July 2020

Simpler planning system may unlock billions in rural economy

, , ,

Well the CLA don’t seem to be sitting on the fence here. I do wonder if part of the response to coronavirus in rural economies might not be to follow their lead here and be a bit more liberal in terms of planning. This article tells us:

Simplifying the planning system and making improvements for rural areas could unlock billions of pounds in the economy, according to the Country Land and Business Association (CLA).

The organisation’s policy report Rural Powerhouse: a planning system designed for the rural economy was published on Friday 17 July.

It explains how a simpler and properly resourced planning system can support, enable and enhance development in the countryside.

Currently, the planning system is complicated, lengthy and expensive, and actively discourages people from investing in rural areas through development, says the CLA.

Mark Bridgeman, CLA president, said the government is looking to adapt the planning system – as shown by the prime minister’s recent “Build, Build, Build” announcement – and it is crucial to ensure it works in rural areas as well as the urban high street.

“The sheer cost of going through the planning system makes it an increasing hurdle, and this is a big issue for many of our members,” said Mr Bridgeman.

“Applicants must spend thousands of pounds on planning costs without really knowing if they’re going to be able to make it a success. Our key focus is how can we simplify this?”

Huawei decision ‘may delay 5G by three years and cost UK £7bn’

, ,

Looks like rural areas may face the brunt of our withdrawal from Huawei according to this article which tells us.

Small towns and rural areas across the UK will be hardest hit by delays of up to three years in the rollout of 5G mobile technology, experts have said after ministers announced that Huawei will be stripped from networks by 2027.

The total cost to the economy could exceed £7bn, according to research analysing the potential cost of eliminating the Chinese equipment supplier in response to US sanctions and pressure from about 60 rebel Tory MPs.

The Huawei dispute is only one part of a wider UK-China struggle

Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, announced a U-turn on the role of Huawei in 5G networks on Tuesday, earning criticism from China and praise from the US, who said the company poses a threat to national security.

China’s ambassador to the UK branded the decision “disappointing and wrong”. Liu Xiaoming tweeted: “It has become questionable whether the UK can provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for companies from other countries.”

Cleve Hill Solar Park judicial review bid by Kent council fails

, , ,

Stories like this make me wonder what the point of local democracy is…

A council has been told it cannot challenge plans to build the UK’s largest solar farm on the north Kent coast.

The Cleve Hill Solar Park will consist of 800,000 panels built on 890 acres (360 hectares) of farmland at Graveney.

Swale Borough Council was told there is no legal basis on which they can challenge the government’s decision to approve the plan.

The council had argued for a judicial review to protect wildlife habitats.

The consent for the development was granted to Cleve Hill Solar Park Ltd by the government, on 28 May.

Carbon savings’ from Covid-19 lockdown halve within weeks

, , , ,

Looks like a return to work is quickly cancelling out the positive unintended consequences of environmental benefit. This article tells us:

The UK’s carbon emissions have begun to rebound following the easing of Covid-19 lockdown measures, causing the “carbon savings” triggered by the coronavirus to halve within weeks.

Greenhouse gas emissions from the energy and transport industries climbed last month as more people returned to work, raising demand for fossil fuels from record lows in April when strict lockdown measures were in place, according to new data.

An analysis by Sia Partners, seen by the Guardian, shows that the UK’s carbon emissions fell by 36% in the first four weeks of the lockdown compared to the most recent official carbon emissions data collected in 2018.

But by June Britain’s total emissions savings had dwindled to a 16% drop as more cars returned to its roads and demand for energy began to rise.

Chloé Depigny, a senior manager at Sia Partners, said the data underlines the fragility of the UK’s short-term carbon savings during the coronavirus, and the need for ambitious fundamental changes to the economy if the government hopes to meet its long-term carbon targets.

Ministers can intervene if councils slow to act on local lockdowns, says Johnson

, , ,

Looks like the pressure is about to ramp up considerably on local authorities as the challenge and blame for local lockdowns is set to be passed to us! This story tells us:

Ministers will gain new powers to intervene if local authorities do not act quickly enough against coronavirus outbreaks, Boris Johnson has said.

