Taking the Oxford air adds up to a 60-a-day habit

"Wandering round Oxford and breathing the city's air is equivalent to smoking three packets of cigarettes a day, according to research into air quality statistics..." full story

The long-range weather forecast: more flash floods for Britain

"Britain should expect more dangerous flash floods, catastrophic rain and hail storms, droughts and heatwaves from the rapid changes in rainfall patterns brought by global warming, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said yesterday as clean-up operations continued in flooded Boscastle..." full story

With this in mind, shouldn't the government be focussing on getting people onto cleaner forms of transport? Isn't road building (i.e. encouraging more traffic onto the roads) an unnacceptable approach when the balance between the environment (climate change) and the economy is struck. Never mind the people on the high street, goddamit. If you want to live on a road, you make your choice.

More info on flooding and building development
Environment Agency :: Flooding
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister :: Development on, or affecting, the flood plain
DEFRA :: Exposer to Flood Risk

contractjournal.com :: Mowlem pips rivals to Peak District's bypass

"Mowlem looks to be closing in on an £85m early contractor involvement deal in the North West.
Sources say the contractor has held off challenges from four rivals to stake its claim for the Mottram-Tintwistle bypass on the edge of the High Peak District.
Nothing official has yet emerged from the client, the Highways Agency, but it looks like the end of the road for the other four contenders - Amec, Carillion, Costain and Alfred McAlpine..."
full article

Damn it! Time to get busy.

Contract Journal :: Roads contractors eye major bonuses

"Highways contractors could pocket windfalls of up to 70% of project cost savings under new bonus schemes set up by the Highways Agency (HA) across its early contractor involvement agreements (ECIs).
Outlining the bonus payments at the HA's ECI seminar last week, Peter Higgins, director of PD Consult, the HA's technical advisor on ECIs, said the HA "wanted contractors to make money..." full article

Climate change policy 'off course'

"Government targets for reduced carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere will not be met, and environmental taxes, particularly on road traffic, are falling rather than rising, the Commons environmental audit committee says." full story

Obviously road building is the answer - not!

MPs criticise UK's record on carbon emissions

"Britain's strategy for countering climate change is seriously off course, and the Government is likely to miss one of its key global warming targets, a powerful cross-party group of MPs alleged yesterday." read the full story

contractjournal.com :: Big names pitch for an £85m HA job

This is what I was looking for...

contractjournal.com :: Big names pitch for £85m HA job

So, who did they pick?
Time to find out...

contractjournal.com :: Road scheme funding shortfall alarms BCC

contractjournal.com :: Road scheme funding shortfall alarms BCC

So what if 50% of business want more roads!!! What a bullshit country.

Norwich No N25 Campaign - 78% my arse!

Well, it' not really news but worth a look. Nice to know we're not the only ones being stuffed by our local councillors/Mott Macdonald. Norwich No N25 Campaign

House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 3 Jun 2003 (pt 47)

Oh my, look what I've just found. It seems that Environmental Impact Assessment had not been carried out at time the Transport Secretary added the A57/A628 bypass to his TPI list. Interesting.
read the full list on Hansard