September 2007 News from the UK

Update: HBF welcomes the objective of the new Housing and Planning Delivery Grant

• 14 Sep 2007
  

  Responding to the DCLG announcement today for incentives for local councils to accelerate the building of much needed new homes, HBF Executive Chairman, Stewart Baseley, said: "We welcome the objective of the new Housing and Planning Delivery Grant. Ensuring that funding helps support those authorities that are positively addressing their housing requirements is a sound approach to making a difference to our national housing supply crisis. The land supply shortfall is a critical problem that needs to be overcome in the drive for more homes.
  

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• New Conservative Party framework for sustainable communities needs to address land supply

13 Sep 2007

Britain’s home builders today cautiously welcomed the Conservative Party’s new framework for achieving sustainable communities, but warned that the problem of land supply must be addressed if the vision is to be realised.

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News: Environment, Climate & Attitudes

Living billboard promotes green message(17 September 2007)
A living advertisement made from a hedge of willow trees has been created to send a green message to motorists in the north west. The Green Billboard, which is believed to the first of its kind in the world, has been planted at a new community woodland in Bidston Moss, near Birkenhead, Merseyside, and is visible from the M53 motorway.
It bears a slogan describing the work done by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and Forestry Commission to plant more trees across the region.

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Projects shortlisted for Awards for Environmental Excellence(14 September 2007)
A host of exciting projects have been nominated to appear on the shortlists of the inaugural Awards for Environmental Excellence, run by edie.
The project awards look at schemes demonstrating excellence in carbon reduction, waste & recycling and sustainable construction.

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News: Finance & Economy

• ‘Your money is safe,’ promises bank chief as customers withdraw £2bn (September 17, 2007)

Joe Bolger, Grinne Gilmore, Phil Webster and Greg Hurst

The boss of Northern Rock last night made a direct appeal to customers of the embattled mortgage lender, calling on savers to stay the course. But he promised that anybody who wanted their money back could have it.

Adam Applegarth, the bank’s chief executive, sought to reassure customers in a message on its website. “Your savings are secure and there is no need for you to withdraw your money based on our recent announcement,” he said, amid fears that the bank faces a second wave of withdrawals from panicking customers.

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