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Policy Statements and Initiatives
DIUS: The latest project from Foresight, the Government's futures think tank, will examine land use in the UK, providing a fresh chance to explore the ways we view & value land as a resource in the future. Demographic changes in the UK, the evolution of the global economy and the impact of climate change, are among the challenges that will affect the demands we make on land.
Foresight's new 'Land Use Futures' project will explore how our use of land may need to evolve to meet future challenges and how it can deliver economic, social and environmental benefits sustainably, looking at both urban and rural land use. The findings will be launched towards the end of 2009.
Press release ~ Foresight ~ Land Use Classification ~ Barker review of land Use Planning ~ Defra e-Digest - Land Cover, Land Use ~ Rural Economy and Land Use Programme ~ Macaulay Institute, land use research ~ Land Use Policy Group ~ CLUWRR - The Centre for Land Use & Water Resources Research ~ Sustainable Government - Land use
DfT: Goods vehicles crossing Britain's borders face tougher safety checks as an extra £24m will resource a clampdown on unsafe HGVs on international journeys, by funding a 50% increase in the number of HGV checks carried out, as well as allowing the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) to open two new enforcement sites. Enforcement figures show that HGVs from overseas are more like to be un-roadworthy, overloaded or being driven in excess of drivers' hours rules than their UK counterparts.
VOSA is also increasingly using a smarter, intelligence-led approach to tackling un-roadworthy foreign vehicles, utilising modern technology - such as weigh-in-motion sensors - to spot overweight vehicles, and also automatic number plate recognition technology to spot those who have a poor track record of compliance.
Press release ~ Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) ~ Freight Data Feasibility Study ~ BBC News - Foreign lorries 'threaten lives' ~ Huge rise in foreign lorry accidents blamed on difference in road rules
DfT: Ruth Kelly, Transport Secretary, announced the creation of an official national bus passenger champion to actively represent the millions of people who use buses in the towns, villages and cities across England. Passenger Focus will widen its remit to take on the new role of bus passenger champion, while continuing to represent rail passengers throughout Great Britain. London transport users however are represented by the statutory London Travelwatch committee.
Press release ~ DfT - Options for strengthening bus passenger representation: Closed consultation ~ Local Transport Bill ~ Passenger Focus ~ London TravelWatch ~ Scottish Public Transport Users Committee
Defra: A £4m fund to support the installation of biomass-fuelled heating and combined heat & power projects, including anaerobic digesters, has been opened to applications from industrial, commercial and community sectors.
This encompasses public and private limited companies, from smaller businesses like pubs, clubs, shops or farms, to offices, golf courses, recycling centres, supermarkets and stately homes, right up to larger businesses like breweries, food processing companies and airports. Applicants from the community sector can include schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, local authorities, housing associations and charities.
Press release ~ Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme ~ UK Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF) ~ UK Biomass Strategy
CLG: A new review aimed at improving the management and conditions of people living in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) has been launched by Housing and Planning Minister Caroline Flint. Concerns have been raised about the so called 'studentification' of university towns with over concentrations of HMOs. Their dramatic growth in recent years (now almost 2.5m) has seen housing problems increase in some towns.
The review is intended to identify what more the planning system can do to create more effective management of HMOs for all tenants. It will feed into the Private Rented Sector review announced in January which is already looking into standards of accommodation and the rights & responsibilities of landlords & tenants.
Press release ~ Private Rented Sector review ~ Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) ~ 2006 Private Landlords Survey ~ Tenancy Deposit Scheme
WAG: The Welsh Assembly Government has launched its One Wales delivery plan, which identifies all the 228 specific delivery commitments in the One Wales document and shows what the Assembly Government will do to deliver each of them.
