The University of Cambridge has been granted planning permission to build 3, 000 new homes as part of its £1 billion development in northwest Cambridge, creating significant employment opportunities for people in the trades.

The planning application for the 150 hectare site was approved by local authorities today, paving the way for residential and development partners to start building construction work in early 2013.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor Ian Bates welcomed the project’s planning consent. He commented that the £1 billion investment will encourage economic growth and create new jobs, showing that Cambridge is truly open for business.

Mr Bates said: “This new development and investment in the University will be a major boost to jobs in the area and help attract even more business.

“A booming Cambridge economy is good for our local communities and the nation as we have the ability to help the country out of recession.”

The University of Cambridge said in a statement today that it will provide 1,500 homes for key University and College employees, 1,500 homes for sale and accommodation for 2,000 students.

New 100,000 square metres research institutes will be built to the University’s wide range of community facilities. Around one third of the site will be used as public open space for sports, informal recreation and ecological use.

“This development is a major part of the University’s long term future,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz. “It will provide much of the residential and research accommodation that the University needs as it grows over the next 20 years.”

Councillor for South Cambridgeshire District Council, David Bard, said: “This development is key to the next stage in the development of Cambridge and will be an exemplar of sustainable living. The plans are of a very high quality and will deliver a new community that everyone will be very proud of.”

What is your reaction to the £1 billion investment at the University of Cambridge that will encourage economic growth and create new jobs? Share your thoughts by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebookpage.

The Treasury has officially opened the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) which will enable businesses to grow and borrow money at a cheaper interest rate for up to four years.

The scheme will deliver economic growth and increase infrastructure investment to the UK which will create jobs for trade professionals including electricians, plumbers and gas engineers.

Commenting on the FLS Chancellor George Osborne said that the scheme will provide lasting benefits for thousands of people in Britain and boost the economy.

Mr Osborne said: “Today’s announcement aims to make mortgages and loans cheaper and more easily available, providing welcome support to businesses that want to expand and families aspiring to own their home.”

It is expected that banks currently offering loans through the National Loan Guarantee Scheme (NLGS) will continue to offer their NLGS branded product.

The Chancellor said: “The NLGS has made a real difference, with over 16,000 cheaper loans worth over £2.5bn already offered to businesses across the UK. In many cases, the money saved has meant an extra person employed who otherwise still might be looking for work.

“The more generous FLS has officially opened for business and will in time effectively take over from the NLGS, delivering credit easing to the whole economy.”

Do your predictions correspond to Chancellor’s indications for economic growth and more jobs? What do you think about the FLS? Share your thoughts by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook page.

Speaking today at the largest trade and investment event ever held in Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron said that the £8 billion development of the Battersea Power Station in South West London will create 20, 000 jobs during its construction.

The mixed development will contain homes, office space, a hotel and retail space and will see the Northern Line extended with a new transportation hub at the Power Station site.

The Global Investment Conference, launched by the Prime Minister, is the first of a series of global business summits being held in London to showcase the UK during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The event is expected to generate hundreds of thousands of new jobs for people in the trades.

The conference kicks off the largest and most ambitious set of trade events held in Britain. During the six weeks of the Games, the British Business Embassy will host 17 global business summits that will bring over £1 billion of deals and projects.

These events will allow more than 4,000 business leaders and politicians to exchange views and ideas, discuss local and international economic challenges as well as develop strong global partnerships for future growth and showcase the best of British business to the world.

Chancellor George Osborne said: “Britain has always been a country that is open to the world. In hosting the Olympic Games, we are showcasing that openness. As we welcome the world’s best athletes, we also welcome the world’s best companies – so that they can succeed, invest, and create jobs in Britain.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Tomorrow we welcome the world to London as the 2012 Olympic Games get underway. This summer is more than just a great sporting spectacle – it is an unrivalled opportunity to promote the best of British industry and make the most of our openness to foreign trade and investment.”

This month, the UN’s World Investment Report showed that the UK had retained its place as the number one destination in Europe for inward investment. The report showed that there were almost 60,000 new jobs created last year as a result of inward investment.

 

What is your reaction to the Global Investment Conference that could bring billions of pounds to the UK economy?  How much of an impact will the Olympics have on your business? Share your thoughts by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook page.

Plans to build a new £600 million shopping centre in Leeds will create thousands of jobs in the building engineering industry as one of the of Britain’s biggest high street retailers, John Lewis, has secured a deal to build a 258,000 sq ft anchor store near the development of Eastgate Quarters in Leeds city centre.

The first phase of the development, which is called Harewood, would also create two new shopping streets leading to the Victoria Quarter which will include 30 shops, six restaurants, and a multi-storey car park on the site of Leeds’ former police station.

Work on first phase of the development is expected to start in spring 2014 and it could be open by 2016, if plans submitted to the city council next year are approved.

A low-carbon energy centre for the scheme has been consented which will provide heating, cooling and electricity required by the development, with the opportunity to also support neighbouring homes and businesses.

