Councils across England could soon receive grants to help transform underused and derelict sites.

Under plans announced by the Government today (21 July), the grants would refund the costs of Landfill Tax where it acts as a barrier to redeveloping brownfield and contaminated land.

A four-week Call for Evidence will seek views on the need for, and design of, a scheme to support councils overcome the Landfill Tax burden.

The move – which could happen as early as this Autumn – would help build more homes and businesses on brownfield sites, protecting the environment and public health.

Environment Minister Lord Benyon said:

This grant will help councils build new homes and businesses on derelict eyesore sites – delivering more homes, and regenerating towns and cities.

Landfill tax has done a fantastic job in preventing unnecessary waste – but it’s important it doesn’t act as a barrier to regeneration.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury Alan Mak said:

Ensuring that communities across England have the tools to transform their local areas is central to our levelling up mission.

I’m delighted that we’re exploring this bold new scheme which could remove unintended barriers for local authorities who want the best for their communities, whilst protecting our natural environment from contamination.

Landfill tax was introduced in 1996 to encourage a shift away from sending waste to landfill and towards recycling, reuse and recovery. It is currently valued at £98.60 per tonne with a lower rate of £3.15 for the least polluting material.

Landfill tax is widely regarded as being successful, with local authority waste sent to landfill in England falling by 90% since 2000. However, in some cases where remediating contaminated land is not possible without sending waste to landfill, the tax can act as a significant barrier to redevelopment.

By targeting grants in instances where Landfill Tax would otherwise have prevented remediation on commercial terms, any scheme would seek to be cost-neutral.

The Call for Evidence welcomes views on how to ensure a grant scheme would not undermine the waste hierarchy or incentivise illegal dumping. Under plans, applicants would need to demonstrate that use of landfill is reasonably necessary, and steps have been taken to minimise the quantity of waste that will be landfilled.

• Refugees will visit the Cross at event with Heritage Minister Nigel Huddleston and Deputy Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK Taras Krykun
• Cross was built by Ukrainian refugees in 1948 as a symbol of gratitude to the UK and to mark their strong Christian faith

Recently settled Ukrainian refugees fleeing the ongoing crisis in their home country will today mark the confirmation of Grade II listed status for a second world war era Ukrainian Cross in the UK.

Refugees from areas including Kharkov, Kyiv and Lviv will meet with dignitaries from the UK and Ukraine at the site of cross in Mylor Bridge in Cornwall including the Deputy Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK, Taras Krykun, and UK Heritage Minister Nigel Huddleston.

The cross is being granted listed status to recognise its significance as a symbol of Ukrainian gratitude for refuge in Cornwall following the second world war and will serve as a reminder of the impact of wars on displaced communities throughout history.

It comes as the UK continues to welcome refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Thanks to the generosity of the UK public, who have offered their homes to Ukrainians through the Ukraine Family Scheme, 155,600 visas have been granted with 95,400 Ukrainians arriving safely in the UK so far.

Heritage Minister Nigel Huddleston said:

This poignant Ukrainian Cross is an important symbol of Britain’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Just as we welcomed those fleeing Soviet Russia 75 years ago, the whole country stands alongside Ukrainians escaping the atrocities of Putin’s illegal war today.

Vadym Prystaiko, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom, said:

The United Kingdom has been unwavering in its support and welcome for the people of Ukraine and we are thankful it continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with us. The Grade II listing of this cross is a beautiful gesture of companionship and support at a time when a new generation of Ukrainians are being forced to seek refuge in the UK.

Refugees Minister Lord Harrington said:

Thanks to the good will of the public for welcoming people into their homes, more than 95,400 people from Ukraine have arrived in our country, including over 640 in Cornwall.

As the people of Cornwall open up their communities to Ukrainians, we can today cement their special place in our shared history with this Cross – a symbol of our solidarity and a sombre reminder of the cost of war.

Hundreds of displaced Ukrainians found themselves in Cornwall in 1947 following the second world war. They were housed in temporary accommodation on the land opposite the cross and in military buildings nearby for a year before moving to permanent accommodation in surrounding villages.

Many refugees were employed locally and made an important contribution to Cornwall’s mining, fishing and farming industries.

The Cross at Mylor Bridge was built a year after the refugees’ arrival in 1948 as a symbol of their gratitude and their strong Christian faith.

It bears an inscription stating: This symbol of faith /  in God was erected by Ukrainians / who escaping from Russian communists / found refuge in England / 7 June 1948. The cross was blessed by three Roman Catholic priests.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Historic England, said:

The Ukrainian Cross is a poignant reminder of the human cost of war and the lives lost and displaced. It is a simple reflection of gratitude for safe refuge and fully deserves to be listed.

Fedir Kurlak, Chief Executive, Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain said:

What an incredibly fitting gesture it is for the Ukrainian Memorial in Mylor Bridge to be granted protection with grade II listing. The Cross itself reflects the United Kingdom’s generosity in sharing perhaps one of its most valuable assets with peoples of different nations that have sought and continue to seek shelter here from war and oppression: the right to live in a free and democratic country. The Ukrainians who placed the Memorial in 1948, and all of their compatriots, would be extremely proud today! In the same breath it is also important to recognise the kind-heartedness of the Mylor Bridge community in continuing to protect the Cross to this day!

