Benchmarks not supported by science, concludes DEFRA
The contaminated land sector will have to continue to manage huge uncertainty on risk assessment following DEFRA’s decision that current science does not support legal trigger points, which poses a real challenge to the whole brownfield sector

What The Way Forward has achieved
The DEFRA announcement foresees a range of 14 measures that have been agreed to take forward the less contentious part of The Way Forward process...

Widespread support for Skills Strategy…
Brownfield practitioners have called for a central Government fund to kick start and support implementation of the Brownfield Skills Strategy

… but complex answers on SiLC scheme
The draft Brownfield Skills Strategy recommendation for the SiLC scheme to develop and trial a national land condition skills development framework which could provide a model for other sectors drew a mixed response.

Agency publishes CLEA guidance and new software
The Environment Agency published the two key contaminated land guidance documents on toxicological assessment and the CLEA model background

Shortage of planners worries MPs
MPs have warned the Government that it must make planning a more attractive career...

More and more flats
The proportion of new-build dwellings built as flats in England has risen steadily since 1996...

Planning Bill provision attacked…
Environmental Protection UK and local authority body LACORS are expressing concern about a clause added to the Planning Bill...

…and at odds with EU law
Parts of the Planning Bill, if enacted as they stand, would be unlawful, unstreamlined, unfair and unworkable...

Eco town programme is unlawful say counsel
The Local Government Association has called on the Government to enter talks about how to deliver new housing...

Leave to appeal
The Court of Appeal has given the Peak District National Park Authority leave to appeal a High Court decision...