The Government has given the go-ahead to build a major gas-fired power station at East Knottingley in Yorkshire that will create 1100 jobs during the peak of construction.

The Knottingley Power Project consists of a 1500 MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station and associated infrastructure will be located at the site of the former Oxiris Chemical works.

The decision announced this week supports the recommendation made by the Planning Inspectorate and follows an examination process which met or exceeded all the statutory timescales laid down in The Planning Act 2008.

The Planning Inspectorate’s Chief Executive, Simon Ridley, said: “This is the 36th application for a nationally significant infrastructure project to be examined by The Planning Inspectorate.

“The examination, recommendation and decision have been within the statutory timescales laid down in the Planning Act 2008.

“Local people, the local authority and other interested parties were able to participate in the 6 month long examination.

“This, together with the certainty of knowing when a decision will be made, provides confidence in the planning process and aide the infrastructure improvements this country needs to secure its energy and future economic growth.”

Carillion has been selected by the Homes & Communities Agency to deliver a new mixed use development at Tower Works, a key development site within Holbeck Urban Village in Leeds.

The combined development value of the proposed masterplan will be in in the region of £80 million and construction work will start in January 2016.

The brief is to create a mixed-use, sustainable community with a distinctive sense of place, which balances high quality and contemporary design with the existing heritage structures which occupy the site.

The 1.04 hectare site is an old industrial location which houses three Italianate Towers. It is these grade two listed buildings which give the site its name.

Carillion’s developments proposals include 92,000sq ft of commercial office space, 20,000sq ft of A1 and A3 retail restaurant and bar spaces and 147 residential units.

Naz Parkar, executive director at the HCA said: “Today’s announcement marks the start of our partnership with Carillion who will turn this empty space into a vibrant destination, with 147 homes, shops, restaurants and places to work, creating an important link between Holbeck and Leeds City Centre offering a place for local people to live, work and socialise in a spectacular canal side location only 5 minutes away from the city centre, that will help to kick-start the next phase of the regeneration of Holbeck Urban Village.”

Councillor Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council’s executive member for transport and the economy, said: “Tower Works is truly an iconic site and it is very important for the regeneration of the South Bank. As a council we are keen that developments here have high quality designs and that they include housing for families- a first for this area.

“I particularly welcome the quality of the proposed residential elements of the Carillion scheme and the plans for housing suitable for families. This scheme can be a catalyst for more good quality city living and the physical regeneration of Holbeck Urban Village.”

More people will have their homes and businesses heated by renewable, sustainable or recoverable energy sources thanks to extra £3 million of funding awarded to 55 local authorities across England and Wales today.

The new funding will support 74 low-carbon heat projects designed to provide more efficient heat to buildings and potentially lower heating bills in local areas while helping to cut carbon emissions, tackle fuel poverty and boost local jobs.

Heat networks are designed to provide heat to clusters of buildings through a system of insulated pipes carrying hot water – eliminating the need for individual homes and businesses to generate their own heat.

Heat is distributed from a central location from sources such as rivers or mine water, biomass, energy from waste or recovered heat.

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Davey, said: “Using wasted heat to warm our buildings is a cost effective way to cut carbon and slash energy bills.

“This money will help transform the way communities heat their buildings, schools and homes – as well as show how people and councils can work together to boost jobs and investment in their local area.”

The 55 winning local authorities are the fourth group of successful bidders to be announced as part of the government’s drive to scale-up the reach of low-carbon heat through local networks.

If half of the projects are built, this would represent a capital investment of £800 million.

Housing and infrastructure are the key challenges facing the capital, according to a recent Londoners polled by City Hall published this month.

The 2014 London survey was created to ask Londoners what they think about the city to help inform the work of the Mayor and City Hall with 3,674 responses received via the GLA’s Talk London website.

The poll’s findings put housing as the most pressing issue for London with 87 per cent of respondents believing more housing is needed generally, while 65 per cent think more housing is required in their local area.

When asked to rank the best solutions to the housing challenge, the poll found four measures came out neck and neck – these were supporting home ownership for first time buyers; making sure landlords act fairly; improving the quality of existing social housing; and increasing the building of new homes.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “ It is reassuring that the findings reflect the priorities my administration has focused on, ploughing record investment into housing and transport and programmes to promote growth.”

Housing

The Mayor is on track to build a record 100,000 low cost homes for Londoners over his two terms, with more than 77,000 already completed. This year alone, more affordable homes are being built than in any other year since the early 1980s.

The Mayor is stimulating house building with a range of pioneering new policies, including 20 new housing zones to help fast-track the delivery of 50,000 new homes; and a housing bank to make long term low cost loans available for new affordable homes.

The Mayor has launched the first ever London Rental Standard – a city-wide badge of accreditation, to help millions of Londoners rent with confidence. The standard is awarded to all landlords and letting agents who meet a set of significant core commitments set by the Mayor.

Balfour Beatty has been appointed as a civil contractor for an integrated team that will deliver the ten-year Thames Estuary Asset Management Programme for CH2M Hill.

The scheme will be carried out on behalf of the Environment Agency, and is anticipated to be worth up to £250 million to Balfour Beatty.

The £300 million programme is the largest single flood risk asset management programme ever awarded in the UK.