Rt.Revd Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Truro, said:

Cornwall’s motto is ‘One and All’ and that encapsulates the spirit of this special place. We recognise that our neighbours are not just those near us and like us, but those distant from us and different to us. It was in that spirit that we welcomed Ukrainian refugees in the past, and we welcome them today in the very same spirit.

Leader of Cornwall Council, Linda Taylor said:

We are delighted to welcome the Minister and the Ukrainian Ambassador to Cornwall.

This cross represents what the people of Cornwall do best, helping and supporting people in their time of need which is as true now as it was over 70 years ago.

I’d like to thank all our residents who are supporting, or have supported, refugees in their home. I know that in the years to come we will continue to come together as a community and support those that need our help whenever the need arises.

At the end of the second world war and after the collapse of Nazi Germany, 11 million people were displaced including more than two million Ukrainians.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• In June 2008 the cross was rededicated to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Some of the original refugees (including the original camp leader), along with their descendants, attended the ceremony.

Retail deals and discounts to help families over the summer holidays have been announced as part of the government’s Help for Households Campaign.

Signed with some of the UK’s biggest businesses, including Asda, Morrisons, Amazon and Vodafone, these deals are designed to reduce costs at the checkout, help provide entertainment and ensure access to necessary services for families during the summer holidays and beyond.

Agreed with the government’s Cost of Living Business Tsar David Buttress, the deals include the extension of Asda’s ‘Kids eat for £1’ scheme, where children aged 16 and under can access a hot or cold meal for £1 at any time of day in Asda Cafes across the UK.

Sainsbury’s is introducing it’s ‘feed your family for a fiver’ campaign, helping customers with budget-friendly meal ideas to feed a family of four for less than £5.

Theatres in London are uniting for Kids Week, an initiative giving children the chance to see a West End show for free throughout August with a full paying adult, with half price tickets for two additional children in the same group, while Vodafone is promoting a mobile social tariff of £10 a month.

Along with new initiatives, some deals are a continuation of successful support schemes which businesses are already running and want to promote under the Help for Households campaign to raise awareness.

These include Amazon’s new ‘help for households’ page that will provide access to free entertainment such as Freevee and Amazon Music, as well as educational resources for school-aged children and low-price essential groceries. Morrisons is also providing a free meal for every child at in-store cafes when a parent buys an adult meal.

These deals form the first part of the Help for Household retail campaign which will aim to provide deals for families over four distinct periods –the summer holidays, back to school, Autumn pressures and Christmas retail – with deals secured and hosted on the government’s new Help for Households website so that people can find them easily in one place.

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said:

We’re facing incredibly tough global economic headwinds and families across the country are feeling the pinch.

That’s why this government is providing an unprecedent £37bn worth of support to help households through the storm.

Both the public and private sector have a role to play here – and that’s why it’s great to see so many leading UK businesses are now coming forward to offer new deals and discounts that will provide much needed respite at the checkout.

This won’t solve the issue overnight but it’s yet another weapon in our arsenal as we fight back against scourge of rising prices and inflation.

To mark the launch of the bespoke cost of living deals, the Prime Minister and David Buttress will host a meeting of senior business leaders involved in the campaign in No10 tomorrow [Thursday] to thank the businesses involved and discuss new ideas for cutting the cost of living.

Attendees are likely to include representatives from Sainsburys, Vodafone, Amazon, Centrica and the CBI.

Cost of Living Business Tsar David Buttress will also thank businesses for their support and praise the campaign’s “good start” while making clear that “we’ve got more to do and more deals to announce – not just over the summer holidays but when kids return to school and in the run up to Christmas when costs are typically higher”.

These deals build on the £37bn package of Help for Households already being provided by government – including tax cuts and help towards energy, childcare and transport costs.

The government’s online cost of living support pages, which have been visited over 2.2 million times, are helping the public to access the panoply of different cost of living support schemes available across government. 90% of users have said that they find the site helpful.

John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon said:

We are proud to be part of the Government’s ‘Help for Households’ campaign, as we continue to support our customers across the UK with great value and convenience.

In fact, today we’ve launched a brand-new page on amazon.co.uk which shows you how to access free or discounted products and services from Amazon.

This includes free entertainment for all, learning resources for students, along with more details of how else customers can save online.

We will continue to offer the widest selection of products at the best possible prices, with many of these products sold by the 85,000 small and medium-sized UK businesses who use Amazon to reach customers here and around the world.

Simon Roberts, Chief Executive Officer at Sainsbury’s, said:

The rising cost of living is at the forefront of customers’ minds, so we are delighted that our Feed your family for a fiver campaign is part of the initiative, helping people save money when it matters most.

We have invested over half a billion pounds since March 2021 to ensure the items customers buy most often are on the shelves at the best prices. We are keeping inflation lower than our peers and we stand side by side with colleagues too – in April Sainsbury’s became the first major retailer to pay all our colleagues the Living Wage.

