Under the plans, junction 28 of the M25, where the motorway meets the A12 in Essex, will be reconfigured to improve traffic flow. A new two lane loop road will be created for traffic leaving the M25 for the A12, a short section of the M25 will be widened with the eastbound A12 interchange at the junction being redesigned to reduce congestion.

Over 90% of people taking part the consultation agreed that improvements were needed at the junction, with nearly half of respondents backing option 5F – more than twice as many as the other two options put together. Highways England Project Manager Piotr Grabowiecki said:

It’s great to see that there is clear backing for the improvements, and I would like to thank everyone who took part in our consultation. We can now move on to developing a detailed design for the upgrade. There will be another opportunity for anyone interested in the scheme to have their say early next year, when we put the plans to people for their views.

The scheme will improve journey times through the junction and allow more capacity on the exit slip roads, reduce the incident rate and resulting disruption at the roundabout, and minimise the impact on local air quality and noise by smoothing traffic flow. There will also be less likelihood of traffic queuing back onto the M25 due to the reconfiguration of the junction.

Proposed improvements to the M25 junction 28 roundabout

A public consultation on the options was held from Wednesday 16 November 2016 to Friday 6 January 2017. A total of 228 responses were received during this consultation. A copy of the consultation report can be found on the Highways England website and copies of the announcement flyer are available online, as well as at a variety of locations in the local area.

Anyone interested in the scheme can view an animated visualisation outlining the preferred route and sign up to receive updates on the scheme page on the Highways England website.

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

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

We are looking for people to help us test our digital services to make them easier to use.

The Estates Professional Services framework (RM3816) could save public sector bodies like local councils, NHS trusts, schools, the emergency services and housing associations £35 million over the next 4 years.

The new framework enables organisations to buy advice, guidance and associated services to help them to manage their estates and assets, reduce property costs, release unwanted property assets, and identify savings and opportunities to generate income from land and buildings.

It is expected that £430 million will be spent through the framework over the next 4 years. More than a third of the businesses supplying the new agreement are SMEs (35%), with regional expertise maximised through an innovative lotting structure.

Stakeholders from across central government, devolved administrations and the wider public sector have been engaged since the procurement began in order to build a commercial framework that suits diverse customer requirements.

More than 120 suppliers contacted CCS about the agreement and were kept engaged throughout the process.

How it will work

The agreement will complement other CCS property frameworks including Project Management and Full Design Team Services, Facilities Management, and Construction, enabling CCS to provide a comprehensive offering for property management solutions.

The framework will be structured into 4 lots, with regional panels included on lot 2.

• Lot 1 – National
• Lot 2A – East Anglia
• Lot 2B – East & West Midlands
• Lot 2C – London & South East England
• Lot 2D – North East England
• Lot 2E – North West England & North Wales
• Lot 2F – Northern Ireland
• Lot 2G – Scotland
• Lot 2H – South Wales & South West England
• Lot 3 – Vertical Real Estate
• Lot 4 – Facilities Management and Property Services (Procurement Managed Service)

What’s different about this framework?

The framework offers a wider range of services and provides access to vertical real estate suppliers for the first time, as well as a managed procurement offering.

More SMEs have won places to supply estates services to the public sector than ever before, with a new focus on regional expertise.

It also offers a more flexible pricing model than before, with various options available to customers such as incentivised, gainshare, hourly/daily rates and lump sum, enabling customers to tailor their contracts to meet their needs.

To find out more, visit the Estates Professional Services web pages.

Read how Montagu Evans grew their business thanks to winning a place on Estates Professional Services.

Plans for a world leading science campus in Harlow are a step further forward after Public Health England (PHE) submitted a planning application to Harlow District Council following extensive consultation with stakeholders and the local community over the last 18 months.

Made up of more than 3,000 documents and nearly 300 drawings and images, the outline application sets out PHE’s vision for turning the former GlaxoSmithKline site at the Pinnacles Industrial Estate into a centre of excellence for public health research, improvement and protection.

This milestone follows PHE’s announcement in July that it had acquired the site.

If approved, the plans will see PHE co-locate most of its current facilities at Porton in Wiltshire, Colindale in north London and its central London headquarters to a single, state-of-the-art science campus. PHE Harlow will bring together experts in:

• cancer
• mental health
• nutrition
• smoking
• alcohol
• diabetes
• dementia
• infectious diseases
• environmental hazards
• climate change

The proposed development is expected to provide a major boost to the local economy with 2,750 staff to be based at the currently vacant site by 2024, with possible future expansion to 3,250. Thousands of construction-related jobs would be created during the development of the site, of which it is hoped a significant number would be recruited locally. Building work is expected to start in 2019 with phased occupation starting in 2021.

