MPs have criticised the government for failing to do enough to protect communities at risk of flooding. In a report published today (9 June), the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) criticised the ‘reactive’ approach to flood incidents and said there was not enough long-term planning aimed at future flood prevention. It urged the government to maintain steady annual spending on flood defences, rather than allowing spending to fluctuate, and said it should pay for the upkeep of existing flood defences in addition to investing in new ones. The report follows the storms that hit the UK between December 2015 and January 2016, causing flooding in the north of England and Wales, as well as parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Storms Desmond, Eva and Frank caused estimated damage of £1.3 billion and flooded 16,000 households. The government is committed to spending £2.3 billion on building new defences and that it will protect 300,000 properties during this parliament, but the EAC said it was ‘sceptical’ that this would be achieved as it depended on optimistic forecasts of efficiency. Committee chair Mary Creagh MP said: “We know that flooding is projected to get worse and occur more frequently because of climate change, so it just isn’t good enough for government to react to flooding events as they occur. Communities at risk deserve certainty from government.” The committee also said it was surprised to learn the extra £700 million funding for flood defences announced in this year’s budget was based on a “political calculation” and may not be allocated with the same strict economic criteria as the £2.3 billion. The report said that could lead to inefficiencies in flood investments, poor decision-making and outcomes that were potentially unfair to some regions. Failing to maintain existing defences would lead to an “unacceptable risk to local communities in flood prone areas”, said Creagh. In response, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that the national flood resilience review launched by the government in January would be published shortly and that the government’s six-year capital investment programme for flood defences would end the year-on-year fluctuations in spending. There will also be a 25-year environment plan published later this year that will set out “a new approach to managing our rivers” to keep homes safer from flooding. Commenting on the EAC report, AECOM director of Water Jon Robinson said: “Mitigating the impact of climate change necessitates new ways of thinking, underpinned by a sustained stream of funding. The government’s six-year capital investment programme for flood defences, delivered by the Environment Agency and its partners, should help address the stop-start approach to funding. “It allows schemes to be packaged, which enables more efficient delivery by both the client and suppliers. There is a clear delivery route with money directed with due consideration of benefits. “But it is important the programme is not back-end loaded with the bulk of construction occurring in years five and six. Design, maintenance and construction must be a continuous process in order to achieve the required outcomes. “Changes in our climate are only likely to increase pressure on flood defences over the coming decades. Ultimately, funding may therefore need to be increased in order to meet the escalating demand.” A version of this article first appeared on wwtonline Source link

International real estate advisor Savills, on behalf of SVP39 Limited, has let two suites in 39 St Vincent Place in Glasgow to Encompass Corporation UK Limited. Software Company Encompass Corporation UK Ltd has taken the third floor North and South Suites, equating to 2,028 sq ft (188 sq m) and 2,247 sq ft (209 sq m) respectively, and totalling 4,275 sq ft (397 sq m) for a five-year term on confidential terms. St Vincent Place links St Vincent Street and George Square and is one of Glasgow’s premier business addresses, with nearby office occupiers including Clydesdale Bank, Hiscox Insurance and Nationwide Business Finance. Existing occupiers include William Hill and Digital Barriers. Jacqui Morton, associate at Savills Glasgow, comments: “Our deal to Encompass Corporation is hot on the heels of Ofcom’s sub-let to Thornton Tomasetti Ltd and SPV Ltd are pleased to welcome these types of companies to 39 St Vincent Place.  We are about to commence a comprehensive refurbishment of the common parts, and we hope that this as well as the letting to Encompass will continue the momentum to let the three remaining vacant suites.” Encompass Corporation UK was advised by Edgar Property Solutions Ltd. Source link

There are more home owners moving out London than ever before with more than 280,000 moving away in 2015, an increase of 3% compared to 2014, a new analysis shows. The exodus is led by young people in their twenties and thirties, suggesting that rising house prices could be behind the decision, according to the research from multi-disciplinary property company Humberts. The report by ResiAnalytics for Humberts, which analyses the newly released data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), shows that 26% were aged 20 to 29 but this was less than the 30% recorded in 2014, while 23% were aged 30 to 39, up slightly from the 22% recorded in 2014. ‘The average cost of a London house today is almost double the English average at £470,000 compared to £224,000 and consequently we are seeing more and more people cashing in and moving out,’ said Jeremy Campbell-Harris from Humberts’ London Country House Department. He believes that those in their 20s probably struggle to afford to buy a home in London and those in their 30s who may have young children are looking for a bigger home and more peaceful surroundings. Birmingham, the UK’s second city where average house prices are less than half those in London, tops the list of most popular destinations for London leavers. Brighton and Hove, where house prices are similar to those in London, is also popular choice due to being commutable yet on the coast. In third place is Thurrock, followed by Epping Forest, Elmbridge, Bristol, Medway, Manchester, Dartford, Hertsmere, Luton, Reigate and Banstead, Slough, Canterbury, Welwyn Hatfield, Leeds, Sevenoaks, Nottingham, Spelthorne and finally Coventry makes up the top 20 destinations. The research also looked at regions which have grown in popularity over the past five years.  The East of England has seen a 4% increase in the number of people moving from London in 2015 compared with 2011. This is in contrast to the South East, which has seen a 3% fall in the number moving to the region. ‘The price of housing in London and the South East has risen so significantly over the years that Londoners are looking for new areas where their money can go further. Of all the regions in England and Wales, the East of England and the South West are the only two regions that have seen increases in the number of Londoners moving there,’ said Campbell-Harris. ‘Better broadband connections, better transport links and great value for money are three main reasons why these areas are proving to be increasingly popular amongst people from the Capital,’ he added.  Source link