As a result of the multi-million development, the retail led scheme could generate up to 4,000 jobs in the building engineering sector, providing more employment opportunities for plumbers, electricians and gas engineers.

Councillor Keith Wakefield, leader of Leeds City Council, welcomed the announcement describing it as excellent news for the city centre and the people from Leeds as a whole.

Mr Wakefield said: “All the parties have been working behind the scenes for some months now to facilitate an agreement which enables work to begin on this important development. So to know that we now have a clear timetable from Hammerson is really exciting.

He added: “Eastgate Quarters is a hugely significant development for the city which will enable our retail sector to compete with other British cities and attract international visitors and investors. It will bring thousands of new visitors to the city as well as creating a significant number of jobs for local people.”

What is your reaction to the £600 million development in Leeds that will pave the way for more jobs in the building engineering sector and people working in the trades? Share your thoughts with us by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook page.

Global renewable energy developer, Element Power, has sign a deal with the National Grid UK to provide 3,000 megawatts of electricity to Ireland, creating 10, 000 jobs during project’s development and construction phase.

Electricity is expected to be transmitted through two subsea cables connecting wind power generated in the Midlands of Ireland to consumers in the UK.

The deal which is part of a series of projects exporting wind power could save UK consumers £7 billion over the project’s lifetime compared to sourcing the same energy from sea-based offshore wind farms.

Element Power said that the project would also result in the creation of an estimated 3,000 long-term operational and manufacturing jobs in the UK and Ireland.

Chief Executive Officer at Element Power Ireland, Tim Cowhig believes the project will bring substantial benefits to the economy and pave the way for more jobs in the building engineering industry.

Mr Cowhig said: “Greenwire is a particularly timely project which will enable the economy to harness our renewable energy resources to our economic advantage.

“Greenwire is the enabling project that will allow this to happen boosting our national trade and generating considerable employment and benefit to the Midlands region.”
The growing popularity of wind farms has seen an enormous boost for the renewable energy sector, creating more employment opportunities for engineers and trades professionals. It has been reported that the number of people working in this sector has grown significantly in the last two years.

Share your thoughts about this and other renewable energy developments by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook page.

The UK has been ranked as the most energy efficient country in the world according to a new study which calculates countries’ efforts to reduce energy use and shows the overall effect of green policies, contributing for the creation of thousands of new jobs in the renewable engineering industry.

The study was published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) which ranked the UK first among the world’s 12 largest economies, closely followed by Germany, Italy, and Japan, for reducing pollution in industry, transport and buildings.

British Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Edward Davey, welcomed the International Energy Efficiency Scorecard by the ACEEE, emphasising the importance of low-carbon and renewable initiatives in the UK for future economic growth and sustainable development.

Mr Davey said: “The UK and the leading economies of Europe are now well ahead of the United States when it comes to energy efficiency. This is significant because countries that use energy more efficiently require fewer resources to achieve the same goals, thus reducing costs, preserving valuable natural resources, and creating jobs.”

The 12 largest economies, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union represent over 78 per cent of Global Gross Domestic Product;  63 per cent of global energy consumption; 62 percent of the global carbon-dioxide equivalent emissions.

Author of the report and ACEEE Senior Researcher, Sara Hayes, said that investment in cost- effective energy efficiency can help many countries to strengthen their economic competitiveness and create new jobs in the renewable industry.

Ms Hayes said: “While energy efficiency has played a major role in the economies of developed nations for decades, cost-effective energy efficiency remains a massively underutilized energy resource. Fortunately, there is a lot countries can do to strengthen their economic competitiveness through improvements in energy efficiency.”

What is your reaction to the new report by the ACEEE that rates the UK as the world’s most energy efficient country? Share your thoughts by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook page.

“Growth-boosting railway projects to help for the creation of new electrical, plumbing and engineering jobs”  

The Government has announced a £9.4 billion infrastructure investment package that will deliver sustainable economic growth and pave the way for thousands of new jobs for people in the trades, the Department for Transport revealed today.

The plan includes the electrification of a number of railway schemes including the Midland Main Line between Bedford and Sheffield creating new jobs in the electrical engineering sector.

Other rail improvements contributing for the creation of more employment opportunities for trade professionals including electricians and engineers, have been announced for the Manchester area, south Wales and East Coast Main Line

Prime Minister David Cameron called it the “biggest modernisation of our railways since the Victorian era” with the deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, naming it as “the biggest expansion in railways in over 150 years”.

The £9 billion investment of growth-boosting railway upgrades across England and Wales will mean faster journey, more reliable services and an increased capacity for 140,000 extra daily commutes, Transport Secretary Justine Greening said in a statement.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “From Crossrail, high speed rail and now the billions of pounds of investment we are announcing today, this government is committed to taking the long term decisions to deliver growth and jobs.

“In what is the biggest modernisation of our railways since the Victorian era this investment will mean faster journeys, more seats, better access to stations, greater freight links and a truly world class rail network.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne commented he was pleased with the government’s decision to fund in full the Northern Hub which will help rebalance the UK economy and enable future economic growth throughout the regions.

