• Temporary diversion of South West Coast Path to enable construction of new footbridge
• Relocation of Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club to a safer location above the floodplain

The dry summer has seen the scheme progress well. Significant progress has been made on preparing and consolidating the new raised and flood-free route of South Farm Road ready for construction, the building of a road bridge under which tidal waters will flow, and the lowering of Big and Little Banks at the north of the scheme. As a result, the project now turns its attention to the very southern end of the site, preparing the way for the re-connection of the historic floodplain with the Otter River and its estuary via a breach in the existing earth embankment.

To ensure continuity of the popular and nationally important South West Coast Path, a 70-metre footbridge will be constructed in the location of the future breach. This will provide a more accessible, and all-season route through the raising of the 900-metre-long footpath on the western edge of the valley, which runs from the entrance of the current Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club on Granary Lane to South Farm Road.

While the footbridge works are underway, there will be a temporary diversion in place of a short section of the footpath from 15 September 2022 until the completion of the breach in spring/summer 2023.

Starting work the same week after completing its final season, the nearby Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club will be relocated to its new home at an already constructed and purpose-built pitch. This is a more sustainable location that will provide improved facilities and is no longer subject to flooding. This means the existing clubhouse will be demolished and some surrounding vegetation within the floodplain removed by a specialist team of arboriculturists. Any trees lost will be replaced as part of the project’s mitigation planting programme. This work will enable the creation of over 50 hectares of rare wildlife-rich saltmarsh and mudflat.

Dan Boswell of the Environment Agency said:

Thanks to the continued support and patience of the local community and visitors to the Lower Otter, our work to reconnect the estuary to its historic floodplain for the benefit of birds, biodiversity and people is starting to take shape. The South West Coast Path and the cricket club mean a great deal to the community, and so it is important to us and the project that the project supports their future and helps them adapt to sea level rise.

The temporary diversion of the footpath will allow users to continue to enjoy the area safely with as little disruption as possible. The new footbridge and improved footpath will mean visitors will be able to take in better views all year round of the surrounding natural habitats and diverse wildlife that will be attracted to the restored wetlands. The new home of the relocated cricket club will not only safeguard it too from the risks of flooding, but will also allow for an even greater range of community amenities and activities.

The Lower Otter Restoration Project is an intertidal habitat creation project delivered by the Environment Agency in partnership with the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust and Clinton Devon Estates.

It is part of a cross-border initiative called ‘Promoting Adaptation to Changing Coasts’ (PACCo) where we are working with partners in the Saâne Valley in Normandy (France) to share learning on the delivery of climate change adaptation projects.

The Lower Otter Restoration Project has been majority funded by the UK government, with £8.5 million of co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Interreg V A France (Channel) England programme (2021 to 2023).

Details of the project can be found at: https://www.lowerotterrestorationproject.co.uk/projectaims.html

Throughout this month, the British Embassy and British Council will emphasise inclusion across all areas of their work in Jordan, including gender equality, youth engagement and the inclusion of people with disabilities.

The British Ambassador, Bridget Brind, will engage with different partners to support equality and inclusion as a vital part of the design and delivery of the UK’s programmes and policies with Jordanian and international partners. The ‘UK in Jordan 4 Inclusion’ campaign will include a range of activities to promote inclusion, including in education, the economy, the security sector, diplomacy and the environment.

The Ambassador will also conduct an outreach visit to Irbid, meeting refugees, young people and the private sector to highlight the value of inclusion for Jordan’s economic prosperity and stability. And she will host a reception to celebrate the latest young Jordanian recipients of the UK’s prestigious Chevening Scholarships. The British Embassy and British Council, will also promote the importance of English-language learning opportunities for refugees and marginalised people through the British Council’s online training, as well as the British Council’s support to the disabled community through its “Arts for All” Project.

Earlier this summer, Ambassador Brind launched the British Embassy Amman’s first Gender Equality and Social Inclusion external Advisory Board. Bringing together prominent experts, the GESI board serves as a consultative council to the British Embassy and ensures that gender equality and social inclusion are at the heart of its work in Jordan.

The British Ambassador said:

I am delighted to launch our UK in Jordan 4 Inclusion campaign. Inclusion is about valuing diversity and enabling everybody to contribute for the good of society, regardless of their gender, race, religion or age. There is clear evidence to support the fact that inclusion makes a positive difference to issues from innovation to stability and economic growth. I firmly believe that the more inclusive we are, the better the outcomes for all, whether these be economic, social, political, security, environmental, development, or on health, welfare and wellbeing.

