Member News – 22 April 2026

22 April 2026

Your weekly member email from Logistics UK sharing the latest updates addressing industry-relevant developments, legislation and compliance updates and campaigns to help you stay informed.

In this issue:

• Logistics UK asks Chancellor for package of support amidst Middle East conflict disruption.
• Government action to break influence of gas on electricity prices.
• Logistics UK responds to consultation on skills passports.
• Logistics UK has responded to the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure Speed Limit Review.
• Logistics UK response to call for evidence on the future of the downstream oil sector.
• Traffic Commissioners release Statutory Document Summaries
• The A40 Westway has reopened in London.
• A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project – upcoming road closures.
• National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service.

Logistics UK asks Chancellor for package of support amidst Middle East conflict disruption

With the Middle East conflict continuing to impact logistics and supply chains, including pushing up the price of fuel, Logistics UK wrote to Chancellor Rachel Reeves on 15 April to urge her to deliver a package of support to help the sector.

In addition to our call for the Chancellor not to begin increasing fuel duty in September, we are calling for:

• Logistics to be included in the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) to cut electricity costs.
• Full expensing to be extended to cover leased zero-emission commercial vehicles.
• An incentive for logistics businesses to use liquid low carbon fuels.
• Recent business rate increases to be paused.
• Logistics to be formally recognised as a priority fuel user within resilience planning.

Government is continuing to reassure industry that the UK benefits from strong and diverse security of fuel supplies, that it is monitoring stocks and sales closely and that production and imports are continuing across the UK as normal. It has also reassured that contingency planning in this area is well established, and that it has a range of measures it can use in the unlikely event that normal supply chains become disrupted from any cause. Logistics UK has underlined the importance of timely and clear communication with the industry when required.

Logistics UK is collecting member feedback via our quarterly Logistics Performance Tracker survey, where anonymised and aggregated responses on the impact of the Middle East conflict on logistics will be fed directly back to government officials.

Complete the short survey on SurveyMonkey here, or via Microsoft Forms here.

Members can also view Logistics UK’s new stakeholder summary on the conflict, including the latest member survey findings, which is updated each week and available to read here.

Government action to break influence of gas on electricity prices

The government has announced measures to accelerate clean power delivery, including proposals to use more public land (including brownfield, industrial and railway sites) for renewables, with potential to unlock up to 10GW of capacity.

The announcement also sets out plans to streamline planning, land access and grid connection processes to reduce delays for grid upgrades and renewable projects.

These changes are relevant to logistics sites considering on-site generation (such as rooftop solar) and future electrification projects, where planning and connection timescales are a key factor.

Further details of the announcement are available here.

Logistics UK will follow the detailed implementation plans and any consultations due later this year.

Logistics UK responds to consultation on skills passports 

Logistics UK has responded to Skills England’s consultation on skills passports, outlining how a skills passport could provide significant value to the logistics sector if designed as a trusted, portable and interoperable record of verified capability. Overall, a well-designed skills passport could improve recruitment efficiency, support workforce mobility and strengthen domestic skills pipelines in the logistics sector.

Members can view the response here.

Logistics UK has responded to the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure Speed Limit Review

The responses will help the department to understand the freight industry perspective on speed limit reviews. Logistics UK has called for aligning HGV speed limits with those elsewhere in the UK to improve traffic flow, reduce unsafe overtaking, and support more efficient movement of goods across the network.

Members can view the Logistics UK response here.

Logistics UK response to call for evidence on the future of the downstream oil sector

Logistics UK has responded to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s call for evidence on the future of the downstream oil sector.

