6 boaters are counting the cost after they’ve been ordered to pay more than £4,300 for flouting the law on East Anglian rivers.

They failed to register their vessels, and the Environment Agency is warning other boaters not to do the same or they, too, could face fines, fees and even criminal convictions.

Boat owners are legally required to register any vessel they keep, use, or let for hire on Environment Agency waterways, and to clearly display a valid registration plate.

But Angela Quinn (South Road, Brandon, Suffolk), Jack Hawksbee (Coronation Avenue, Whittlesey, Peterborough), John Day (Riverside Mead, Stanground, Peterborough), Lewis Burton (Church Street, Great Wilbraham, Cambridgeshire), and Alan Gamble and Michael Paris (both of Upware Marina, Ely) all failed to do so.

All the cases were proved at Cambridge Magistrates Court on 25 April.

Ms Quinn was ordered to pay £904, Mr Hawksbee, £869, Mr Day, £496, Mr Burton, £470, Mr Gamble, £1,106 and Mr Paris £495 in the next 28 days.

It brings the total of avoided registration charges recouped by the Environment Agency so far this year to £110,000 – money which will be reinvested into maintaining, improving and protecting waterways.

Nathan Arnold, waterways team leader at the Environment Agency, said:

Our waterways are part of our nation’s rich heritage and beauty, and they contribute to our environment, economy and health and wellbeing.

But boaters who break the law by not registering their boats are putting the future of these historic and precious waterways at risk – so we won’t hesitate to take action against them.

As well as not contributing their fair share towards the upkeep of waterways, unregistered boats can be unsafe, hazardous to other river users and a pollution risk to the local environment and wildlife.

The Environment Agency looks after 353 miles of navigable waterways in the Anglian network, which includes the Ancholme, Black Sluice, Glen, Welland, Nene, Great Ouse and Stour, as well as associated locks and navigation facilities like slipways, moorings, showers and toilets.

More information about boating and waterways, including registering vessels, is available from the Environment Agency. If you suspect a boat is illegal, please contact the EA on 03708 506 506 or email waterways.enforcementanglian@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Commenting on the publication of the Commons International Development Committee’s report on the use of UK aid to combat climate change, Secretary of State for International Development, Rory Stewart, said:

The 16-tonne mobile barriers are among the latest innovations demonstrating Highways England’s commitment to investing in new technology to improve safety and minimise disruption caused by roadworks and incidents.

In collaboration with Kier, the mobile barriers have been brought over from the USA and launched in the West Midlands, protecting people at work sites and cutting delays by reducing the number of cones needed.

If struck from the side, the barriers absorb the impact from a moving vehicle while a lorry-mounted crash cushion gives further protection at the rear. The mobile barriers act as a physical protection for both road workers and motorists.

As well as improving safety, the roadworks themselves take less time to complete as fewer cones and signs have to be put out.

Meanwhile, another innovation that has been put to use in the West Midlands are four new Solar CCTV Systems (SICS).

Designed and built for Highways England, the mobile CCTV systems can be easily deployed to locations to provide surveillance and feed back information about traffic flows to the control room.

Action can then be taken, such as traffic officers deployed or speed limits lowered, to create smoother journeys.

One of the systems is in use at junction 6 of the M42, near to Birmingham Airport, where people were previously frustrated by congestion and delays. Organisations can now access the information from this camera and plan their journeys and business accordingly.

The cameras offer visibility at sites where a permanent camera is not necessary, such as during roadworks.

Highways England is investing £150 million in innovation to ensure it remains at the forefront of making England’s motorways and major A roads dependable, durable and safe.

Martin Bolt, who is heading up the innovation projects for Highways England, said

The mobile barriers, which are being used for the first time in Europe, are an innovative way of looking at how we can increase protection for road workers.

And they’re helping customers too, because the faster we can get the work safely done the better people’s journeys will be.

Together with our partners we have are demonstrating that we can make great improvements both to people’s journeys and communities and the environment around our network.

