News round-up - 5 July 2007

More money for flood defences

Environment secretary Hilary Benn has confirmed that annual Government spending on flood defences - currently at around £600m - will rise to £800m over the next four years. The news was welcomed by the Association of British Insurers.

Read the Defra press release here.

Regional ministers named

The government has named its ministers for the regions.

The list is as follows:

• Nick Brown MP (minister for the North East);
• Beverley Hughes MP (minister for the North West);
• Caroline Flint MP (minister for Yorkshire and the Humber);
• Tessa Jowell MP (minister for the Olympics and for London);
• Ben Bradshaw MP (minister for the South West);
• Gillian Merron MP (minister for the East Midlands);
• Liam Byrne MP (minister for the West Midlands); and
• Barbara Follett MP (minister for the East of England).

Affordable housing probe

Leighton Andrews AM, the Welsh Assembly Government deputy minister with special responsibility for housing, has pledged that he will research the barriers to the delivery of affordable housing through the planning system in rural Wales. His promise was made during a debate on housing policy in the assembly.

Read the Assembly debate here (The Record, PDF 673Kb). Leighton Andrew's contribution page 61.

East of England Plan put back

The Government has announced that publication of the East of England Plan will be delayed from this summer to the autumn at the earliest to allow time for a further assessment of the strategy against the requirements of the European Habitats Directive.

Green Belt report

The West Midlands branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England has published a report arguing that the region's Green Belts are suffering neglect and their role in regenerating urban areas is not being fully appreciated.

Read the news release on the CPRE West Midlands report here.

Olympic move

The London Development Agency (LDA) has formally assumed legal ownership of the 2012 Olympic Games site in east London.

View the LDA website here.

Carlisle airport expansion proposals

Stobart Air, the operators of Carlisle Airport, have unveiled ambitious plans to build a new runway, control tower, hangars and additional features as a precursor to launching passenger services from the facility. A planning application is due later this year.

Read the Carlisle Airport news story here.

Trams back on line

A £600 million project to build a tram network in Edinburgh has got the green light after opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament forced the minority Scottish National Party Government to accept the proposals.

Right on track

The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority has become the first local authority in Wales to launch a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP).

Read the Brecon Beacons National Park news story here.

D-day for stadium delayed

The final Government decision on whether Brighton and Hove Albion FC can build a new stadium at Falmer, north of the seaside city, has been delayed by up to a fortnight to allow incoming Communities and Local Government secretary Hazel Blears an opportunity to consider the case. Originally a decision had been promised by 4 July. Now the deadline has been extended to 25 July.

Terminal legal move ruled out

A campaigner who opposed plans for two huge new liquefied natural gas terminals at Milford Haven has failed to persuade the High Court that she should be allowed to mount a legal challenge to force disclosure of secret documents setting out risk assessments of the schemes and their associated shipping movements.

Pylon hearing challenge rebuffed

Scottish ministers have rejected calls to halt the long-running Beauly-Denny power line public inquiry on the grounds of the limited involvement of the energy regulator Ofgem in the hearing and because of concern over the environment impact assessment of the scheme.

Stadium plan mooted by rugby league club

St Helens Rugby League Club has announced plans to move into a new 18,000 capacity stadium on the former United Glass site in the town centre which would include a Tesco store. As part of the proposal Taylor Woodrow is planning to redevelop the club's existing home at Knowsley Road with a high quality residential scheme. A joint application from the landowners and all the parties, including the local authority, has been submitted to the local planning authority.

Read the ST Helens RLFC news story here.

Capital's Section 106s under scrutiny

The London Assembly Planning and Spatial Development Committee has decided to investigate the capital's s106 planning agreements to identify any inconsistencies and promote best practice.

Read the London Assembly press release here.

Street credit from better design

Modest improvements in street design can result in a five per cent increase in the level of rents for shops and a similar increase in the price of residential properties in high streets, according to a study carried out in London for the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.

Read the CABE news story here.

More local power could mean more affordable homes

If ministers handed more power back to residents and local authorities they could deliver an extra 500,000 affordable homes by 2020, according to the new chairman of the Local Government Association, Sir Simon Milton.

Read the LGA press release here.

Hydro power passed

The Scottish Executive has approved plans for a run-of-river hydro-electric scheme in Wester Ross proposed by RWE Npower.

Read the Scottish Executive news release here.

Jolly Roger breakthrough

A family originally stopped from flying a Jolly Roger pirate flag at their house for their son's birthday party has been given planning permission by Stafford Borough Council to go ahead.

Roger Milne

5 July 2007