Mr Osborne said: “This government is making more funds available to invest in rail projects than at any time since the Victorian era, and shows that the government is committed to delivering on its promises to support investment in public infrastructure that will support economic growth.”

As reported on the BBC website some of the newly announced major improvements include:

• Electrification – completion of the Midland Main Line from Bedford to Sheffield costing £800m, local lines in the Welsh Valleys, costing £600m, and an extension of the already-announced electrification between Manchester and Leeds
• The Northern Hub – a series of projects around Manchester worth £322m that improve northern rail capacity to get more and faster trains across the north of England
• Upgrades to the East Coast Main Line from London to Leeds and Newcastle worth £240m to create faster journeys and capacity
• The reopening of the east-west link from Oxford and Aylesbury to Milton Keynes
• Electrification of the lines from London to Bristol and Cardiff, and from Manchester to Liverpool, Blackpool and Leeds
• Upgrades to stations and tracks creating capacity for an additional 140,000 daily rail commutes at peak times, including £350m for lengthening platforms at London’s Waterloo station

 

What’s your reaction to the huge investment in rail infrastructure projects across England and Wales which is expected to boost the economy and create new jobs? Share your thoughts by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook page.

The Government will enable businesses across Britain to access more and cheaper loans which will boost the economy and create new jobs, the BBC has reported.

Chancellor George Osborne announced the new £ 80 billion scheme, describing it as “a huge help for the British economy” which will give businesses the confidence to grow.

Under the Funding for Lending Scheme British banks will be able to lend money to businesses at a low interest rate, enabling the expansion of smaller businesses and the creation of new employment opportunities.

The Chancellor said: “Today’s announcement aims to make mortgages and loans cheaper and more easily available, providing welcome support to businesses that want to expand and families aspiring to own their home.”

Mr Osborne added the initiative would “inject new confidence into our financial system and support the flow of credit to where it is needed in the real economy – showing that we are not powerless to act in the face of the Eurozone debt storm”.

Welcoming the government’s announcement Director-General at the CBI, John Cridland, said: “This new scheme should provide a real incentive for banks and building societies to increase their lending to businesses and individuals, if possible at lower rates of interest.”

What is your reaction to the Funding for Lending scheme and how do you think you will be able to benefit from the £80 billion investment? Let us know what you think by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook and Twitter page.

“The CBI is urging the government to get its act together and accelerate infrastructure investment”

 

The CBI Director General, John Cridland, has urged the government in a Financial Times interview to speed up the implementation of its plan for economic growth by accelerating housing and infrastructure projects across the UK.

The head of Britain’s top business lobbying organisation criticised the government over some delays in road improvement plans and the failure to agree renewable energy subsidies, which according to the CBI are vitally important for boosting economic growth.

“I think it is really disappointing how long it is taking to get momentum and urgency into the growth plan.” The Director General told the Financial Times.

Meanwhile, CBI Director for Business and Environment, Rhian Kelly launched, Creating Britain’s future, a new campaign for the UK’s Contractors Group, highlighting the crucial role that the construction sector plays for the creation of new jobs.

Ms Kelly said: “Our analysis shows that the construction sector has the potential to create 215,000 jobs across the UK and throughout the supply chain.

“It is more important than ever that we recognise the role of construction, both as a catalyst for local job creation across the UK in the short-term, and as the lead mover in the £250bn infrastructure renewal needed to underpin economic growth in the long-term.

“To get spades in the ground on infrastructure delivery, there must be an urgent focus across the UK on bringing forward repair, maintenance and improvement projects, for example on roads, to deliver immediate and tangible results in terms of local jobs and growth.”

Do you share the view of the CBI about the huge potential for growth and the creation of new jobs in the construction industry?  How viable do you think is this statement for your business? 

The newest survey published today by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has found that the manufacturing and the service industry are continuing to grow, despite the UK economy remains weak.

BCC suggests in its Quarterly Economic Survey that businesses are growing but the the pace of activity is too slow for a sustainable recovery. Director General of the BCC, John Longworth, urged the government to take a bolder approach to boosting economic growth. He recommended measures including the creation of a state-backed business bank, and investment in infrastructure as critical to get the economy growing.

Mr Longworth said: “Growth cannot wait. The government must take an imaginative and brave approach to stimulating the economy and helping businesses thrive.”

The survey found manufacturing home orders has edged up two points, to +8%, the strongest level since the second quarter of 2011.  The service employment balance increased six points, to +10%, representing the highest level since the recession began in 2008.

The report indicates a surprising growth over manufacturers’ intentions to invest in training which rose to +18%, the best level for the last four years.

Although, business confidence is still below its 2007 level, manufacturers’ profitability is reported to have increased three points, to +24%, also the strongest level since the last quarter of 2010.

What’s your reaction on the findings by the BCC which suggest the manufacturing and the service industry are growing in times of austerity? If you are working in one of those sectors, share your thoughts by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook page.