Supermarket chain Tesco has been fined after health and safety breaches led to a worker falling through a skylight. The employee of Tesco Maintenance Ltd was lucky to suffer only minor injuries after falling 30 feet through a fragile skylight onto the trading area floor of the Tesco Liscard Express store in Liscard Village, Wallasey, on the 13th June 2014. Liverpool Crown Court heard that the worker was part of a team carrying out repairs to the roof and gutters of the store when the incident occurred. Tesco Maintenance Ltd and Tesco Stores Ltd were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation found that no risk assessment or method statement had been produced prior to carrying out the work. The fragile skylights should have been identified and precautions taken but Tesco Maintenance Ltd had received no information relating to the fragility of the roof from their client Tesco Stores Ltd. Tesco Stores Ltd of Tesco House, Shire Park, Kestrel Way, Welwyn Garden City, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 10 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and was fined £200,000 with £712.70 costs Tesco Maintenance Ltd of Tesco House, Shire Park, Kestrel Way, Welwyn Garden City, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 9 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £300,000 with £624.60 costs. Speaking after the hearing HSE Inspector Chris Hatton said: “Contractors should treat all roofs with care and check before starting any work if they are fragile. I am shocked at a company the size of Tesco failing to take even basic precautions to prevent injury to its employees and further, to risk injury to the public” For further information on working at height visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg33.htm Notes to Editors: The Health and Safety Executive is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training, new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement hse.gov.uk More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/ Further HSE news releases are available at press.hse.gov.uk.     Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases. Source link

Rents in the British private rental sector increased by 2.4% in the 12 months to June 2016, down from 2.5% when compared with the year to May 2016, the latest index shows.   Rents increased by 2.5% in England and by 0.1% in Scotland but fell by 0.1% in Wales, according to the data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Rental prices increased in all the English regions over the year to June 2016, with rental prices increasing the most in the South East at 3.4%, but overall when London is excluded rents grew by 2%. The index report reveals that since January 2011 England rental prices have increased more than those of Wales and Scotland. The annual rate of change in Wales continues to be well below that of England and the Great Britain average. Meanwhile, rental growth in Scotland has gradually slowed to 0.1% in the year to June 2016, from a high of 2.1% in the year to June 2015. Rental prices in England show three distinct periods; increasing from January 2005 until February 2009, decreasing from July 2009 to February 2010, and increasing from May 2010 onwards. When London is excluded, England shows a similar pattern but with slower rental price increases from around the end of 2010 and since the beginning of 2012, English rental prices have shown annual increases ranging between 1.4% and 3% year on year. The largest annual rental price increases were in the South East with growth of 3.4%, unchanged from May 2016, followed by the East of England up 3.1%, down from 3.2% in May 2016 and London up 3%, down from 3.3%. The lowest annual rental price increases were in the North East at 0.8% and the North West at 1.2%, both unchanged when compared with May 2016 and Yorkshire and The Humber at 1.3%, up from 1.2% over the same period. Looking at data from the UK House Price Index over a longer period shows residential house price growth has typically been stronger than rental price growth for a number of years, with an average 12 month rate of house price inflation between January 2013 and May 2016 of 5.9%, compared with 2.1% for rental prices. The report suggests that inflation in the rental market is likely to have been caused by demand in the market outpacing supply. On the demand side, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reported an increase in demand in June in their residential market survey, however, demand from prospective tenants decreased marginally in May according to the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). On the supply side, RICS reported that new landlord instructions fell slightly in June and ARLA reported that the supply of rental stock fell in May 2016 and was lower than in May last year.The report also suggest that with the UK economy continuing to grow and labour market conditions being robust in recent months by historic standards with employment at a record high and unemployment low at 4.9%, confidence is likely to remain high. While pay grew by 2.2% in the three months to May 2016 compared with the same period last year, continuing a revival of real earnings growth, it points out that rental prices have continued to grow at a slightly faster rate than real wages in recent months. Source link