As Britain comes to terms with an EU referendum result which has far reaching implications for the economy and government, it is too early to predict the political landscape or the regulatory one which will shape our future and the impact it will have on our industry. We live
Cemex and DB Cargo UK have teamed up to open a ‘pop up’ rail depot to serve the construction market in the North West, and will be based in Warrington. It is hoped that the new depot will cut down on the number of lorries on Britain’s roads and was
Bristol Water says it is considering renewable energy projects in its supply area, one of which is floating solar panels on its water storage reservoirs. The water supplier said it is hopeful that renewable energy sources will in future make up a significant amount of the 80GWh that the company
Keyline will once again be staging an international car rally to raise vital funds for Prostate Cancer UK. Staff, suppliers and customers from the UK’s biggest supplier of civils and drainage solutions will dress up as superheroes and villains as they embark on the journey from Northampton to St Tropez
As Britain comes to terms with an EU referendum result which has far reaching implications for the economy and government, it is too early to predict the political landscape or the regulatory one which will shape our future and the impact it will have on our industry. We live in an age where the answer to most questions is only a click away but the answers to some of the big questions surrounding this result will be hard to find and may take some time. In the coming weeks and months the LIA will be working with UK officials, other trade associations as well as our European colleagues to understand how this will directly affect LIA members and we will continue to keep you informed as we progress. In the meantime the LIA urges the UK government to do all it can to calm the waters and return to stability and we will do everything we can to help bring this about and remove uncertainty. At this stage no-one can second guess the outcome so for the time being we are adopting a ‘business as usual’ stance as Britain is currently still a member of the EU and EU law continues to apply to the full. What is clear, however, is that the New Settlement for the United Kingdom within the European Union reached earlier this year will not now take effect. We are heartened by messages received from many EU lighting associations assuring us of their wish to remain as friends and close working allies for the benefit of the lighting industry. The situation is likely to require the LIA to shoulder new responsibilities as members look to us for leadership and guidance, and to be even more pro-active in our lobbying to ensure we secure the best results for our members. Source link
Cemex and DB Cargo UK have teamed up to open a ‘pop up’ rail depot to serve the construction market in the North West, and will be based in Warrington. It is hoped that the new depot will cut down on the number of lorries on Britain’s roads and was installed in the space of a few weeks alongside the West Coast Mainline using an office and a ready made weighbridge. It is anticipated that the temporary site will handle approximately 125,000 tonnes of aggregates every year. It will be used to receive aggregates transported from Derbyshire’s Dove Holes Quarry on rail services that run twice a week, with each train having the capacity to transport around 1,540 tonnes of aggregates. By comparison, if these were to be transported by road, up to 150 HGVs would be required. DB Cargo has also been handed the responsibility of unloading the aggregates at the new pop up rail depot in Warrington, where they will later be transported to local construction sites and concrete plants by road. Head of Cemex Rail and Sea, Mark Grimshaw-Smith, said that the benefit of a pop up depot such as the one in Warrington is that it can be installed much more quickly, in weeks as opposed to months, and provides a greater degree of flexibility in moving the aggregates from quarries to sites where they are required, especially in the short term. Therefore, he believes that if a suitable piece of land is identified close to the rail network, then a depot can be created. Mr Grimshaw-Smith also added that there are a number of significant environmental and economic benefits of rail transportation over road methods, most notably the considerable CO2 emission reductions and on busy roads time will be saved. Last year Cemex transported 2.3 million tonnes by rail, which is equal to 80,000 truck journeys.
Bristol Water says it is considering renewable energy projects in its supply area, one of which is floating solar panels on its water storage reservoirs. The water supplier said it is hopeful that renewable energy sources will in future make up a significant amount of the 80GWh that the company uses each year in providing water to its 1.2 million customers. In order to achieve this goal, one of the projects being considered by the company is the installation of a floating solar farm on a water storage reservoir, with Barrow Gurney currently looking like the most promising site for such a scheme. The firm says that although there are only a few floating solar panel farms installed across the world so far, it expects to see a rise in the cutting edge technology over the next few years. Bristol Water believes that water company reservoirs provide provide one of the best sites for the innovative approach to be performed. Patric Bulmer, head of environment strategy at Bristol Water, said that Bristol Water is excited to be part of this project and that the company is striving to get as much of its energy as possible from renewable sources. He added that the firm’s reservoirs are a big asset in various ways and now that the floating solar panel farm technology is out there, it is something the company will be fully exploring. Mr Bulmer believes that the technology will benefit customers by keeping water bills down, as well as making sense for the company both environmentally and in a business sense. In its investigations of potential renewable energy schemes, the company has hired three contractors who are Eneco, ASC and HBS. They will also investigate solar panels and wind turbines as possible renewable energy projects at a number of sites in the area, such as Bedminster Down where the firm’s head office is situated.
Keyline will once again be staging an international car rally to raise vital funds for Prostate Cancer UK. Staff, suppliers and customers from the UK’s biggest supplier of civils and drainage solutions will dress up as superheroes and villains as they embark on the journey from Northampton to St Tropez this month. This year will mark the seventh staging of the annual event, with participants hoping to raise more than £100,000 in their various teams of 24 cars including themes of The Flash, Thor, Catwoman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. All the teams will assemble at the Northampton starting point on Wednesday June 22 and once they have crossed the English Channel at Dover, the cars will make a further 1000 mile journey through Soissons and Grenoble, before they reach St Tropez on Friday June 24. Prostate Cancer UK ambassador and ex-international footballer, Luther Blissett, will once again be involved in the fundraising journey. Blissett said that any driving activities are close to his heart and to take part in such an event is a dream come true. He said that although the challenge is not a racing circuit, the rally is all about strategy, endurance and most importantly driving. Blissett will be part of team 48, his Alfa racing team, and he added that of course the most important part of the challenge will be contributing to saving men’s lives. The former England star remained tight-lipped on which superhero he would be dressing up as, but said the only real villain is prostate cancer and the real superheroes are people who donate to the cause. Keyline started its partnership with Prostate Cancer UK in 2010 and pledged an initial £25,000 in its first year of fundraising. However, thanks to the superb efforts of customers and staff, Keyline has now raised over £1.2 million for the charity over the six year period.
