London launches world's largest 'low-emission zone' - EurActiv.com
The scheme, which begins on 4 February 2008 and will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, will initially apply only to large diesel trucks weighing over 12 tonnes.
Cameras around the zone will check their number plates against a database of vehicles registered as meeting the EU's 'Euro' limits on emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) – two pollutants found in exhaust fumes that are blamed for serious health and environmental problems.
Those exceeding the limits will be fined a daily fee of £200 and risk a further £1,000 fine if they fail to pay up. Truck-drivers from abroad also risk paying the fine unless they register their vehicle in advance and it meets the required standards.
The scheme will be extended to cover buses and coaches in July and to large vans and minibuses in October 2010.
Transport for London (TfL), which is implementing the £49 million project, says it will improve quality of life for Londoners and reduce the number of people suffering from asthma, cardio-vascular disease and other health conditions, cutting healthcare bills by £250 million.
"Levels of particulate matter in many parts of London are way over EU standards […] Air quality is the worst in Britain and among the worst in Europe […] The Mayor has a legal obligation to take steps towards meeting national and European Union air quality objectives which are designed to protect human health," explained the body.
But hauliers say the new rules will be very expensive despite having achieving only a "minimal benefit".
"This scheme achieves very little that would not have been achieved anyway as the result of enhanced EU engine standards. Londoners, and lorry operators, are having to pay an enormous price […] for a trivial improvement in air quality. The biggest pollution from traffic in London comes from cars and the scheme does not apply to them," said Gordon Telling, head of policy for the UK's Freight Transport Association.
70 towns and cities in eight European countries including Norway, the Netherlands and Germany already have or are planning low emission zones. But London's scheme, covering a 1,577-square kilometre zone inhabited by 7.5 million people, will be "the largest in the world by a significant margin", according to TfL.
The implementation will be closely followed at EU level as the Commission is preparing a package of measures aimed at greening transport in Europe's cities (EurActiv 26/09/07). One measure under consideration is the introduction of harmonised rules on urban green zones that would enable local authorities across Europe to implement similar schemes to the one in London, while preventing a fragmented patchwork of different zones and standards.
Lessons from London: cutting carbon emissions without the financial risk - The Guardian
As public sector organisations face a period of unsurpassed austerity, managers are bombarded with directives to not only cut costs and improve efficiency, but to reduce carbon emissions and lower energy consumption at the same time.
In London, mayor Boris Johnson has committed the city to targets that could make it the greenest conurbation in the world, reduce the capital's CO2 emissions and energy consumption by 60% by 2025.
As a significant part of London's CO2 is emitted from public sector buildings, there needs to be a focus on making those buildings more efficient. This will require action from local government – figures estimate that up to 80% of premises belonging to councils, health, and education authorities will still be in use in 2050.
One answer lies with the Greater London Authority's retrofitting scheme, known as RE:FIT, which alone could lead to a reduction of 100,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2015.
The programme works by helping public organisations equip their buildings with energy-saving technology that did not exist when the buildings were first built. Retrofit measures include new building management systems, combined heat and power, photovoltaic solar panels, low-energy lighting and new, efficient boilers.
A pilot exercise applied these tools to 42 buildings currently used by Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade. This has been followed by work near completion on a further 44 buildings with the London boroughs, universities, hospitals and cultural organisations.
The potential energy and cost savings of retrofitting are substantial: for the organisations that took part in the pilot, the installation of the new technology helped them to identify savings of over 7,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum, generating annual cost savings of more than £1m.
It is anticipated that a total of 100 public sector buildings will have completed or signed up to the programme by May 2012, with 43 organisations already committed to the programme.
The RE:FIT scheme itself places councils at a very low financial risk. Approved energy service companies, which provide the retrofitting work, guarantee that the alterations to these buildings will deliver the agreed reduction in energy over an agreed payback period. This helps transfer the risk from the public into the private sector.
It also gives participants access to specialist skills and support. Financed via £2.67m from the European Investment Bank's ELENA (European Local Energy Assistance) fund, a development unit established to oversee the rapid implementation of the programme – and act as its public face.
This unit provides a single point of expertise and helps participating authorities understand how the scheme can be applied to their assets and provides support during the preparation of tenders and the procurement of suppliers that will help to save them energy. It oversees all projects being undertaken through RE:FIT, reporting back on their overall impact and success so new public sector retrofit schemes can learn from its progress.
This development unit is also responsible for managing the performance of the energy service companies. This is all done at no cost to those taking part.
