Home > News

News

Minister Confirms New Deal for Communities Funding
Published: 08/07/08
Communities Minister Baroness Andrews has confirmed nearly £500m for neighbourhood partnerships in deprived communities across the country, to continue helping their work to cut crime levels, improve educational achievements and boost job opportunities.

Bristol Wins Cash for Spreading Good Practice
Published: 08/07/08
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, has announced extra funding to encourage local government to spread their good practice and work - from affordable housing to anti-social behaviour.

Bournemouth Council Wins 'Trailblazer ' Status to Offer Homes and Jobs Advice
Published: 08/07/08
As part of 12 new trailblazer projects, Bournemouth Council will offer a greater range of advice to people looking for housing, with some trailblazers moving towards a 'one stop shop' approach of personalised advice and links to employment opportunities and training.

Call for Nominations - Tackling Drugs Changing Lives Awards Launched in the South West
Published: 03/07/08
The Tackling Drugs Changing Lives Awards, which recognise, reward and celebrate the people on the front-line who are working to tackle drugs and change lives every day, have been launched by Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker.

£300m Council Cash Boost for Local Business Growth
Published: 30/06/08
Local Government Minister John Healey has confirmed that 371 councils will share almost £300million as a reward for successfully promoting economic growth in their areas.

Homes and Transport Top Priorities for the South West
Published: 30/06/08
The results of a comprehensive shake up of council targets and priorities are published today.

Recruiting for the Young Muslims' Advisory Group
Published: 27/06/08
The Department for Children, Schools and Families are now recruiting young Muslims between the ages of 16-21 to join the Young Muslims’ Advisory Group.

Torbay Students Have Their Say
Published: 25/06/08
Minister for the South West, Ben Bradshaw MP, was in Torbay on 23 June 2008 as part of a regional fact finding tour.

Rosie Winterton announces £34million transport improvements for Cornish regeneration area
Published: 23/06/08
Rosie Winterton today approved a £34million Government contribution towards the Camborne-Poole-Redruth major new scheme.

Additional Government funding and recognition
Published: 20/06/08
Community organisations committed to supporting and improving community relations and race equality will gain access to a new funding pot of up to £660,000 with the announcement of the successful recipients of the third round of the Connecting Communities Plus Community Grants.

Ministers Act to Protect Lyme Bay Sea Life
Published: 19/06/08
Ministers have banned damaging types of fishing in 60 square nautical miles of sea off the South West coast to protect threatened sea life.

Bristol becomes Englands first cycle Demonstration City
Published: 19/06/08
Bristol and the urban area of South Gloucestershire have been selected as the nation's standard bearer to promote cycling.

Dorset Gets an Opportunity to Have its Say
Published: 19/06/08
Ben Bradshaw MP, Minister for the South West Region, visited Dorset today as part of a consultation tour regarding the Draft Legislative Programme (DLP) 2008/9 - Preparing Britain for the Future.

From Homelessness to Business Success - Winners Announced of National Competition
Published: 11/06/08
Fifteen organisations from around the country (including Devon and Plymouth) will be able to start up or develop new social enterprises after winning the funding through the Spark initiative, including . The competition involved homeless organisations pitching their ideas to a panel of experts from the business and voluntary sector.

National Challenge Strategy launched to ensure more children get better GCSEs
Published: 11/06/08
Ed Balls has set out the next phase of the Government's School Improvement Strategy - National Challenge - to transform schools, raise results in English and maths, and tackle underachievement by young people.

Community Energy Efficiency Projects Double Their Fuel Poverty Targets
Published: 09/06/08
Forty nine projects in England supported by the Community Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF) are expected to exceed their targets by 100 per cent, Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock has announced.

Tilley Awards 2008
Published: 02/06/08
The Tilley Award, inaugurated by Professor Nick Tilley and sponsored by the Home Office, was set up in 1999 to encourage the use of a problem-oriented approach to crime reduction, and celebrates excellence in this field.

New Push for Recycling in Public Places
Published: 02/06/08
People will soon find it easier to recycle when they're out and about, Environment Minister Joan Ruddock pledged.

Gypsy & Traveller Report Published
Published: 30/05/08
The Panel report following the Examination in Public of the Single Issue Review of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West in respect of Additional Pitch Requirements for Gypsies and Travellers, has been published.

North Somerset Named as Pilot Area for 'Find Your Talent' Programme to give Young People Five Hours of Culture a Week
Published: 30/05/08
A Partnership led by North Somerset has been picked by the Government to be one of ten areas around the country to pilot the Government's £25 million Find your Talent programme. The scheme will give young people the chance to encounter a range of high-quality cultural experiences for a guaranteed five hours a week. Children in the pilot areas will be able to discover and develop their talents in the cultural sphere.