To help develop the next generation of scientists and meet its future recruitment needs, PHE will pursue academic and commercial partnerships and work closely with local schools and colleges to offer work experience and apprenticeships. The plans include a large visitor area where school groups and the local community would meet PHE scientists, attend talks, workshops and learn about public health, science and research.

The planning application also includes a Travel and Visitor Plan, which outlines car parking provision and sets out sustainable travel and transport plans for the site. These include shuttle buses to and from Harlow Town railway station as well as car-share and cycle-to-work schemes.

PHE is committed to making Harlow its home and to being a good neighbour. The planning application outlines PHE’s longer term commitments to Harlow, through investment in highways and public transport, early years childcare and contributing to Harlow’s important history of public art and sculpture.

Richard Gleave, Deputy Chief Executive, PHE said:

I am delighted that we have now submitted our plans for consideration, following extensive discussions with the local community, relevant authorities and other stakeholders. We want to make Harlow our home and we believe the science campus will bring long-term benefits for the area, as well as unique opportunities for public health research on a national and international scale.

To view the full application please visit www.bit.ly/PHEHarlow.

1. Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. It does this through world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health. Follow us on Twitter: @PHE_uk and Facebook: www.facebook.com/PublicHealthEngland.

2. PHE submitted an Outline Business Case to Government in July 2014. An interim decision was taken in September 2015 to move the majority of PHE functions from Porton to Harlow. In November 2015 the Government supported a further proposal to move PHE science facilities at Colindale to Harlow to create a single integrated campus. It has committed £400million capital investment for the project.

3. It is hoped the public health science campus will be fully operational by 2024, with the first building work expected to start in 2019 and a phased occupation from 2021.

Working with our partners in the Midlands Fraud Forum we’ve produced this series of short films were victims of common scams tell their story and share with you the simple steps they could have taken to avoid being scammed. These stories are told by actors but each one is a true story.

Scamming the retailer

Scamming the retailer

Shops and suppliers regularly fall victim to common scams. A retailer tells you how to spot suspicious customers.

Scammed by a fake detective

Scammed by a fake detective

A couple lose all their money because they didn’t properly check the identity of a fake detective. Never give away your debit and credit cards or disclose your PIN number.

Scammed by an online relationship interest

Scammed by an online relationship interest

A lonely heart gave £20k to the woman he met online before he realised she was a fake. Always verify your online friends are who they say they are.

Scammed by email

Scammed by email

A homeowner had his Hotmail account hacked and he unwittingly paid a fraudster for building work rather than the tradesman who had done the work. Always speak with suppliers before making online payments.

Scammed by the caregiver

Scammed by the caregiver

An elderly nursing resident trusted her caregiver with her debit card and PIN number and had all her money stolen. Never give your card to others for online purchases or share you PIN number.

Scammed by the fake insurance broker

Scammed by the fake insurance broker

A university student bought cheap online car insurance online only to get fined when it was later discovered that it was fake and he was uninsured. Only buy insurance from a reputable company.

Scammed online

Scammed online

A university student claimed a tax refund he was told in an email he was due, only to have his bank account drained. Always check emails are genuine before handing over your personal details.

Scammed by my housemates

Scammed by my housemates

A university student’s identity was stolen by one of her housemates and her bank account was used the launder money damaging her credit record. Always regularly monitor your bank account.

Scamming my customers

Scamming my customers

A bankrupt continued to run a company even though he was disqualified from doing so and when it failed he was sent to prison. Always make sure you understand your obligations as a bankrupt.

Scammed by telesales

Scammed by telesales

An elderly woman living alone is persuaded to stop taking prescribed medication and replace it with healthcare supplements sold over the phone. Always check with family members if you are unsure of offers from telemarketers.

Scammed by a fake investment scheme

Scammed by a fake investment scheme

An investor loses his investment after buying into a fake Spanish property development, increasing money in the scheme when it seems to make early returns. Always do your research on investment schemes.

Scammed by cheque fraud

Scammed by cheque fraud

A busy businessman pre-signs a stack of cheques for his accounts clerk who uses them to steal over £300k from the company. Never pre-sign cheques.

Scammed on the phone by a fake call from the bank

Scammed on the phone by a fake call from the bank

An accounts administrator gives security details over the phone when a fraudster uses a spoofing app to make him think its his bank calling. Always phone your bank back to verify the identity of callers.

Anyone can be taken in by a scam, so don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed if it happens to you. If you think you’ve been scammed, or you’ve spotted a scam contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or report it online and get help.