Daily Archives: 12/07/2010

The Prime Minister has announced new plans – Structural Reform Plans (SRPs) – to hand power to the public with every department publishing a plan that sets clear priorities and measurable milestones. These Structural Reform Plans (SRPs) mean anyone can … Continue reading →

A new action plan for the radical shift of power from Whitehall to local councils and communities that will make the Big Society part of every day life was published by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles on 8 June. Today the … Continue reading →

Urgent action demanded to improve SAP for calculating energy use of new homes The government’s tool for calculating the energy performance of new dwellings cannot adequately meet the challenges of delivering low-energy and zero-carbon houses, concludes a new report. A … Continue reading →

The Penfold Review, set up to identify whether non-planning consents delay or discourage investment, has published its final report. This report, following the interim report in March, sets out recommendations to simplifying the planning and consents environment and includes proposals … Continue reading →

Housing minister Grant Shapps has confirmed that the Government is committed to bringing in legislation allowing the creation of Local Housing Trusts which would have powers to undertake housing development which would not need specific planning applications. Proposals for this … Continue reading →

£50 million will be invested in regenerating business and transport hubs and greening housing schemes, the Scottish Government said on 6 July. Whole zones of Scotland’s towns and cities will benefit from cash for major regeneration work including new business … Continue reading →

Prince Charles is set to launch his 19th charity on 22 July – the Prince’s Countryside Fund – with the aim of supporting the nation’s most vulnerable farmers and small rural communities to improve the long-term viability of the British … Continue reading →

New Labour’s Housing Market Renewal (Pathfinder) Initiative has resulted in the destruction of thousands of terraced houses across the north of England, ripping the heart out of communities and repeating the terrible mistakes of the 1960s and 70s, according to … Continue reading →

Maintenance Matters! a new web resource designed by Cadw, the Welsh Assembly Government’s historic environment service, for owners of historic and listed properties, is now live after its launch  in June, with a unique capacity for users to create and … Continue reading →

Forest of Dean District Council has lost its enforcement action over a building made of straw bales originally constructed for research and educational purposes by local resident Jim Wallis, who subsequently moved in and lived in the property. The straw … Continue reading →