Plans are underway to retrofit a further 297 buildings in London during the next year, with a target for a total of 600 public buildings to be given an energy-efficiency makeover as part of the programme by 2015. These include town halls, libraries and museums, and could lead to estimated savings of up to £6m on energy bills each year with reductions of 36,000 tonnes of carbon – the equivalent of taking around 60,000 vehicles off London's roads.
• For more information visit paconsulting.com/greeningbusiness
David Rees is head of local government services at PA Consulting Group
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London 2012: June events calendar and diary - Daily Telegraph
David Nash at Kew, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens; June 9 – April 14 2013
The works of sculptor David Nash will go on display at Kew Gardens this month, with sculptures, installations, drawings and film in place in the open air, garden glasshouses and on-site exhibition spaces. Nash is renowned for his work with wood and the exhibition will see the artist work on a ‘wood quarry’ in Kew, where he will create new pieces for the exhibition using trees from Kew Gardens that have reached the end of their natural life.
Bt Artbox Project, throughout London; June 18 – July 16
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s traditional red telephone box is an icon of British design but this month it gets a temporary revamp from select artists and designers. Keith Tyson, Romero Britto, Zandra Rhodes and Giles Deacon are among those selected to participate in the BT Artbox Project, which will see them decorate a full-size, fibreglass replica of the K6 telephone kiosk, which will then be displayed in different areas of the city.
Codebreaker - Alan Turing's life and legacy, Science Museum; June 21 – June 2013
One hundred years after his birth, Alan Turing is celebrated with a free year-long exhibition at the Science Museum. Examining his life and legacy, the exhibition considers his contribution to computer science – which still holds influence today – and remembers his wartime codebreaking successes. The exhibition will display one of the most comprehensive collections of Turing-related artefacts, including machines he developed and worked on.
BP Portrait Award 2012, National Portrait Gallery; June 21 – September 23
The National Portrait Gallery follows its exceptionally popular Lucian Freud exhibition with the BP Portrait Award. This is the most prestigious portrait competition in the world, with a £25,000 prize going to the work judged to best showcase contemporary portrait-painting technique. Admittance is free.
New London theatre and performing arts openings
London 2012 Festival, throughout London and nationally; June 21 – September 9
The London 2012 Festival is the cultural complement to the London 2012 Olympic Games and the culmination of the four-year Cultural Olympiad. Throughout the capital, and throughout the country, thousands of events will take place to ensure millions of people will have the opportunity to participate in this exceptional summer. Highlights in London include the BT River of Music festival, which will see act including the Scissor Sisters and the Noisettes perform at six separate Thames-side locations, and an enhanced West End LIVE in Trafalgar Square which will this year see the casts from every one of London’s West End musicals perform for free. You can see coverage of the festival as it progresses on our London 2012 Festival portal.
Southbank Centre Summer Festival; June 1 – September 9
The Southbank Centre has another summer’s entertainment sorted with its Festival of the World. With a focus on learning, the event seeks to showcase how art can transform lives with a programme that’s challenging, moving and engaging. Highlights include Bryn Terfel’s four-day celebration of Welsh culture and Unlimited, the largest series of commissions by disabled and deaf artists ever undertaken in the UK.
New London restaurant and bar openings
Chase and Country Tails Terrace, Harvey Nichols; June 4 - July 15
Hopes are high for a good summer and if clement weather does grace us then the Chase and Country Tails Terrace at Fifth Floor Harvey Nichols is going to be popular. Created by Chase Distillery, the terrace’s traditional English-countryside look is inspired by the Herefordshire countryside where the company is based. More a bar space that serves food than a restaurant, the terrace will serve drinks featuring Chase spirits and mini tasting dishes created by Fifth Floor restaurant executive chef Jonas Karlsson.
Beard to Tail pop-up restaurant, 24 Chart Street; June 12-15
Shoreditch cocktail bar Callooh Callay tries its hand at the food trade with the four-day opening of the Beard to Tail pop-up restaurant. The meat-heavy menu is set to feature plenty of hearty, homely dishes with mains priced at £8-£13. The space will accommodate only 35 covers. Annoyingly bookings aren’t taken but you can expect the cocktail list to provide compensation. The pop-up precedes the opening of a permanent Beart to Tail restaurant, currently set for September 2012.
