Nottinghamshire will benefit from £24 million of government funding, providing vital junction upgrades along an 18-mile stretch of the A614 and A6097 to slash journey times and provide a major boost to the local economy.

The upgrades will take place along the main north-south local route through the county, and will support the construction of 1,330 new homes by boosting access to development sites. This includes 800 new homes at the Thoresby Colliery development, where the works will also support new jobs, as well as a new primary school, shops and leisure facilities and a local community centre.

The congestion-easing scheme will also dramatically improve access for millions of visitors to key local tourist attractions, including Sherwood Forest, Clumber Park and Rufford Abbey, all of which are major contributors to the local economy.

The announcement comes as the government continues its drive to build back better from the pandemic and level up transport links to boost regional economies right across the country.

Roads Minister Baroness Vere said:

Road-users in Nottinghamshire deserve quicker, easier and better journeys, and I am all too aware of congestion issues along this key route.

Our multimillion-pound investment tackles the issue head-on. This scheme will dramatically cut congestion, support the construction of more than 1,000 new homes and provide a real boost to the local economy as we build back better from the pandemic and level up transport for everyone across the country.

Councillor Keith Girling, Chairman of the Economic Development and Asset Management Committee, said:

This ambitious £28.6 million project has been a top priority for the County Council for some time and I am delighted to see that it is now all systems go.

The scheme will support planned housing developments along the route in Bilsthorpe, Ollerton and Edwinstowe, reduce peak period traffic congestion for the benefit of commuters and local businesses, and improve road safety for all users.

I would like to thank all of those people who have been involved in the recent consultation activity and helped us to get to this point.

Works will see important upgrades made to 6 junctions along the route to ease congestion, including new traffic signals at Kirk Hill, a new junction at Mickledale Lane, bigger roundabouts at Lowdham and Ollerton, as well as an improved gyratory at Warren Hill.

It’s not just motorists who will benefit from the works. Pedestrians and cyclists are also set to enjoy safer journeys with new toucan crossings at Ollerton and Lowdham roundabouts, supporting those who opt for more active forms of travel as we also build back greener.

The total cost of the scheme comes to £28.6 million, with Nottinghamshire County Council providing the remaining funds following the Department for Transport’s multimillion-pound contribution.

Today’s announcement is the latest boost for transport in the region, following £169 million being invested from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund into public and sustainable transport infrastructure throughout Nottingham and Derby.

Motorways and major A roads across the South East including the M25, M27, M3, M4, A27 and A2 will all benefit from these planned improvements, with road resurfacing, bridge joint replacements, the creation of cycle lanes, improved signage and landscaping all set to take place.

In total, Highways England will invest £142 million in a number of schemes across the home counties, South Coast and the M25.

Roads Minister Baroness Vere said:

This Government is committed to improving our transport infrastructure, and this multi-million-pound investment is a real reflection of that commitment.

The funding will ensure motorists and road-users right across the South East will enjoy safer and better journeys, whilst boosting local economies as we continue to build back better from the pandemic.

Highways England’s regional director for the South East Nicola Bell said:

Keeping our roads in good condition is essential for the safety and journey reliability of drivers. This multi-million-pound investment will help keep journeys on our motorways and A roads flowing and reduce the risk of unplanned, disruptive maintenance.

Over the next 12 months, we’ll be working hard to ensure drivers across the South East enjoy a smoother experience while travelling on our roads.

Highways England will deliver a number of small-scale enhancements and maintenance schemes, which include:

Surrey, Hampshire and the M25

• A30 Crooked Billet junction improvement, Staines-upon-Thames – this scheme has already started to improve journey times and reliability with localised widening and improved traffic signals. Work will soon begin to close an existing pedestrian subway and replacing it with an improved above ground shared cycle and footway.
• M25 junction 23 improvement at South Mimms in Hertfordshire – work to widen slip roads and improvement of the signal timings to improve traffic flows through the junction.
• A13 North Stifford Junction in Thurrock – work to widen the A13 slip roads at the junction and install new traffic signals is due to start this autumn.
• Major resurfacing on the M27 between junctions 11 and 12.
• A coastal protection scheme on the A27 at Broadmarsh.
• A trial using recycled material to resurface part of the M3 in Hampshire, aimed at reducing carbon emissions and waste.

Kent and Sussex

• Eastcliff Viaduct – ongoing replacement of 12 bridge bearings at the Port of Dover.
• Resurfacing of the M23 between junctions 8-10 and the M20 between junctions 4-5.
• A2 (near Canterbury) – resurfacing and concrete repairs to address the frequency of potholing.
• A26 near Newhaven in East Sussex and on the A20 in Dover: renewal of lighting.

Most of these improvement schemes will have minimal impact on drivers. However, some might require lane closures, overnight closures or road closures, although disruption will be kept to a minimum.

To keep up to date with the latest travel information follow @HighwaysSEast on Twitter or visit the Highways England website

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.

• Chancellor unveils new £5 coin commemorating the life of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
• Coin presented on Armed Forces Day 2021, recognising the Duke’s years of naval service and support for Her Majesty The Queen.
• Design features original portrait of the Duke and will be struck by the Royal Mint.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveils new coin commemorating the Duke of Edinburgh.

