Homes England awards £10.6million Local Authority Accelerated Construction funding to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. The council will use funding to prepare three sites to build 670 new homes in the borough. Funding will accelerate development of the sites using of modern methods of construction.
A fairer and more flexible deal for football fans who are affected when matches are rapidly rescheduled is “within reach”, Rail Minister Andrew Jones announced today (14 February 2019).
The Department for Transport has reached an agreement with football authorities, British Transport Police (BTP) and the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), representing train companies and Network Rail, that will see the Premier League working with the industry to create a package of measures aimed at improving the railways for all users on match days.
It will focus on encouraging more people to travel by train to football games, and will also ensure that passengers should not have to pay more for their train tickets in the event a match is rescheduled for TV.
The Premier League is currently drawing up an agreement to underpin this commitment. When confirmed by train operators and football clubs, trials will be launched to understand how future schemes can deliver more flexibility over train tickets for fans, improve stewarding on trains and lead to closer interaction between clubs and the BTP, ensuring better support and security on matchdays.
Rail Minister Andrew Jones said:
Football is all about passionate fans, and the last thing loyal supporters deserve is to pay more when matches are rescheduled at the last minute.
That’s why I’m delighted that the government has helped secure a vital agreement that will bring together clubs, operators and British Transport Police. Significant changes are now within reach, which can ensure even more people use our railways to get to games and improve the experience for all passengers on match days.
To drive this forward, I will be meeting with the Premier League and rail industry shortly to ensure our focus is on delivering a safe, secure and fair railway that works for fans, passengers, the clubs and the operators.
William Bush, Premier League Executive Director, said:
We are working closely with the government on an extensive range of schemes, and we are confident there are some truly transformational projects that we can take forward.
Both the Premier League and government are committed to working hard for a fairer, affordable, safer deal for football fans. We continue to work with rail industry leaders on proposals and look forward to setting out a joint way forward which will improve the travelling experience for fans on matchdays.
BTP Assistant Chief Constable Robin Smith said:
We fully endorse these discussions and are delighted to work alongside the government and the Premier League with a view to improving the travelling experience for all passengers particularly on match days.
Quite rightly the railway is a popular method of transport for fans and that’s why we are determined to work together to ensure journeys are a positive experience that don’t require police intervention. We’re really looking forward to and are excited by the next steps in this process.
Paul Plummer, RDG Chief Executive, said:
It’s not fair that last minute changes to the match day schedule can increase costs for travelling fans which is why train companies are working together to see how we can increase flexibility and give people more certainty about their ticket.
This has to be alongside the ongoing, cross-industry work to tackle anti-social behaviour from an extreme minority of people on match days so that we can ensure everyone travelling can have a comfortable journey.
The government is focused on delivering successful trials as quickly as possible. If successful, these could then be rolled out more widely to cover fans across the country.
Up to 670 new homes are to be built on three sites in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield, South Hertfordshire, supported by £10.6 million funding from Homes England.
The funding has been awarded to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and is the first to be agreed through the Government’s £450 million Accelerated Construction Programme.
The programme was launched to accelerate the delivery of local authority housing schemes and encourages the use of innovative construction methods and a wider range of builders, in particular small and medium sized companies.
The three sites to benefit from the funding include two Town Centre sites in Hatfield and one in Welwyn Garden City. Each will incorporate the use modern construction methods, to minimise onsite disruption in the town centre areas and speed up the delivery of the new homes.
Work is due to start on the first site at Hatfield Town Centre in June 2019, with each development including a target of 30 percent affordable housing.
Stephen Kinsella, Executive Director for Land at Homes England, said: “I’m delighted to see this first accelerated construction grant agreement being signed. The funding will enable Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council to develop their ambitious proposals for these three sites and will help to deliver much needed new homes for local people.
“The plans will prioritise the use of modern methods of construction including panellised and hybrid construction which will reduce time on site and minimise the impact on the local community, whilst delivering precision engineered high quality homes.”
Cllr Duncan Bell, the Council’s Executive Member for Resources, said: “Creating vibrant, bustling town centres that are fit for the future is at the heart of our vision for each of these sites. The funding from Homes England means that we can now undertake the work necessary to get these sites ready for us to build new homes and we are looking forward to developing detailed designs and plans to share with the community.”
Cllr Tony Kingsbury, Leader of the Council, said: “We are really proud to be the first local authority to secure funding from this programme. The schemes will not only deliver much needed new homes for the area, but will also bring increased footfall to our town centres and support the local economy to thrive.”
ENDS
For more information contact Kate Hall, Communications Officer at Homes England 0115 852 6900 or 07967 782252 kate.hall@homesengland.gov.uk
Notes to Editors
Homes England is the new housing delivery organisation that has been created to adopt a more commercial approach to respond to the long term housing challenges facing this country. The new, expanded agency will play a far bigger role in investing in supply and intervening in the market to help deliver 300,000 homes a year by the middle of the next decade.