Dave Wright, executive director for Kier Highways, commented:

As a company we’re committed to working with our partners to ensure we continuously develop technology that improves safety on the road for both road workers and users. We’re hugely passionate about this, and our improvements team is constantly looking at ways to innovate and pioneer new products that go towards this aim.

Our main priority is to make sure everyone gets home safely at the end of the day and we look forward to expanding mobile barrier across our other UK contracts.

As part of a commitment to innovation, Highways England has been running two competitions to encourage the UK’s most creative minds to come up with fresh ideas to revolutionise roads and driving.

It has set aside £20 million and invited ground-breaking entries which will help develop digital roads – connected vehicles and infrastructure, design and construction that reduces cost and improves safety, better and more predictable journey times – and to improve air quality. The closure date for entries was Wednesday 8 May 2019.

Meanwhile last week Highways England announced that self-driving trucks which could help speed up roadworks are being tested for the first time in England.

The dump trucks, which move huge amounts of earth, provide the potential to work around the clock, so could help reduce the length of time roadworks are on the ground. And by being autonomous they reduce the risk of road workers being involved in incidents on site.

Highways England has committed £150,000 from its innovation designated fund into the dump truck trial on the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

In the late 1960s the construction of a motorway and a roundabout in Gloucestershire meant the Stroudwater Navigation Canal was effectively split in two.

Since 1972, volunteers from the Cotswold Canals Trust have been working to restore derelict sections of the canal route.

And now Highways England, the company responsible for managing and maintaining England’s major A roads and motorways, is contributing funding towards the restoration of the final ‘missing mile’.

Sean Walsh, route manager for Highways England, said:

We are delighted to support this project which will restore the missing mile to the nation’s inland waterway network.

When the work is finished there will not only be a restored canal, but also a great walking and cycling route, and environmental improvements, all of which will attract more visitors to the area, and so help the local economy.

Our designated funds programme was developed so that we can invest in improvement projects like this, which go beyond traditional road building and maintenance and have a positive impact on people and communities, as well as protecting cultural heritage and leaving a positive legacy for future generations.

Jim White, Chair of Cotswold Canals Trust, welcomed the Highways England funding. He said:

The Highways England award is extremely welcome and will significantly progress the overall project by bringing forward several of the major engineering tasks in the programme.

The project, led by the Cotswolds Canals Trust and involving Stroud District Council, will restore the waterway, locks, bridges and wetlands west of Stonehouse in Gloucestershire that were lost when the M5 and a roundabout linking the A38 and A419 were built more than 50 years ago.

The work will restore historic features near to junction 13 of the M5 including new bridges and a new lock and improve more than 30 hectares of wildlife habitats.

The project is also part of the Cotswold Canals Trust’s bigger project, which aims to restore the Cotswold canals as a navigable route from the River Severn to the River Thames.

This was awarded a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant last year to prepare surveys, detailed designs, costings and plans.

The Highways England funding comes from one of the company’s ring fenced pots of money worth £675 million, which enable it to provide environmental, social and economic benefits to the people, communities and businesses who live and work alongside its road network.

There are designated funds to support the environment, air quality, growth and housing, innovation, and cycling, safety and integration, with £225 million dedicated to environmental improvements.

Earlier this year, Highways England awarded £27 million towards a wide range of initiatives including a variety of new cycle paths, habitat and heritage projects in Cornwall.

The funding will help walkers and cyclists travel safely by creating a network linking Truro with St Agnes, Perranporth and Newquay.

It will also help restore internationally rare heathland habitat and Bronze Age barrows, reduce flooding and water quality issues, and restore the Grade II registered Chyverton Park.

For more information visit Highways England Designated Funds.

You can also visit our specific A30 Designated Funds page.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Around 50,000 disadvantaged children will be offered free meals and activities over the upcoming summer holidays, funded by £9.1 million from the Department for Education.

The scheme follows a successful £2 million programme in the summer of 2018, which saw charities and community groups provide meals and activities such as football, play sessions and cooking classes for more than 18,000 children across the country.

To build on that, ministers have more than quadrupled the funding ahead of summer 2019 so that even more disadvantaged children can benefit.

