derelict site South Kesteven District Council Commercial Estates Group Local Democracy Reporting Service

Former school's £6m SEND sixth form development
Former school's £6m SEND sixth form development

Yahoo

time17 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Former school's £6m SEND sixth form development

A council has approved plans to buy back a former school in Grimsby and turn it into a special sixth form. North East Lincolnshire Council sold Nunsthorpe School to Grimsby Institute in 2004 and it now operates as a technical and professional training centre. The authority plans to repurchase the school and invest £6m to transform it into a separate sixth form site for Humberston Park Special School. Councillor Margaret Cracknell said: "There's absolute demand for further premises in order to cope with the numbers of children that need this special education provision." Cracknell added Humberston Park Special School's existing location in St Thomas Close, Humberston, had very little capacity to expand. "We don't have any alternative but to support this expansion so that children are supported in a building that suits them," she said. Humberston Park Special School, which caters for pupils from age four to 19, is currently oversubscribed at approximately 140 students at its existing site. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a recent capacity assessment found its maximum intake should be 106 pupils. A council document said the school can no longer offer a nursery and has indicated it will not be accepting new pupils until 2029. By improving its capacity, fewer children with special needs will need to be sent out of the borough for their education, saving the council £31,000 a year. The provisional funding for the refurbishment is made up of £4.5m from the council's general pupil place cash and £1.5m from the future Department for Education higher needs grant. Grimsby Institute is vacating the former Nunsthorpe school due to new facilities it has been developing to host its animal husbandry courses at its main campus. The move is expected to start from September. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Hydrotherapy pool could close as energy bills soar Send is the 'biggest issue' for schools - Ofsted Special needs provision to be expanded North East Lincolnshire Council Humberston Park School Grimsby Institute Local Democracy Reporting Service

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store