The Cube by Electrolux, Southbank Centre; June 1 – September 30
A Room for London, the boat-shaped, one-bedroom hotel, is perched atop the Queen Elizabeth Hall already; now The Cube by Electrolux plonks itself above the adjacent Royal Festival Hall. A pop-up restaurant sponsored by the appliances manufacturer, it will feature dishes created by Michelin-starred chefs stationed across the British Isles, including Sat Bains, Claude Bosi and Tom Kitchin. Guests who dine here will be served at least five courses with matching wines, and only 18 people will be accommodated at a time. Lunch at the Cube by Electrolux costs £175 per person, while dinner costs £215. Bookings can be made through the website.
Eat London afternoon tea, Wyndham Grand; June 1-30
Chocolatier Damian Allsop newly created Eat London chocolate bars are influenced by London’s cultural diversity (coffee and banana crunch are used for the Brixton bar; ginger, peanut and soy for China Town) and to celebrate their launch the Wyndham Grand London Chelsea Harbour hotel has launched an Eat London afternoon tea for the month. The tea features traditional teatime treats that have again been adapted to represent different parts of the city and costs £28 per person. On June 9, Allsop will be present at the hotel to run a two-hour chocolate masterclass – that costs £40 per person.
Afternoon Rock tea, W London hotel; June 1 onwards
The W London hotel is now serving Afternoon Rock tea, its variant of traditional afternoon tea. Launched to coincide with this summer’s Jubilee and Olympic festivities, the tea celebrates all things British with a menu that’s inspired by great British rock bands. Served on a three-tier stand made from original vinyl records, items served are named after rock albums and songs. London’s Burning, for example, is a chocolate pudding and hazelnut crunch; Cherry Bomb is a chocolate, mascarpone and cherry dessert inspired by The Runaways’ 1976 song.
Other London openings
ZSL London Zoo Lates, London Zoo; June 1 – July 27
From now until the end of July, London Zoo will be open late on Fridays and the venue is offering a packed Zoo Lates programme of events to celebrate. Running from 6pm-10pm the adults-only event will feature live comedy and cabaret performances on site, a silent disco (loud music disturbs the animals) and, of course, the opportunity to observe the hundreds of different animal species resident in the zoo.
VAUXHALL PRINCE HENRY COMMEMORATES WINTER TRIAL CENTENARY - 3d-car-shows.com
Luton - A 100 year old Vauxhall model has recently celebrated the centenary of the Swedish Winter Reliability Trial by retracing the steps of the original event.
The Prince Henry model, owned by Alisdaire Lockhart of Selkirk, was driven from Gothenburg to Stockholm and back again, closely following the 1912 route, completing 620 miles (nearly 1000kms).
Lockhart shared the driving with Andrew Duerden, Vauxhall’s Archivist. Kay Mordza, of the Swedish Vauxhall Owners Club, who arranged the journey, partnered them on the event. The car never missed a beat and averaged over 40mph for the entire event (cruising at 55mph on open roads) and achieving 30mpg.
In 1912, Percy Kidner, Vauxhall’s Managing Director, drove the Prince Henry model. He was the fastest entrant on the event, but incurred penalty points by arriving too early at checkpoints. The 2012 team were able to visit many of the points from the original route during their journey. At Norrkoping they visited the Standard Hotel building where the original photograph was recreated.
Alisdaire Lockhart’s long and painstaking reconstruction of the Prince Henry model paid dividends during the event with a reliable and speedy performance from the vehicle. Lockhart also paid testament to Kidner’s 1912 endeavours:
“We were lucky to have decent, asphalt roads and good weather. Kidner had snow covered surfaces with extremely chilly conditions which make his achievements even more astonishing”
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Diamond Jubilee: Massive London security operation planned - BBC News
The Metropolitan Police have planned a security operation for the Diamond Jubilee weekend which is larger than that for last year's royal wedding.
Up to 6,000 extra police officers will be on duty throughout the events and celebrations in London.
They will be joined by 7,000 security stewards lining the River Thames during the 1,000-boat flotilla for the Queen on Sunday.
Scotland Yard commanders have spent 18 months planning for the events.
The operation is primarily focused on the huge logistical challenges of policing the river pageant.
Safety boatsAt high water, there will be 1,000 vessels escorting a royal barge carrying the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. The barge will be followed by another boat carrying other senior members of the Royal Family.
The event is so large that it will take the entire flotilla some 75 minutes to pass any given point on the river bank - meaning that Scotland Yard's resources will have to be spread along a seven-mile route with additional teams at the muster and dispersal points in the west and east of the capital.
While thousands of police officers will be on duty, along with officers already performing normal duties in the capital, a further 7,000 security stewards will line the riverside route where crowds will gather to see the flotilla or watch big screens.