The special edition £5 coin features an original portrait of The Duke to celebrate his remarkable life. The coin’s design was approved by The Duke before his death in April this year and is being launched on Armed Forces Day 2021.

The Royal Mint will also make a £50,000 donation to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to support its important community work in the UK and internationally.

Pictures of the coin can be seen online.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said:

This coin is a fitting tribute to The Duke of Edinburgh, who moved and inspired so many people around the world with his decades of service both to the nation and Her Majesty The Queen.

I’m proud to unveil the coin on Armed Forces Day, considering his distinguished naval career and unwavering dedication to our Monarch and to his Royal duties, and it is only right that he and the Queen are depicted together on both sides of it.

Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive of The Royal Mint, said:

Since the passing of The Duke of Edinburgh in April, many have commented that he led a life well lived. He was the longest serving consort in British history, and patron or president to over 750 organisations – including The Royal Mint Advisory Committee.

The Royal Mint has marked significant Royal events for centuries and is honoured to unveil an original new coin which celebrates the life and legacy of a remarkable man. It feels fitting that this coin – which was personally approved by the Prince – will also support the work of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. The Awards have benefited millions of young people since they were formed in 1956, and are perhaps Prince Philip’s greatest legacy.

Ruth Marvel, CEO of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards said:

This wonderful tribute will help us build on The Duke of Edinburgh’s legacy so more young people can start their DofE Award journey and develop the skills, resilience and self-belief they will need to successfully navigate the challenges of adult life.

The coin will be available from the Royal Mint website today, as well as post offices around the United Kingdom and special stockists across the Commonwealth and worldwide.

The design was personally approved by The Duke of Edinburgh in 2008 and drawn by the acclaimed artist Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.

The Duke of Edinburgh was the longest serving consort in British history, and for decades provided steadfast support to Her Majesty The Queen and The Royal Family.

The coin bears the inscription “HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh 1921-2021” and will be struck by the Royal Mint. The Duke of Edinburgh served as the President of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee for 47 years. The coin is legal tender but has been designed as a limited-edition collectable or gift and will not be entering general circulation.

Further information

• The commemorative coin is available from The Royal Mint website
• The Duke of Edinburgh served as the President of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee from 1952 until 1999. During this period, he oversaw the creation of the coins for decimalisation and four of The Queen’s definitive coinage portraits.
• The Royal Mint Advisory Committee (RMAC) advises the Chancellor, as Master of the Mint, on designs for UK coinage.

Thank you very much, Mr President. Thank you, Special Envoy Pedersen. As others have said, it’s very good to see you back here in the chamber with us.

I’m also very grateful to Ms Hussein for her briefing. I think she offered us a stark description of the desperate conditions in Syria, but especially of violence and discrimination against women and their counter-productive exclusion from the political process. It was interesting to hear the extent to which her remedy for the situation aligned with ours. But as she insisted, we offer her no sympathy, only admiration for her strength and for her determination to challenge an illegitimate regime and fight for change and accountability.

Mr President, we remain firm in our belief that the way to secure rights for all Syrians is by bringing about a negotiated end to this appalling conflict, and that the political process established by resolution 2254 remains the only viable route to a lasting and inclusive peace.

As this Council made clear in resolution 2254, meaningful participation of women in the UN-facilitated political process is critical and it was good to hear Ms Hussein reiterate that herself. Indeed, we cannot envisage a solution without the participation of women. So we therefore welcome the vital work of the Syrian Women’s Political Movement and ongoing engagement by the Special Envoy with women representatives. And indeed I was very encouraged by the information he gave us on the way in which he is engaging civil society in the process in innovative ways, and I encourage that, too.

Mr President, now that the distraction of the so-called Presidential elections in Syria is out of the way – and I noted Ms Hussein’s description of them as a sham – we call on the Syrian regime finally to engage constructively with the political process and the Constitutional Committee towards a new constitution and free and fair elections pursuant to that constitution. We recognise the Special Envoy’s efforts to this end and his efforts to accelerate progress on all aspects of resolution 2254, including by encouraging greater international consensus on the path forward. And we would be interested to hear more on his ideas for a new international dialogue.

We must not forget that conflict continues in Syria. We are deeply concerned at increasing levels of violence, including strikes on southern Idlib, a regime attack on a school facility in an IDP camp on 9 June, and an attack on yet another hospital in Afrin on 12 June. We call on all parties to observe their obligations under international humanitarian law, abide by existing ceasefire agreements, and implement resolution 2254’s instruction for a nationwide ceasefire. This remains as urgent as ever.

We also note resolution 2254’s call to allow humanitarian access to those in need and thank Special Envoy Pedersen for his comments today. We obviously discussed this imperative humanitarian access on Wednesday, so we won’t reiterate our points here again today.

We call, as others have, on the regime to release those it holds in arbitrary detention – I think Ms Hussein described this as the greatest priority – and allow medical access to those detained. And we also call on the regime to provide information on the missing to their families, again in line with resolution 2254, and Human Rights Council Syria Resolutions.

Finally, progress on the political process is the only way to build conditions for the safe and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes and to secure a lasting end to the conflict in Syria.

Thank you, Mr President.

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