ITP Berlin Convention. Berlin, 5-9 March 2014

Posted on: 7 March 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: Events presentations

Many regard this as the world’s most successful travel and tourism trade event. Presentations and background reports are available online.

Find out more online

Waste or resource? Stimulating a bioeconomy

Posted on: 6 March 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

This inquiry varied out by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee investigated the science and technology underpinning the transformation of carbon-containing waste into useful and high value products, and assessed the economic and environmental opportunities for the UK, the potential scale of this bioeconomy and the role of Government.

Read more online

National Housing Federation: An ambition to deliver

Posted on: 6 March 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

The National Housing Federation is bringing the sector together to think about its long-term future, to answer these questions and more, and work towards a vision. To facilitate this, and to separate it clearly from the Federation’s usual work, the Federation has created HotHouse, a distinct identity for all its futures thinking activity.  Beginning with the Towards a Vision project, HotHouse will be the space over the coming years for conversations about the long-term future for housing associations. 

Find out more online

Practical action to build community resilience

Posted on: 6 March 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

This study, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, looks at lessons from a scheme that helped residents of a York neighbourhood to make their community more environmentally sustainable and adaptable to change. The Good Life Initiative in New Earswick tried different ways of engaging residents and this research considers which were the most effective.

Read more online

The Help to Buy equity loan scheme

Posted on: 6 March 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

According to a report from the National Audit Office, Help to Buy equity loans are making homes more affordable to buyers and improving access to mortgage finance, but the cost to the taxpayer, in present value terms, is uncertain at this stage and the Department for Communities and Local Government cannot yet robustly quantify the economic benefits. The National Audit Office cannot say at this stage, therefore, whether the scheme will provide value for money.

Read more online

 

The Future of the Energy Company Obligation

Posted on: 6 March 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

The Government has launched a consultation exercise on changes the Energy Company Oblication (ECO). The proposals contained in consultation were highlighted as part of Government’s announcement on 2 December 2013 to reduce pressures on consumer bills and ensure ECO provides value for money for energy consumers; whilst continuing to help tackle fuel poverty, support the development of a sustainable energy efficiency supply chain and improve the energy efficiency of our housing stock. The key proposals include the extension of the scheme to 2017, modifying the eligibility criteria for Carbon Saving Communities Obligation (CSCO) and allowable primary measures under Carbon Emissions Reduction Obligation (CERO) to ensure it is easier and cheaper to deliver, and to reduce the 2015 CERO obligation by 33 per cent. Other changes to the ECO include proposals to make ECO easier to administer, easier for customers to understand, and easier to access in rural and off-grid areas.

Read more online

Size matters: The Community Infrastructure Levy and warehousing

Posted on: 6 March 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners has analysed and mapped all emerging CIL charging schedules and those that are in place across England & Wales. This report looks at the CIL rates for warehouse development (Use Class B8).

Read more online

RTPI membership survey 2013

Posted on: 6 March 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

The Royal Town Planning Institute has published key results from its 2013 membership survey and has set-out how the Institute is responding to the views of members.

Read more online

Sochi 2014: Infrastructure, growth, redevelopment

Posted on: 6 March 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

This paper from JLL looks at the costs of the games in more detail and put these costs into a comparative perspective against the costs of previous winter games, specifically Vancouver and Turin. It considers the infrastructure that has been built and looks at the layout of both the so-called Mountain and Coastal Clusters that host the games’ sporting venues. The paper also takes a focused look at the crucial issue of hotel infrastructure before considering the legacy of the games as a whole.​

Read more online

Planning Practice Guidance

Posted on: 6 March 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has launched a planning practice guidance web-based resource. This was accompanied by a Written Ministerial Statement which includes a list of the previous planning practice guidance documents cancelled when this site was launched. For the first time, planning practice guidance is now available entirely online in a usable and accessible way. Important information for any user of the planning system previously only published in separate documents can now be found quickly and simply. You can link easily between the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant planning practice guidance, as well as between different categories of guidance. Planning practice guidance will be updated as needed and you can sign up for email alerts on any changes, or view these revisions on the site.

Find out more online