All riverside roads will be closed to traffic, as will many bridges. Those bridges that are open to traffic will close for an hour as a security precaution as the Royal Barge passes underneath.
The Metropolitan Police's Marine Unit, which has played a long-standing role in counter-terrorism planning in London, will have its entire fleet of 21 boats on the Thames. Essex Police are lending a further two vessels to the force for the operation.
The fleet of police vessels includes standard marked boats moving through the waters. Meanwhile other vessels, including rapid-response rigid inflatables, will be stationed at strategic locations to take officers to critical incidents.
Almost 200 safety boats will be part of the flotilla, including RNLI life boats and fire brigade vessels.
Rope climbing teamScotland Yard commanders are aware of the possibility that lone individuals may try to disrupt the flotilla after a man swam into the Thames during the University Boat Race. The swimmer, Trenton Oldfield, denies causing a public nuisance but his bail conditions ban him from going near Jubilee events or any Olympic venue.
Police dogs trained to detect bombs will search vessels while police divers will search for underwater threats. Scotland Yard is also deploying its specialist rope climbing team to perform comprehensive searches of London's bridges.
Counter-terrorism and Royal protection officers will be on duty as usual. The Scotland Yard-based national Fixated Threat Assessment Centre, which tracks people who are dangerously obsessed with the Royal Family or other individuals in public life, has also been monitoring people who could cause harm.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh told the BBC that Scotland Yard had thought through "every eventuality".
"The pageant organisers, Transport for London and the Port of London Authority, together with the Metropolitan Police have been looking at all the different contingencies that could take place," he said.
"We have that many vessels on the water, that many people coming into London, we have been trying to think what they need to ensure they have a safe and secure day."
Mr Kavanagh said even though the Metropolitan Police have vast experience in securing major public events, the unique nature of the river pageant meant they had to plan for it in its own right.
"We have drawn together all the different issues from VIP protection issues, all the visiting dignitaries that we work with and the Royal Family, but the essence of this is that we want people to be safe," he added.
London 2012: Olympic organisers reveal the official scent of victory - The Sport Review
London 2012′s official scent of victory has been revealed – a potent combination of mint, rosemary, English lavender and wheat.
Organisers have unveiled the look of all victory celebrations by revealing how the podiums, ceremonial costumes and medallists’ flowers bouquets will appear this summer.
And it appears their favourite novel must by Alice Walker’s The Colour Purple.
Over 805 carefully choreographed victory ceremonies will be staged over 30 venues and for the first time in Olympic history the medal bearers will also be male.
The costumes and podium have been designed by a team of students from the Royal College of Art while UK florist Jane Packer has crafted a victory bouquet that combines a rose, the most iconic of English flowers, with traditional herbs.
“The victory ceremonies mark the moment athletes can celebrate and share their achievements with fans in the stadiums and a worldwide TV audience,” said London 2012 chairman Seb Coe.
“I’m delighted that we have worked with not only with established British designers but also with the next generation of designers to create this special moment for them.”
© Sportsbeat 2012
GM's Vauxhall announces new Astra at UK plant - Yahoo Finance
LONDON (AP) -- General Motors' Vauxhall plant in northern England will build the company's top-selling Astra vehicles, the automaker said Thursday — a relief for U.K. politicians who had lobbied its American owner to keep the plant open.
The announcement comes after workers at the Ellesmere Port plant, near Liverpool, overwhelmingly backed a job deal which turned the factory into a 24-hour-a-day operation, a key cost-cutting measure pursued by parent company GM Europe.
GM Europe lost $700 million in 2011 and has been struggling to turn around its Opel and Vauxhall brands. It had been feared the company would close the Ellesmere Port facility in favor of consolidating production elsewhere — such as its headquarters in Ruesselsheim in Germany or Gliwice in Poland.
In a separate announcement, Opel said that the Ruesselsheim plant would switch to producing other models.
GM's announcement — which comes with a 125 million pound (nearly $200 million) investment and 700 extra jobs — is a break for leaders such as British Business Secretary Vince Cable, who fought to keep the British plant open.
Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking from the northern city of Manchester, called the decision "a fantastic vote of confidence."
"The U.K. government gave this its full backing. The unions supported the necessary changes. The workforce has responded magnificently. It is a British success story," he said.
Cable, who at one point traveled to the U.S. to plead the plant's case, told BBC television that no financial inducements were offered to General Motors Corp. to keep the U.K. facility open, saying the move underlined that Britain is "a good business environment for the motor industry."
Production of the new car is due to begin in 2015, with at least 160,000 vehicles scheduled to be produced every year.
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