ACE has welcomed the publication of the Department for Transport’s Green Light for Light Rail paper. The paper looks at the benefits of light rail and tram projects for the economy and for the environment. It also looks at how costs can be bought down to make more projects viable.

The paper recognises that along with the economic activity created by building new light rail routes in urban areas, existing light rail systems have had significant knock-on effects on the areas they serve.  However, it also notes that there are difficulties for local authorities looking to finance such projects.

 
A UK-based long range weather forecaster has released a statement warning of severe winter weather for 2011-2012. The advisory has been issued following one of the harshest winters experienced in Ireland and Britain more than 45 years.

Meteorologist James Madden of Exacta Weather correctly predicted the cold conditions experienced over the previous two years, and is once again forecasting record breaking snowfall and drastically low temperatures between November and January.

Deritend Industries – the UK’s leading industrial maintenance, service and repair group – have once again bolstered their credentials in the water industry by landing a major five year contract with Anglian Water.

The refusal of high-street banks to finance domestic solar panels has resulted in Government feed-in-tariffs only benefiting the ‘well-off’ but a leading solar developer reports that the situation may be about to change for the better. 

 When Greg Barker, the Climate Change Minister, announced changes to feed-in-tariffs (FiTs) earlier this year he said that he wanted the population at large to be able to benefit from, and engage with, renewable power generation.  

However, according to industry experts the refusal of high-street banks to finance domestic solar installations has resulted in feed-in-tariffs (generated by a national levy on power bills) only being available for the ‘well-off’.