In its response it outlined its support towards the development of a robust, long-term framework for the downstream oil sector that simultaneously strengthens domestic fuel supply resilience and accelerates the transition to low carbon fuel (LCF). The response outlined three central arguments:

• The UK’s almost total import dependence for key LCF – including HVO, creates a structural supply chain vulnerability that undermines operator confidence, distorting investment decisions and exposes logistics businesses to the same geopolitical risks that the government seeks to reduce in its fossil fuel strategy. A domestic LCF production and manufacturing base must be a national priority.
• Decarbonisation, properly managed, is the most effective long-term route to energy security. Domestically generated renewable electricity and biofuels sourced from UK waste feedstocks are inherently less exposed to global commodity price shocks.
• Government must provide a clear, stable and long-term policy framework on LCF – including strengthened demand signals through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), fiscal incentives for LCF adoption and capital support for domestic production capacity to attract the investment needed to build a resilient system.

Members can view the call for evidence response on the website here.

Traffic Commissioners release Statutory Document Summaries

The Traffic Commissioners have announced the publication of the Statutory Document Summaries. These do not replace the full documents but are designed to help operator licence holders, transport managers, applicants and vocational drivers to more easily understand the requirements of operator licensing and driver conduct.

The Senior Traffic Commissioner’s Statutory Documents explain the legal basis and way in which Traffic Commissioners will approach the exercise of their statutory functions. They explain how the Senior Commissioner believes Traffic Commissioners should interpret the law relating to the application of the statutory documents.

It is hoped that the summaries will provide a readily digestible guide to what the Senior Traffic Commissioner expects of someone in the industry, whether they are an operator licence holder, transport manager, applicant or professional driver. They should be read in conjunction with the full Statutory Guidance and Directions.

They can be found here, on this page.

The A40 Westway has reopened in London

Vital repair work to the A40 Westway in both directions between the Westway roundabout and the Marylebone flyover has been completed, allowing the structure to be reopened to all traffic overnight on Tuesday 21 April.

Parts of the structure reached the end of their service life, and Transport for London and partners have been carrying out renewal works for a number of years. This phase of work involved replacing two joints on the Marylebone Flyover A40 Westway that allow the flyover to safely expand and contract with temperature changes and vehicle movements. The closure has also been used to carry out other works that will reduce the need for future works and disruption, including resurfacing over a kilometre of carriageway in both directions, and carrying out drainage maintenance.

Following the opening of the A40 full closure, small-scale weekend works will take place to carry out further improvement works. These works will start on Friday 24 April and take place over four weekends, finishing in June, and will be much more localised than the full closure. For detail on the closures, visit the website here.

A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project – upcoming road closures 

Following publication of the third Roads Investment Strategy (RIS) on 26 March 2026, National Highways has confirmed the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project (NTP) scheme has been committed to by the government and is due to start main construction by the end of 2026.

Advanced Works – May 2026 

National Highways is continuing with advanced works and will soon be extending the current speed limit area in place and installing average speed cameras on the A66 between M6 junction 40 and Temple Sowerby. National Highways is bringing forward this installation in response to customer concerns over the existing 40mph speed limit not being adhered to by all drivers.

To install the cameras safely, it will need to close the A66, both east and westbound carriageways overnight (12midnight-5am) between Kemplay roundabout and Temple Sowerby from 5-9 May 2026 inclusive (five nights).

Also on Friday 8 May 2026, National Highways will need to close one lane of the A66 westbound carriageway only (8pm-5am) between Kemplay roundabout to M6 J40. Emergency access will be retained throughout the closure but for all other traffic there will be a fully signed diversion in place, and details are available here.

Due to the existing HGV restrictions through Kirkby Stephen, the diversion for HGVs will involve using the M6, A69, and A1. From the M6 Junction 40 A1 Scotch Corner, this is a 185 km diversion, so signage will be in place before these points to ensure we inform HGV drivers in a timely manner.

Drivers are advised to plan ahead by reviewing routes and schedules in advance, along with allowing additional time during closure periods.

For additional information, National Highways will continue to update its Project webpage.

For any questions regarding these works, please contact National Highways.

National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service

The fortnightly National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) Freight Crime Intelligence Bulletin provides relevant and up to date information and intelligence to police and the logistics industry for the prevention and detection of crime.

Read the update here.

Average EU and UK forecourt prices

Please find the average EU and UK forecourt prices here.