Follow the campaign: Bridget Brind on Twitter and #UKinJordan4Inclusion, #كل_شخص_مهم

Following my statement to the House on 13 July (2022), I am writing to update the House that today we have agreed a new longer-term funding settlement between Transport for London (TfL) and government. The final extraordinary funding settlement expired on 3 August and I have agreed with the Mayor of London a new settlement until 31 March 2024 or until Transport for London reaches financial sustainability, whichever is the sooner.

This longer-term settlement includes over £1.1 billion (bn) of additional grant funding until March 2024 for London transport, which will unlock almost £3.6bn worth of critical infrastructure investment, with a number of projects set to revolutionise travel across the capital.

As a result of our longer-term settlement, major upgrades will be delivered for Londoners, including new Piccadilly line trains and the modernisation of the District, Metropolitan, Hammersmith and City and Circle lines – maintaining the London Underground’s world-class status. Further benefits include: supporting the long-awaited repair of Hammersmith Bridge; vital improvement to Elephant and Castle station and a London Overground extension between Gospel Oak and Barking Riverside to service more than 10,000 new homes in east London.

As part of the settlement, the Mayor will be required to continue work on the introduction of driverless trains on London Underground, in use on the Dockland Light Railway for more than 35 years. At a time when strikes are crippling both the Underground and national rail systems, never has this work been more important.

Alongside all of this is government’s continued commitment to mitigate TfL’s loss of passenger revenue from the ongoing uncertainty of demand following changes to travel patterns since the COVID-19 pandemic. None of this would have been possible without government funding.

The settlement letter requires Transport for London to modernise and control its operating costs, to make it a modern, effective, efficient and financially stable operator. It is a settlement that is fair and proportionate to London whilst also taking into account funding provided elsewhere in the country and the cost to the national taxpayer, at a time of great pressure on national finances.

It comes on top of the over £5bn of funding support the government has already provided to TfL since the beginning of the pandemic and government’s commitment to over £1 billion per year until 2025 for London transport through business rates retention.

Through all of this, government is continuing to work with the Mayor and TfL to ensure London’s transport system delivers for the public and businesses and contributes to the country’s economy.

On 3 September, we announced plans to invest up to £60 million to introduce a £2 bus fare cap on a single bus ticket on most services in England outside London. This will start no later than 1 January 2023 and will be in place for a period of 3 months until March 2023.

At a time when many are struggling with the rising cost of living, this is a significant investment that will result in millions of people across England saving on travel costs. This investment also makes clear our continued commitment to delivering on the bold vision for bus services set out in ‘Bus Back Better’, the government’s national bus strategy, and particularly our ambition to make bus services cheaper. The introduction of the £2 bus fare cap is a significant step forward to delivering this and continues the government’s track record of providing the largest investment in bus services in a generation, in England outside London.

This fare cap will not apply to bus services in London as transport is devolved to the Mayor of London, including fare setting. However, I know that colleagues across Parliament will be pleased that this announcement follows the agreement with Transport for London on a £1.2 billion multi-year settlement to secure the long-term future of London’s transport network, including bus services.

As well as supporting passengers by reducing the cost of bus fares, we have also continued to invest in bus services, in response to the unprecedented impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic but which would now be threatening the provision of services at a time when the public need bus services more than ever.

With nearly £2 billion provided so far, through the COVID-19 bus service support grant, the Bus Recovery Grant and most recently the local transport fund, we have mitigated the impacts of the pandemic on bus networks. This meant that buses were kept running over the course of the pandemic to ensure that those who had to travel for work, education or healthcare were able to access these vital services and help keep this country running.

As I announced to this House in March, this funding was originally due to end in April (2022), but at the time it was clear that the sector was still facing significant financial challenges as it sought to recover from the pandemic. That is why we announced we would provide a further £150 million, and extend recovery funding for the sector until October, to allow bus services the maximum amount of time to recover.

At the time of announcing this funding, we were clear that this would be the last such round of recovery funding. However, with the sector continuing to face significant challenges, and many people facing pressures due to the rising cost of living, we recognise that further government support is necessary to prevent significant cuts to bus services for the millions of people who use them every day.

That is why on 19 August we announced a six-month extension to the Bus Recovery Grant, worth up to £130 million, to continue supporting bus services in England outside London. This will be in effect for 6 months starting in October 2022 until the end of the financial year in March 2023. This funding will provide the sector and passengers with certainty in the short-term and ensure that these vital services will continue to serve those that rely on them to live, work and travel. Both of these further investments in England’s bus services demonstrate our commitment to supporting bus services. We will continue to work closely with the sector as we deliver the national bus strategy, and fulfil our ambition for everyone, everywhere to have access to great bus services.