It is designed to manage and deliver capital investment works to the Thames tidal flood defences along the 170km length of the Thames Estuary, protecting 1.25 million people from flooding risk across Kent, Essex and London and £200 billion worth of property, UK government assets, major infrastructure and businesses.

The programme will involve creating tidal walls and embankments, refurbishing works of active assets, (including major flood barriers), new assets such as pumping stations, capital renewals and replacements.

Packages of major or complex maintenance works will include repairing fixed flood defence walls or subsidence of earth embankments. CH2M Hill leads the programme supported by delivery partner Balfour Beatty and a number of other specialist suppliers.

Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty’s Group Chief Executive, said: “We look forward to being part of an integrated team that will deliver this vital programme along the Thames Estuary.

“Balfour Beatty is bringing significant expertise in flood defence to protect one of the world’s greatest cities from the sea. And, with our partners we will offer long-term, skilled, opportunities to the next generation of civil engineers.”

Individual projects are expected to be awarded from the third quarter of this year with each expected to be worth up to £10 million in value.

The CBI is urging the next government to help unleash new long-term capital to support dynamic medium-sized businesses that will create new jobs and boost growth.

After the financial crisis, the UK has rebalanced away from traditional bank debt because of balance sheet restructuring and regulatory change.

Despite the encouraging increase in short-term alternative finance, the lack of long-term growth capital, and difficulties in accessing trade finance, are impacting on medium-sized businesses’ ability to grow.

To boost the availability of long-term growth capital, a new CBI report, Financing our Future Economy, calls on the next government to promote a market for privately placed debt, which the Breedon Review estimates could unlock up to £15 billion.

High-growth countries now account for the majority of world growth but two thirds of global trade finance providers (69%) said complex anti-money laundering (AML) regulation and ‘know your customer’ requirements are acting as a major barrier to firms getting the trade finance.

That’s why the CBI is calling on the Treasury and Department for Business to launch a review of the impact of these measures.

John Cridland, CBI Director-General, said:“The UK is still missing a trick on long-term growth capital. The next government needs to mind this financial gap otherwise our medium-sized firms – the job creating dynamos of the economy – will suffer.

“If firms can’t get the trade finance they need to explore new markets, the UK has no way of meeting its ambitious exports target of £1 trillion by 2020.

“Of course we must have robust anti-money laundering regulations but the detailed application can be cumbersome and complex and is acting as a brake for businesses wanting to sell their products and services around the world.

“The report also highlights that the majority of the £466 billion investment needed by 2020 to keep UK infrastructure up-to-date needs to come from the private sector. But investors are being held back by uncertainty over the future pipeline of projects.

“It’s time for, the government to establish an independent infrastructure body to determine future investment needs and look at innovative solutions, like ‘bundling’ smaller projects together, to create an attractive proposition for institutional investors.”

Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb hailed the UK Government’s mortgage guarantee scheme as new figures show that it has helped hundreds of people across Wales buy a home.

Since the scheme was started in 2013, 1,530 first time buyers in Wales have been able to buy a home of their own while boosting the construction industry and creating new jobs.

Mr Crabb said the Welsh Government now needed to extended their version of the Help to Buy equity loan scheme to 2020 – as the UK Government has done – to reassure homebuyers and the housebuilding industry in Wales.

Stephen Crabb said: “For too long, too many people have struggled to make their dream of home ownership a reality – but today’s figures show that is changing.

“Hundreds of people across Wales have used our mortgage guarantee scheme to climb onto the first rung of the housing ladder.

“In England we have extended the Help to Buy equity loan scheme until 2020. I know housebuilders are concerned the Welsh Government have not made the same commitment with their own scheme.

“Wales needs to reap the economic benefits of a vibrant housebuilding industry. I hope the Welsh Government moves quickly to reassure homebuyers and the housing market so Wales doesn’t lag behind.”

Carillion has been appointed by Scape Group as the sole provider for a new facilities management framework with a value of up to £1.5 billion over a six-year period.

Scape will offer a full suite of national frameworks and selected Carillion ahead of other competitors, because it offered the best quality and value for money.

This is the first framework of its kind, which is available to any public sector body in the UK, that offers a full suite of facilities management services.

Other services that are also available through the framework include, but are not limited to, car park management, Health and Safety advice, consultancy, grounds maintenance and the management of internal office mail and messaging services.

The framework is OJEU approved, which simplifies the procurement process so that users can develop and procure services within a four-week period.

Haydn Scarborough, bid director at Carillion, said: “We are delighted to have been selected by Scape as their partner in delivering facilities management services to a variety of public sector bodies through this innovative framework.

“Combining Carillion’s national FM coverage with Scape’s unique link to the Public Sector will offer clients a competitive option for the delivery of their services.”

Mark Robinson, group chief executive at the Scape Group, said: “Our priority is to offer clients a service which provides viable options in a sector which is increasingly under pressure to deliver more services in a shorter period of time with smaller budgets.

“What makes this framework different to anything else is its universal accessibility – every public sector body throughout the UK will be able to use it and the services covered are extremely broad. By appointing Carillion as our partner, we are confident that these services will be of outstanding quality whilst offering unparalleled value.”