Nadhim Zahawi, Minister for Children and Families, said:

School holidays should be a chance for children to have fun experiences and make lasting memories – and no child should miss out on that. That’s why we have quadrupled funding for free summer holiday clubs this year, with the aim of reaching around 50,000 of the most disadvantaged children across the country.

Yes, these clubs will ensure children get a nutritious meal – but they will also offer the chance to socialise with friends and take part in activities such as sports and healthy cooking classes, to keep pupils active and involved in their communities throughout the six-week break from school.

The 2019 programme will help the Department for Education continue to research how it can best support children eligible for free school meals during the holidays, testing a new model in which local co-ordinators oversee and fund clubs in their areas.

The 11 co-ordinators receiving a share of the £9.1 million are:

• StreetGames (Newcastle, North East region)
• Edsential (Chester and Cheshire West, North West region)
• Transforming Lives for Good (Bradford, Yorkshire & the Humber region)
• Happy Healthy Holidays consortium (Birmingham, West Midlands region)
• Barnardo’s (Leicestershire, East Midlands region)
• Suffolk County Council (East of England region)
• Family Action (Croydon, London region)
• The Romsey School (Hampshire, South East region)
• Plymouth County Council (South West region)
• Gateshead Council (North East region)
• Leeds Community Foundation (Yorkshire & the Humber region)

David White, StreetGames Fit and Fed Campaign Director, said:

Since 2016, StreetGames has led the Fit and Fed campaign to reclaim the holidays for those children and young people at risk of holiday hunger, inactivity, and loneliness. In 2018 we worked with the Department for Education to successfully establish 14 clusters of free-to-access holiday activity programmes across England, and we are delighted to be collaborating again, along with our partners at Newcastle City Council to develop a comprehensive programme across Newcastle-upon-Tyne. We have already engaged more than 100 schools, sports clubs, and community groups across the city.

Kate Hainsworth, Chief Executive of Leeds Community Foundation, said:

Leeds Community Foundation is delighted to build on the work we have been delivering in the city over the past year with our valued partners: Leeds City Council, StreetGames, FareShare, Rethinking Food and the amazing third sector groups here in Leeds.

This funding not only builds community capacity but also extends this valuable resource into schools and council one-stop hubs to ensure even more children and families access healthy activities and food in the long holidays. We have already seen the significant impact that investing in Healthy Holidays can make here in our city and are keen to grow that further.

Councillor Paul West, Cabinet Member for Ipswich and Communities at Suffolk County Council, said:

It’s fantastic that we have been successful in our bid for a holiday activities project from the Department for Education. The summer can often be a challenging time for families as they try to find activities to keep children occupied, happy and healthy. Evidence suggests that attending out-of-school activities can have a positive impact on children’s educational, health and well-being outcomes.

David Holmes CBE, Chief Executive of Family Action, said:

Family Action and our partner organisation, Croydon Council, are delighted to be part of this important new programme. Together we have a clear and ambitious vision that this funding will provide a step-change in holiday provision in the borough. The programme will not only provide healthy food and activities to thousands of children over the summer holidays, but will also create a blueprint for local holiday activities and food provision for the future.

Steve Oversby, Barnardo’s East Regional Director, said:

Barnardo’s believes all children have a right to a happy and healthy life. We’re proud to be working with the Department for Education, our innovation partners Leicestershire County Council and local providers to give Leicestershire children fantastic opportunities through the holiday activities and food programme.

The co-ordination role will be undertaken by a wide range of organisations, including a school, local authorities, community foundations and charities, all working with a range of local providers to ensure the clubs reach the children who need them most.

Activities on offer this year will include a range of sports, healthy cooking classes for children and their parents or carers, as well as targeted support for the most vulnerable families who may already be working with social services.

This announcement builds on a government investment of up to £26 million in the National School Breakfast Programme, delivered by the charity Family Action in partnership with Magic Breakfast. This is helping to set up or improve more than 1,700 breakfast clubs in schools in the most disadvantaged areas, ensuring thousands more pupils have a healthy start to their day.