Hayley Tatum, Asda’s Chief Corporate Affairs and People Officer, said:

Our latest Asda Income Tracker shows that families are on average £175 worse off per month compared to this time last year and many are finding it increasingly tough to make ends meet.

We want to do all we can to support families during these tough times which is why we’re pleased to support the ‘Help for Households’ initiative and have today launched our Essential Living Hub where families can find hints and tips from a range of experts about how to make their budgets go further, including details of our Kids Eat for £1’ offer, which we’re pleased to confirm will be extended to all cafes across the UK until the end of the year.

Association of Convenience Stores Chief Executive, James Lowman, said:

The UK’s 47,000 local shops play an incredibly important role in helping consumers to manage their money, save on fuel and other travel costs, and reduce food waste.

We strongly welcome the new Help for Households campaign, and are committed to working with the cost of living tsar David Buttress to highlight how convenience stores are supporting both customers and colleagues during this challenging time for everyone.

Many convenience store retailers are providing significant staff discounts and other benefits as part of extra support packages for colleagues in store, as well as doing everything they can to keep prices on the shelf in check despite rising costs in just about every area of their businesses.

Ahmed Essam, CEO at Vodafone UK, said:

Vodafone is proud to support the ‘Help for Households’ campaign that raises awareness and offers support to individuals and families most impacted by the cost of living challenge. Vodafone offers VOXI For Now, which is the only mobile social tariff to help those experiencing financial hardship stay connected, as well as our everyone.connected campaign to provide free connectivity to one million people living in digital poverty by the end of 2022.

• COP26 President Alok Sharma will meet with key ministers and climate leaders involved in the implementation of India’s ambitious COP26 commitments

• He will visit a solar research facility to see renewable energy generation in action as he continues to press for global delivery of the Glasgow Climate Pact

• The COP President will meet local communities and hear first-hand accounts of those living and working outdoors following the searing heatwaves across India

COP26 President Alok Sharma will travel to India from 21-22 July 2022. The visit is an opportunity to again engage with India on climate policy as well as strengthen and support progress and delivery of the Glasgow Climate Pact, following COP26 in Glasgow and in the run up to India’s G20 Presidency.

On his third visit to the country as COP President, Alok Sharma will continue the work of the UK COP Presidency in pressing for updated climate commitments from all countries, as he meets with senior ministers and climate and energy leaders to discuss India’s ambitious climate plans and progress on smart grid upgrades, electric vehicles and affordable energy storage.

Mr Sharma will travel to the International Solar Alliance (ISA) headquarters at the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) campus in Delhi. There, he will witness renewable energy generation in action, and discuss how to further advance the Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG), a product of UK-India partnership focused on strengthening global support for green power infrastructure.

While in Delhi Mr Sharma will attend a joint launch of UK-India initiatives on electric mobility, hosted by apex Government of India think-tank NITI Aayog. The partnership between the UK Government and NITI Aayog has been instrumental in taking forward Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) initiatives launched under the UK’s COP26 Presidency. He will visit the Centre for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to hear an update on progress since COP26 and discuss future plans.

As record heatwaves are recorded in India, Mr Sharma will also meet with the local community to hear how climate change is impacting them directly and understand how extreme heat affects their livelihoods in the city.

Alok Sharma, COP26 President, said:

India’s green transition is gathering pace, with an increasing slate of renewables and commitments to phase down fossil fuel based energy. I have previously commended India on its emissions reduction targets and truly believe that delivery of its commitments will have a major positive impact.

The UK continues to stand side-by-side with India as it progresses to a low carbon, self-sufficient future. At this critical juncture ahead of COP27 and the NDC Synthesis Report deadline, I am eager to explore how the UK can further support India in translating its COP26 commitments into action.

After his visit to India, the COP President will travel to Australia, then on to Fiji, to engage with governments, states, businesses and civil society in support for stronger climate action ahead of COP27 in Egypt.

ENDS

Background

• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched in 2015 jointly by India and France to scale up deployment of solar energy. There are now over 100 member countries, including the UK, which sits on the ISA’s Steering Committee as Vice President of the Europe and Others region. Please visit the ISA website for more information.

• The Green Grids Initiative (GGI) was adopted by the UK Government in the build up to COP26 and formed a key initiative as part of the wider Energy Transition Campaign. As agreed in the ‘2030 Roadmap for India-UK future relations’, Prime Ministers Modi and Johnson launched the ‘Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid’ (GGI-OSOWOG) at COP26, and accompanying One Sun Declaration, which was endorsed by over 90 countries. In April 2022, the PMs agreed to champion this initiative under India’s upcoming G20 Presidency. Please visit the COP26 website for more information.

• The Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Council (ZEVTC) is a ZEV initiative established by the UK’s COP Presidency, bringing together governments of the world’s largest car markets to work together to accelerate the transition. At COP26, the ZEVTC set out four priorities in its Action Plan:

  • pace of the transition and technology choices for zero emission heavy duty vehicles
  • charging infrastructure;
  • CO2 or fuel efficiency standards and regulations;
  • ensuring the ZEV transition is truly global.