The New Homes Bonus

Posted on: 31 October 2013
By: mackene
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The Department for Communities and Local Government has been citicised by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee for not assessing the impact of the New Homes Bonus two years into the scheme. The Bonus was introduced in 2011 in the expectation that it would provide a financial incentive to local authorities to help overcome known barriers to the building of new homes. Up to £7.5 billion will have been given to, or redistributed between, local authorities by 2018-19.

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Climate Change and Environmental Risk Atlas 2014

Posted on: 31 October 2013
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The sixth annual release of Maplecroft’s Climate Change and Environmental Risk Atlas reveals that 31% of global economic output will be based in countries facing ‘high’ or ‘extreme risks’ from the impacts of climate change by the year 2025 – a 50% increase on current levels and more than double since the company began researching the issue in 2008.

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Sustainable development in fragile ecosystems: Applying the ‘Nexus’ approach to the Orinoco River Basin in Colombia

Posted on: 31 October 2013
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This discussion brief presents initial analysis of how a “nexus” approach to water, energy and food could illuminate key sustainability issues in the Orinoco River Basin in Colombia.

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RICS valuation – Professional Standards

Posted on: 31 October 2013
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This new edition of the RICS Valuation – Professional Standards, the Red Book as it has become widely known, is the culmination of a comprehensive review of the content, framework and format of the 2012 and earlier editions. It also includes new material relating to business valuation and intangible assets. This 2014 edition adopts and is fully compliant with the International Valuation Standards (IVS), which are reproduced as an annex in both hard copy and digital versions. RICS not only embraces these high level valuation principles itself but also supports the adoption and implementation of such universal standards globally. While the RICS Red Book continues to cover in considerable detail the valuation of assets in the form of real estate (land, buildings and interests therein), its coverage extends to all types of asset, including associated liabilities where appropriate.

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ODI podcast

Posted on: 31 October 2013
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The October 2013 podcast from the Overseas Development Institute explores the relationship between poverty and disasters, assesses the place of development in UK politics and s what we know for sure about structural transformation in low-income countries.

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International buyers in London

Posted on: 31 October 2013
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Knight Frank’s first detailed estimate of international purchase activity in Greater London’s new build housing market.

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Urban revitalization of mass housing: International competition

Posted on: 30 October 2013
By: mackene
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The “Urban revitalization of mass housing” international competition is an initiative of the Global Housing Strategy’s campaign on “Placing Housing at the Centre”. The Global Housing Strategy, coordinated by the Housing and Slum Upgrading Branch of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) invites creative and innovative university students and recent graduates around the world to participate in this international competition. The competition seeks to revisit mass/social/public housing through multidisciplinary approaches aiming at socially, economically, environmentally and culturally sustainable urban solutions. Furthermore, the competition aims at exploring approaches for achieving affordability through innovative approaches for funding, governance, management and maintenance. The website includes a number of useful downloads providing background information.

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Why governments should not enforce long-term contracts in the UK’s private rented sector

Posted on: 30 October 2013
By: mackene
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Michael Ball, Professor of Urban and Property Economics at Reading University, was commissioned by the Residential Landlords Association to undertake an independent assessment of proposals by the charity, Shelter, for a new standard five year contract with annual rent increases linked to inflation. His report concludes that landlords would face higher risks and lower returns, while the beneficiaries amongst tenants would be few and the losers many.

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Bus services in London

Posted on: 30 October 2013
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A London Assembly Transport Committee report has called on Transport for London and the Mayor to demonstrate how they plan to cope with an expected increase in bus journeys of as much as 167 million by 2022. In its report, the Committee calls for improvements to bus service planning following detailed evidence from boroughs and London Councils.

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Public attitudes to nuclear power and climate change in Britain two years after the Fukushima accident

Posted on: 30 October 2013
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Research findings published by the UK Economic Research Council suggest that opposition to nuclear power in Britain has fallen since 2005, despite the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident that followed the devastating Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami on the 11th March 2011. The report describes the main findings of a nationally representative British survey conducted in March 2013. The results are contrasted with previous British surveys where possible, and cross-national comparisons are made with similar surveys carried out in Japan.

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