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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people or assets; or because they have to work outside normal working hours; or because they need to live in employer-provided accommodation as a result of regulatory requirements. Therefore employers should ensure that job descriptions make clear that accommodation is needed for the above purposes – and not just rely on job titles.
Redbridge Council scraps planning committees The Council has taken decision-making away from elected councillors and given it to planning officials, in order to ‘get to the heart of what really matters to residents’. A planning committee has been retained for more controversial applications.
Get involved with LEADER to get fair share of funds – says CLA The CLA is encouraging rural people to get involved with the local groups responsible for administering the LEADER programme, which is a European funded project to develop local projects that support growth, jobs and communities, in order to ensure that the funding is spent on suitable projects.
UK coastal path The Government has announced extra funding to speed up the expected completion of the coastal path from 2030 to 2020.
Free map of accessible green space in England and Wales Ordnance Survey is producing a new map of every publicly accessible green space, which will be available free online.
Residential Markets • •
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Annual house price inflation is 10.7% in England (6.3% excluding London and the South East), 3.5% in Wales and 6% in Scotland (ONS). Estate agents report a slowing in the rise of house prices. The housing market has ‘plateaued’ according to the RICS, which said that a possible interest rate rise and new curbs on mortgages have put off some buyers. Activity slowed in August to the same level as last year, and new enquiries fell for the second consecutive month (RICS). The number of properties available per estate agency branch is at its highest since November 2013. The competition among house buyers could be easing as the number of house hunters has been falling since April 2014 but is still higher than this time last year (although the website Rightmove reports rising enquiries in August). Despite Lloyds warning that tighter rules on the proportion of their capital that lenders can use in loans would force mortgage costs up, mortgage lenders have reduced interest rates as they become more confident about the housing market. Total lending in June rose to £17.1 billion, on a par with the six-month average and up 1.9% from a year ago. The Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association called it "a further sign that in spite of increasingly stringent criteria, lenders are still eager to lend to worthy applicants". (BoE) However, mortgage applications are taking longer to process due to the new rules. The number of planning permissions granted for new houses in England in 2Q2014 rose, and is the highest since 2008. The moving annual total is 197,325 permissions in the 12 months to Q2. It appears that it is the biggest strategic sites that are getting permission. The HBF also warned that as many as 150,000 plots with outline planning permission are now stuck in the planning system awaiting final permission to start on site. (House Builders Federation) Housebuilding rose at the fastest rate in over a decade in July (Markit/CIPS). House starts are at the highest level since the start of the recession, at 137,000 in the year to June. Two major house builders, Berkeley and Redrow, have said that sales levels are returning to a normal state after a period of intense activity.
Government initiatives failing to significantly boost house building Despite growth. • •
some radical policies, England is only building half the houses needed to keep up with population So what has happened? Help to Buy equity loan scheme - has been embraced by house builders Planning reforms – have run up against NIMBYism and while they have sped up grant of outline consent, it is taking longer to achieve detailed consent due to planning staff cuts in councils
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Selling public land to build 100,000 homes – this has not happened (although we don’t have precise figures) and the Treasury is frustrated by the slow release of land by departments and councils The Government introduced two schemes to boost the construction of rented houses in 2012. No one wants to run the £3.5bn scheme to build private rented houses and only £708m of finance has been backed for affordable rented houses, out of £3.5bn, although this is seen as successful New Homes Bonus, under which Central Government matches the new council tax receipts for extra homes built for six years: has done little to encourage new homes, according to the National Audit Office
75% of large-scale housing appeals approved since NPPF – up from 30% before Since the introduction of the National Planning Policy Framework in April 2012, 75% of large-scale housing appeals have been upheld, compared with 30% prior to the reforms. The number of appeals has remained broadly similar over the past ten years. In all but three of the upheld appeals, the impartial planning officer had recommended the scheme be approved.
New buy-to-let rules New regulations in a Treasury consultation on implementing the European Mortgage Credit Directive are likely to make it harder to take out a buy-to-let mortgage. The regulations will take effect from March 2016.
Private rented sector: Labour rent cap plan attacked The Institute of Economic Affair has said that Labour’s proposal to cap rent increases may reduce the number of properties to rent, would discourage landlords from repairing their properties and would also lead to landlords raising the rent at the beginning of a contract.
Forestry Managing for ash dieback Ash dieback in the UK is likely to lead to the extinction or decline of over 50 species which are associated with the ash tree, including mosses, lichens and beetles. Researchers recommend that the ash trees are not felled but left to die naturally and in time replaced with mixtures of species such as beech and sycamore which support similar woodland species. Ash dieback was confirmed in the UK in February 2012 and is likely to lead to the loss of almost all ash trees.
Environment An app that helps you buy good food at the best price FoodLoop app informs users if a product is reduced in price because the "best before" date is coming up. Shoppers save money – and food waste is reduced.
MEPs urged to demand Commission changes The EU’s 10 leading environmental NGOs have called for the EU to appoint a vice-president for sustainability to sit next to President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker to coordinate environment, fisheries, agriculture and regional development, to ensure environmental considerations are always taken into account. Without it they claim climate concerns will not be at the forefront of political decision-making and that Juncker will marginalise ecological goals, focussing instead on deregulation.
And finally… Foul-mouthed Barbie A Welsh-mum has taken her daughter’s Barbie doll away after it said "What the f***". But Mattel, which manufactures Barbie, said the phrase is actually "Off the hook!" - a catchphrase from Barbie’s television series. Mattel has launched an investigation into the swearing doll. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this briefing, its information may not be comprehensive and recipients should not act upon it without seeking full professional advice. If you have queries regarding any of the articles, please contact jason.beedell@smithsgore.co.uk (01733 866562) or andrew.teanby@smithsgore.co.uk (01522 507310)
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