In a series of tweets, Johnson announced ministers would be able to close “whole sectors or types of premises” in a given area, impose localised stay-at-home orders, prevent people entering or leaving certain areas, limit the maximum number of people at a gathering and reduce transport in local areas. This would be “guided by evidence”, he said.

Johnson added the details would be outlined in draft regulations published next week.

From Saturday, local councils have gained greater powers to help avert local lockdowns, including the ability to shut down shops, events and close public outdoor spaces.

The remote British village that built one of the fastest internet networks in the UK

, ,

This story is a simple testament to the power and drive of rural communities when they get energised on an issue. It tells us:

B4RN started planning to roll out its fibre-to-the-home network in Clapham in 2014, and by the end of 2018, around 180 homes out of 300 in the village had been hooked up with an affordable full gigabit-per-second symmetrical connection (currently only around 10% of homes in Britain are even capable of receiving such a connection). The speeds are impressive, especially in a rural context where internet connectivity lags horrendously behind urban areas in Britain. Rural download speeds average around 28Mbps, compared to 62.9Mbps on average in urban areas. B4RN, meanwhile, delivers 1,000Mbps.

B4RN is registered as a Community Benefit Society, which means the business belongs to the communities who need it: community members own the enterprise, and in B4RN’s case, they also actually build a lot of the infrastructure themselves. As a result, the process of “getting” B4RN involves a substantial commitment—of time, training, money, and physical labour.

Britain beyond lockdown: can we make more space for nature?

, , ,

Local trading has become de riguere according to this article, long may it continue.

One positive potentially unforeseen consequence of corona virus is the growth of local trading and local food networks. Long may they continue. This article profiles one scheme in Wales, which exemplifies the trend.

The first post-lockdown crops of the land army have been harvested. The food – chard, spinach, lettuce and radish – is being parcelled out to the local shops, market stalls and those in need. Now the volunteer labour force has its sights on a new goal: a land-use revolution that will make UK farming more nature friendly, plant-based and resilient to future shocks.

At Machynlleth, a bucolic town on the southern fringe of Snowdonia, the recently formed Planna Fwyd! (Plant Food!) movement is encouraging sheep farmers to diversify into vegetable production as their ancestors did. Teams of volunteers have sown crops of potatoes and, once or twice a week, they now fan across the slopes to tend gooseberry bushes, peas and squash. Others distribute seed packets to local families and run online classes on how to grow plants at home.

“If the whole coronavirus experience has taught us anything, it is that we should be more self-sufficient. It was terrifying seeing the empty shop shelves,” said Chris Higgins, a retired academic who gets as much back as he gives from the voluntary work. “It’s very enriching. Growing and cooking food and working together is a great way of engaging with the local community and nature at the same time.”

U.K. Sets Up Agriculture Panel in Blow to U.S. Trade Deal Hopes

, , ,

Interesting insight into the way the American press is reporting this story. This article tells us:

The U.K. will set up a new commission to inform its post-Brexit agricultural policy, bowing to pressure from British farmers and potentially complicating trade negotiations with the U.S.

Facing strong calls from the National Farmers’ Union to uphold food and animal welfare standards in future trade agreements, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said the commission will produce an advisory report focusing on how to avoid unfair competition.

The commission will “help inform agricultural trade policy and apply appropriate safeguards in U.K. free trade deals,” Truss wrote in the letter to NFU President Minette Batters. “I wholeheartedly agree that any trade deal the U.K. strikes must be fair and reciprocal to our farmers.”

O2 extends 4G mobile coverage in rural communities including almost 400 tourist hotspots ahead of ‘staycation summer’

, ,

This is very good news for the rural economy. The story tells us

Mobile carrier O2 is working to eradicate mobile signal ‘not-spots’ by extending 4G coverage at 91,000 areas across the UK – including 400 tourist destinations.

O2 says it wanted to ensure people would have adequate coverage as the country prepared for a ‘staycation boom’ from July 4 – as coronavirus-easing lockdown measures are eased and tourism firms allowed to re-open. 

A number of National Trust and English Heritage sites have been included in the 4G signal boost including the ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury. 

Rural connectivity and fixing ‘not spots’ in less populated areas is a big issue and comes as part of government measures to improve national connectivity.

The firm claims to now have 4G coverage in over 18,000 regional towns, villages and hamlets – which also reduces network congestion and improves download speeds. 

Load More