National Awards for Fire-Fighters in Wiltshire and Avon
Published: 30/05/08
Men and women leading the way on improving equality and diversity in the Fire and Rescue Service have been honoured at a national awards ceremony at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London on 28 May 2008.

Launch of 10 New Business Case Studies on Adapting to Climate Change
Published: 30/05/08
Ten new case studies from nine businesses who took part in the Marketing and Climate Change Programme, jointly run by Horizon SW, Chartered Institute of Marketing and the South West Climate Change Impacts Partnership, are now available for download from the internet. The Defra funded programme held 4 workshops to equip businesses with ideas and tools of how best to "future-proof" their organisations from the effects of climate change.

England's World Heritage Sites to get Strongest Ever Protections
Published: 30/05/08
The nation's most important historical landmarks are to receive greater protection than ever before, Communities Minister Baroness Andrews has announced.

Rosie Winterton, Minister of State for Transport visits Bristol and announces £42 million for new improved local bus services.
Published: 20/05/08
Rosie Winterton visited Bristol today to give an address to the Carfee UK Eco-towns Conference on tapping the potential of transport innovation.

Noise Map Website Launched
Published: 19/05/08
A new Defra website, launched by Environment Minister Jonathan Shaw, provides maps showing the level of environmental noise from major industries, road and rail networks in 23 urban areas in England including Bristol and Bournemouth.

New Measures to Tackle Anti-Social Behaviour Announced
Published: 14/05/08
A new Action Squad to help police and local agencies make full use of all the tools and powers available to tackle anti-social behaviour in every community, backed by £255,000 of new funding, has been announced by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Driver Testing and Training Consultation
Published: 14/05/08
New proposals to reform the way people learn to drive and how they are tested have been announced by Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly.

Marine Navigation Bill Consultation Launched
Published: 14/05/08
Proposals to improve marine safety in ports and at sea were published today. The Marine Navigation Bill will improve the ability of the Secretary of State, harbour authorities and the General Lighthouse Authorities to manage shipping and allow the better management of wrecks to help to minimise their environmental and financial impact.

Draft Legislative Programme 2008-09
Published: 14/05/08
The Government has highlighted four key themes of its initial plans for next year's Parliamentary session as it launched a consultation to give people their say on the shape of the final legislative programme.

Launch of Enterprise Strategy
Published: 13/03/08
12 March saw the launch of the Government’s new Enterprise Strategy. “Enterprise: Unlocking the UK’s Talent” is a ten-year strategy aimed at making the UK the most enterprising economy in the world - and the best place to start and grow a business.

New Year Message from The Prime Minister
Published: 03/01/08
Prime Minister Gordon Brown delivered his New Years message on 30 December.

Business Support Simplification Consultation - Government Response
Published: 21/12/07
The Government’s formal response to the Business Support Simplification Programme (BSSP) consultation was published on 20 December.

Local Government Minister John Healey makes Announcement on Cornwall and Wiltshire Unitary Status
Published: 07/12/07
Local Government Minister John Healey announced final decisions on re-structuring taking forward five successful proposals put forward by councils for unitary status, alongside a timetable for first elections and a package of measures to ensure that they are all up and running effectively on 1 April 2009. The announcement was made in a written statement to Parliament on 5th December 2007.

Smoke free England
Published: 09/11/07
Smokefree England - The first three months Public pleased with better atmosphere, cleaner air and no smoky clothes

Foot and Mouth Disease - outbreak in Surrey
Published: 06/08/07
There has been a confirmed outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in Surrey on 3 August 2007. The response to animal disease outbreaks are led by Defra and the State Veterinary Service.

‘Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable’ Housing Green Paper launched
Published: 24/07/07
Housing Minister Yvette Cooper has launched the Housing Green Paper, which sets out £8 billion of investment and a far-reaching package of reforms to tackle housing shortages.

Building united and resilient communities - developing shared futures
Published: 18/06/07
The final report from the Commission on Integration and Cohesion setting out the steps that need to be taken to build strong, cohesive and integrated communities has been published.

Regional ESF Strategies 2007-13: Consultation
Published: 11/05/07
Regional Skills Partnerships are required to develop ESF Frameworks in order to effectively align ESF regional expenditure with regional priorities. Two sub-groups have been convened in the South West to help develop the frameworks.

Internet links

• Government News Network Website - The South West

Contact information