Westminster’s City Plan: City management policies revision

Posted on: 13 March 2014
By: mackene
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New planning policies on Housing need, delivery and quality; Food, drink, entertainment, tourism, arts and culture; Westminster’s economy; and Social and community uses are being developed as part of Westminster’s emerging Local Plan. The council previously consulted on draft policies on these topics as part of the City Management Plan published November 2011. The council has made a number of changes to the previous drafts and are now consulting on their draft proposed policies through topic-based booklets, exploring the issues and suggesting what the council considers to be the most appropriate policy response. These will then be merged with the strategic policies set out in Westminster’s City Plan to create a single local plan for Westminster. Comments are requested by 23 April 2014.

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After the Council Tax: Impacts of property tax reform on people, places and house prices

Posted on: 13 March 2014
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This study, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, investigates alternatives to the current Council Tax system, and assesses the costs and benefits of introducing a system of national property taxation. Four different systems are assessed: the existing Council Tax system, a revalued Council Tax system, a national property tax based on a fixed percentage of property values, and a progressive national property tax based on a higher percentage on the whole of property values over certain thresholds.

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Thames Tideway Tunnel

Posted on: 13 March 2014
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The Thames Tideway Tunnel is a major new sewer, the biggest infrastructure project in London since the Victorians, urgently needed to protect the River Thames from increasing pollution. The Cabe team conducted Design Reviews of all 24 sites and assessed the public space, the quality of the landscape design, the vents, and other amenities.

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Making a place for low cost housing

Posted on: 13 March 2014
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The Housing Forum inquiry into the future financing and delivery of low cost housing has, over the past 6 months, explored the context, current approaches and future models for its provision against an increasing sector awareness regarding affordability.

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Home Truths 2013/14: the housing market in the East of England

Posted on: 13 March 2014
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The housing shortage in the East is pushing house prices and private rents out of reach for local workers, according to a new report from the National Housing Federation. It adds that the crisis is set to get worse by 2020. 

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Working together in Europe: A shared leadership

Posted on: 13 March 2014
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This regional report, developed jointly by the UNWTO Regional Programme for Europe and the UNWTO Affiliate Members Programme, seeks to contrast the perspectives of UNWTO Member States and Affiliate Members from across Europe on issues affecting tourism in the region ranging from the economic recovery to emerging markets, competitiveness and how best to work to ensure the sector´s long-term growth in the region.

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Climate protection at municipal level: ten-point plan for the building sector

Posted on: 13 March 2014
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Climate protection starts at the local level, and energy efficiency in buildings is one of the more important tasks in this respect. To assist municipalities, the Passive House Institute has published a position paper on the topic. The paper sets out a ten-point programme with specific recommendations detailing how cities and communities can take their commitment forward in an effective way. One of the focal points is the Passive House Standard, which enables energy savings of up to 90%. In developed countries, over a third of the total energy consumption is used in the building sector. In recent years, many communities all over Europe have taken initiative, promoting the use of highly efficient Passive House technology. This successful approach has been supported by many, including by the EU through the PassREg project, coordinated by the Passive House Institute. Experiences gained by the various municipal partners during the project, whether in Brussels, Hanover, or Tyrol, formed the basis for the guidelines found in the paper. 

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Events are Great Britain

Posted on: 13 March 2014
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The UK events industry has grown by £3bn to £39.1bn, according to a new report from the Business Visits & Events Partnership. It examines the size and value of Britain’s events industry, its characteristics, trends, opportunities and key issues.

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ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center

Posted on: 12 March 2014
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The latest Cities Biodiversity Center Newsletter (March 2014) showcases the biodiversity work driven by cities across the world, introduces exciting new projects and highlights upcoming events for 2014.

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Caps on liability: How are they applied in the courts?

Posted on: 12 March 2014
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In a recent case that came before the High Court, the Court considered a contract clause which attempted to impose a financial cap on the contractor’s liability. The case acts as a reminder to those who negotiate and draft construction and engineering contracts to be mindful of the scope and ambit of these clauses. This Construction & Information Briefing from DLA Piper considers this issue.

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