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Government Activity

This section of the website lists the latest initiatives and regulatory changes on sustainability issues coming from Government Departments.

> Reports
> Consultations & BCSC Responses
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Reports

Latest Reports
Parkinson’s report on the impact of the credit crunch on regeneration is released (30/01/2009)
Professor Michael Parkinson, from the European Institute for Urban Affairs at Liverpool John Moores University, was asked by Local Government Minister John Healey to assess the impact of the credit crunch on the commercial property sector, the housing market and the regeneration sector. His report on the review finds that the impact of the credit crunch on regeneration is serious but that with good long term leadership and resources it can come through the downturn. This study assesses what the effect has been, what might happen next, and what the key implications are for partners involved in regeneration. The report also recommends retaining the capacity to keep skills in the sector, as long term regeneration activity needs to be sustained. It also states that more financial innovation, genuine partnerships and quality schemes would benefit commercial property and regeneration. This publication is aimed at regeneration practitioners and policymakers, local authorities, Regional Development Agencies, Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders, New Deal for Communities areas, Urban Regeneration Companies and Economic Development Companies.
> Web link
Urban Development Group publishes ‘Building local jobs’ regeneration report (19/01/2009)
The All Party Group on Urban Development (APUDG) has now published its report ‘Building local jobs: Ensuring local communities gain employment from regeneration’ following its inquiry into ‘Creating long lasting jobs through regeneration’. The Group held an evidence session in October last year to discuss how local communities can benefit from large regeneration projects. The report states that local planners should assess a planning application’s potential to spark employment in a regeneration area. Planners should use section 106 agreements in negotiations with developers to ensure that planning contracts for new developments prioritise local employment and ensure that training and job opportunities are maximised around new projects. This approach would protect jobs through contracts being agreed before building commences and would enable skills and earnings to be reinvested in communities as the projects are built and then used afterwards. The report suggests that councils, health trusts and other public sector agencies should lead by example and promote use of local labour on their own property development projects. The publication also recommends that funding for adult training is given to local councils rather than administered centrally and that the private sector develops an accreditation scheme that identifies the businesses best at hiring locally.
> Web link
Climate Change Committee publishes ‘Building a low-carbon economy’ report (01/12/2008)
The Climate Change Committee’s inaugural report ‘Building a low-carbon economy - the UK's contribution to tackling climate change’ was published on 01 December 2008. The report contains the Committee’s recommendations on the 2050 emissions reduction target and advises on the levels of the UK’s first three legally binding carbon budgets for 2008-2022. In the report the Committee urges the Government to commit to reducing emissions of all greenhouse gases in the UK by at least 34% in 2020 relative to 1990 levels. The report sets out how the budgets can be met by using existing technologies, and by putting in place a range of policies to move to a low-carbon economy. These include using energy more efficiently in homes, office buildings and industry, through better insulation, use of more energy efficient appliances and through reducing waste by turning lights off, shutting down computers and using air conditioning less; and by reducing transport emissions, better journey planning and more use of public transport. The recommended budgets are a worldwide first, designed under the Climate Change Act, which also establishes the CCC as an independent advisory body to Government.
> Web link

Older Reports

(Hover over the report title to view a brief summary of the document)
DCLG publishes Sustainable Buildings Research Newsletter (13/10/2008) > Web link
Waste Reduction (20/08/2008) > Web link
Cities Unlimited: Making urban regeneration work (12/08/2008) > Web link
'Climate Change and local, regional and devolved government' (28/07/2008) > Web link
Eco-towns progress report (24/07/2008) > Web link
All-Party Urban Development Group Report: Greening UK Cities' Buildings (16/07/2008) > Web link
Carbon Pathways from Transport (30/06/2008) > Web link
Landlord's Guide: EPCs for dwellings in the social and private rented sectors (30/06/2008) > Web link
Spatial Plans in Practice: Supporting the reform of local planning (04/06/2008) > Web link
Eco-towns assessment summaries (03/06/2008) > Web link
A Guide to Display Energy Certificates (09/05/2008) > Web link
Government Response to Urban Environment Report (07/05/2008) > Web link
Competition Commission Grocery Inquiry Final Report (30/04/2008) > Web link
Spatial Plans in Practice (03/04/2008) > Web link
Sub-Regional Planning (31/03/2008) > Web link
Performance Testing of Buildings (31/03/2008) > Web link
The role of the Climate Change Levy and Agreements (10/03/2008) > Web link
National Brownfield Strategy (05/03/2008) > Web link
Thames Gateway Transport Summary (12/02/2008) > Web link
EU ETS: UK 2006 Summary Report (05/02/2008) > Web link
Climate Change and the Stern Review (05/02/2008) > Web link
A Guide to Energy Performance Certificates (24/01/2008) > Web link
Sustainable Development Action Plan 2007/08 (24/01/2008) > Web link
Reducing Energy Usage from Heating and Hot Water Systems (22/01/2008) > Web link
Impact Assessment of the Planning Policy Statement (08/01/2008) > Web link
Climate Change and Sustainability - Local Performance Framework (21/12/2007) > Web link
Towards a Sustainable Transport System (30/11/2007) > Web link > Web link
Commend Paper: Taking Forward the UK Climate Change Bill (29/11/2007) > Web link > Web link
Under-served Markets: Retail and Regeneration (06/11/2007) > Web link > Web link
Analysis of the national potential for high-efficiency cogeneration and an Evaluation of progress towards increasing share of high-efficiency cogeneration (19/10/2007) > Web link
Regulatory Impact Assessment: Energy Performance of Buildings Directive- Articles 7-10 (14/06/2007) > Web link
Building a Greener Future: Towards Zero Carbon Development - Analysis Report of Consultation Responses (06/06/2007) > Web link
Monitoring the Sustainability of Buildings (21/02/2007) > Web link
The Review of the Sustainability of Existing Buildings (01/11/2006) > Web link