For more information visit our home page or follow us on Twitter @HomesEngland
Welwyn Garden City
In Welwyn Garden City, the 14 acre town centre north site between John Lewis and the bus station will receive around £6.1m. The funding will enable the development and expansion of existing high-level plans outlined in an agreed Supplementary Planning Document. More ambitious proposals for this area have the potential to deliver up to 410 homes, retail space and better infrastructure in the heart of the garden city.
Hatfield
In Hatfield two pivotal sites in the heart of the town centre will receive nearly £4.5m.
This will help bring forward plans for 1 and 3-9 Town Centre, earmarked for new homes, shops and restaurants, with the remainder being used to develop plans for new homes on Link Drive. Both sites are areas of opportunity identified in the Hatfield 2030+ Renewal Framework, and their development is a crucial step in the ongoing regeneration plans to make the town centre a more attractive, vibrant place which has already seen £15m invested by the council.
A new coalition led by Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England has announced the first ever national ambitions to improve the detection and treatment of atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure and high cholesterol (A-B-C) – the major causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Detecting and treating these conditions can prevent or delay the onset of CVD, but they often carry no symptoms meaning millions are unaware they are at risk and in need of treatment. Over 5 million people are currently living with high blood pressure undiagnosed in England alone. By 2029, PHE and NHS England want:
The A-B-C conditions can be detected through routine checks across community and healthcare settings. The ambitions include recommendations for decision makers and frontline professionals on getting more people checked and best practice for identifying and treating those already at risk. People aged between 40 and 74 are also being urged to get their free NHS Health Check, which helps detect the early warning signs of CVD.
Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive, Public Health England, said:
Know your numbers and save your life. We know our PIN numbers but not the numbers that save our lives. Thousands of heart attacks and strokes can be prevented by more people knowing their blood pressure and cholesterol numbers and by seeking help early. Prevention is always better than cure.
CVD is the leading cause of premature death and disability in England, causing a death every 4 minutes. Achieving the national ambitions would help meet the long term plan target to prevent 150,000 heart attacks, strokes and cases of dementia within a decade.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS Medical Director, said:
This shows the fantastic commitment being made by this coalition to identify and treat heart disease and stroke which are top priorities in the NHS Long Term Plan. These ambitions will save thousands of lives by identifying and targeting people most at risk of these preventable conditions.
The ambitions also commit to reducing the health inequalities associated with CVD, with people in the most deprived communities four-times more likely to die prematurely from CVD than those in the least deprived. Health inequality data on each of the high risk conditions and tailored plans to address them will be published by 2021.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:
Prevention is at the heart of our vision for improving the health of the nation, empowering people to stay healthy, not just treating them when they’re ill. Almost half of those with high blood pressure are going about their daily lives without it being detected or treated. Millions of people are needlessly at risk of heart attacks or strokes when it could be prevented. So I want to help more people take the time out to protect their future health and get checked.
The NHS Long Term Plan has a target to prevent 150,000 heart attacks, strokes and cases of dementia within 10 years. By coming together across the system to agree these ambitions, we have set the goal posts for how we will achieve this target and continue our fight against the nation’s biggest killer.
To see the ambitions in full read the CVD edition of Health Matters and download the infographics.
Professor Jamie Waterall, National Lead for Cardiovascular Disease at Public Health England and Chair of CVD Prevention Forum, said:
Millions are unaware that they are living with these serious but treatable conditions. Detecting them early will help avoid thousands of heart attacks and strokes, the majority of which are preventable. If you’re between 40 and 74, get your free NHS Health Check to find out if you’re at risk and how this can be lowered.
Simon Gillespie, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said:
Heart and circulatory diseases are responsible for one in four deaths in this country, so improved detection of the major risk factors will play a critical role in the fight to save lives. If these ambitions are made a reality, the prospects of millions of at-risk people will be transformed.
For this to happen we must embrace innovative approaches so those at greatest risk of developing these conditions are identified at an early stage – making it as routine to know your numbers as it is to know your bank PIN number or weight. This means taking detection out into the community, making sure those with atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure or raised cholesterol have access to testing in local settings such as a supermarket or pharmacy. Those who do have one of these conditions will then able to get the treatment they need, and can be supported to self-manage on an ongoing basis.
Juliet Bouverie, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association, said:
We know that 9 in 10 strokes can, and should, be prevented. However, our research shows that if we don’t act now, then we can expect the number of strokes to increase by 44% in the next 20 years.
Every 5 minutes, stroke destroys lives. It can strike anyone – young or old. In England alone, there are around 5.5 million people with undiagnosed high blood pressure – ticking time bombs for stroke. Tackling this and atrial fibrillation (AF) would see the biggest drop in the number of strokes every year. We urge people to get their free NHS Health Check to test for these high risk conditions, prevent the devastation and disability that stroke causes, and avoid unnecessary cost to the NHS.
There are a number of ways people can take action to find out if they’re at risk:
The National CVD Prevention System Leadership Forum is made up of over 40 member organisations covering government, NHS England, other arm’s length bodies, the third sector, Royal Colleges, clinicians and academia.
Nearly £250 million of housing deals will deliver almost 25,000 more homes.