18/09/2014
Headlines
18/09/2014
Election manifestos: RICS proposes ‘amberfield’ to create pipeline of housing developments The RICS has proposed a new classification, amberfield, to create a pipeline of ‘ready to go’ land, increasing housing supply and promoting development opportunities. The RICS has suggested that local authorities and communities identify a set quota of ‘amberfield’, of 30-50 per cent of housing requirements over a plan period. If the sites are not developed within five years, the local authority could be classed as ‘failing’ under the RICS’s proposed OfPlan assessment.
Report calls for Scotland to prioritise long-term housing needs An independent Scottish Housing Commission, led by the RICS, has published its recommendations to help improve Scotland’s housing market across all tenures. Three key issues were identified: housing land supply, new housing growth and the emerging importance of the private rented sector.
Farming Organic farming contributes little extra to biodiversity at the farm level A study of 1,470 fields of 205 randomly selected organic and non-organic farms in twelve European and African regions found that there was little difference between organic and non-organic farming in terms of species diversity and abundance at the farm level (taking account of field boundaries such as hedges and grass verges). At the field level, organic farms are home to significantly greater species, richness of plants, earthworms, bees and spiders. The study therefore underlines the importance of focus on maintaining and improving landscape features, such as hedges and field margins and fallow land, if the dual objectives of food production and biodiversity conservation on farmland are going to be achieved.
House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee report on the National Pollinator Strategy The report is quite critical of Defra’s reliance on funding from commercial organisations to fund research on pollinators, which ‘might result in greater susceptibility to commercial, rather than scientific, research priorities’. It says that the evidence on the role of neonicotinoid pesticides raised sufficient concerns for the health of pollinators to merit a ban on their use through the application of the precautionary principle; the Government opposes this approach and interprets the precautionary principle as encompassing economic as well as environmental considerations. The Committee says that the Government has not demonstrated the significance of any economic considerations as part of its decision-making. Also, the Committee says that the way that Defra has structured the environmental aspects of the CAP risks it being a lost opportunity.
Property Issues Retailers want business rate overhaul More than 100 retailers have signed a letter calling on the government to make changes to business rates, including Tesco, Marks & Spencer and General Motors.
Business rate hike set to hit small shops Small businesses will be hit by a double whammy in 2015 as the transitional relief on business rates for small businesses is set to end and the Government is likely to postpone a revaluation of property values.
Planning controls on hill tracks in Scotland The Government is proposing that private tracks for agriculture or forestry will require prior notification to planning authorities, and then possibly prior approval on their siting, design or materials where it is considered that additional protection of amenity, landscape or environment is required.
Virgin Media proposes broadband access ducts to all new houses Making this type of duct a requirement of planning permissions, just like roads and sewerage, would help improve the network and prevent costly digging of trenches post-construction, according to the firm. Just like that Heineken advert with the road diggers…
OTS proposes changes to tax benefits that could affect farm employee accommodation The Office for Tax Simplification (OTS) recommended to the Government that, as it considers the current rules on employer-provided accommodation to be arbitrary and inconsistent, exemption from a tax charge should be restricted to employees who are required to live in the accommodation to enable them to protect buildings,
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