ITV News’ Post

Regulation. Politics. Value With the CAA and OFWAT turning the screw ever tighter, are we witnessing a building narrative to re nationalise, and reset the balance for "rip off Britain" ? With reference to the article hereunder, there is a growing list of Utilities that are behaving no different to 'Thames' shareholders, the difference being that the truth/facts just haven't been surfaced as of yet. OFGEM needs to take a lead from CAA/OFWAT on turning the screw...... Having witnesed first hand a highly successful Australian state owned energy business, behaving and performing both ethically for communities/society and delivering absolute value for people, gives me confidence of a brighter alternative. Slightly tangential - Only last week, at Teesworks in the NE, did I witness politics getting in the way of impressive regional growth potential. Without doubt, there is evidence of strong and determined leaders endeavouring to make this project a national regeneration project to be proud of!

Speaking at the #LabourParty #Conference in Liverpool today, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves spoke about Labour’s plans to ‘re-build’ and ‘re-wire’ #Britain, while highlighting the current Governments’ failings in both these areas. On finishing her speech, a video message from former #BankofEngland Governor Mark Carney was played, in which he praises Ms Reeves as ‘a serious economist,’ saying: ‘She began her career at the Bank of England, so she understands the big picture. But, crucially she also understands the economics of work, of place and of family. It is beyond time to put her ideas and energy into action.’ In discussing how Labour plans to get Britain building again, she refers to the plight of the energy grid: ‘Today, new developments are being forced to wait up to 15 years – until the late 2030s – to connect to the grid: £200bn worth of projects stuck in limbo.’ She promised to open up new grid construction to competitive tendering and, ‘because the #British people should own a stake in their energy system’ that publicly owned Great British Energy will be among the bidders. Labour will also expand local authorities’ planning capacity, to speed up decisions. She describes Labour’s plans as a ‘once in a generation set of reforms, to accelerate the building of critical infrastructure for #energy, #transport and #housing, to fast-track battery factories, life sciences and #5G infrastructure – the things we need to succeed in the decades to come and to tackle the litigation which devours time and money before we even see shovels in the ground. And to make sure that when a local community hosts national infrastructure, they will feel the benefits, including through lower #energybills.’ Among those quick to respond to Reeves’ speech was Philippa Spence, UK Managing Director of #Ramboll, who said: ‘Rachel Reeves’ proposals to ‘get Britain building again’ and ‘rewire Britain’ to improve #energy #grid access will enable growth but also the transition to a #greeneconomy, an imperative that has been damaged by the government’s vacillation on green policies. Her announcement of once in a generation reforms to accelerate the construction of critical infrastructure for technology, transport and energy will trigger #greenskills development and job creation at scale, and give the #UK the chance to become a world leader in these areas. ‘The #Government’s recent rollback on #green regulation has created challenges across industry, from pushing out the transition to #EVs to 2035 to slowing the phase-out of #gasboilers and the roll-back on #energyefficient rental properties. Each of these changes send terrible signals to industry of all kinds – both to the sectors that we serve, and our own as well. By contrast, Labour’s clear commitment to the #greentransition is a welcome reassurance to #businesses committed to delivering this.

One wonders if the new UK chancellor of the exchequer, Reeves, really means it when she says they will remove obstacles that have long made it impossible for housing supply to keep up with demand. There are grass-roots, skills base and infrastructure issues to overcome. I sincerely wish her luck in relaxing 'Green Belt' constraints. As an economic and long-time student of built space, I view the Green Belt ideology, as applied in the UK and elsewhere, as the urban planning equivalent of eugenics: theoretically well-meaning on some level but a terrible idea in practice. There are far better, market-based ways to restrain wasteful sprawl. While they're at it, Labour should seriously consider building some 'social' housing -- they are, after all, meant to be a socialist party. https://lnkd.in/eU4tXCeB

BSA CEO, Robin Fieth, has today written to the Prime Minister in response to his decision to relax the Net Zero housing policies. We, and our building society and credit union members, are particularly concerned about the potential consequences of scrapping proposed minimum energy efficiency standards and extending the deadline for new fossil fuel boilers.   We have long called for a comprehensive, long-term Government strategy for improving energy efficiency of housing in the UK:   - A strategy that would encourage the investment required for the Government to meet its Net Zero goals. - A strategy that would boost demand by enabling consumers to make decisions about the energy efficiency of their homes with confidence and the support of Government. - And a strategy that includes support measures in terms of consumer education and funding for those unable to pay. The result of the relaxation or abandonment of planned housing policies will delay the industry investment needed and the cost associated with these delays will ultimately be borne by consumers - higher energy costs in the short-term and potentially higher cost to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.   Inevitably, the greatest burden will fall to those least able to incur the costs of improving their homes. We urge the Prime Minister to reconsider. #housingpolicy #netzero #retrofit

Our Chief Exec James Heath spoke at Highways UK yesterday, highlighting the Commission's recommendations in #NIA2 for future investment in the interurban #road network. James said: "The UK’s road network is essential for connecting people and places. The Commission’s advice to government is that funding for the forthcoming third Road Investment Strategy for the next five years should match RIS2’s funding level of £27 billion. "And from 2030 onwards, funding for national roads should be increased above this level to deal with climate change pressures and ageing assets." The Commission calls on government to produce an integrated interurban #transport strategy for England, including a monitoring and review regime for decarbonisation plans. Read more about our transport analysis: https://lnkd.in/eJGDA4CF

Labour's war on oil and gas 'would turn businesses against investing in the UK', trade body warns By HARRIET LINE DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR PUBLISHED: 00:17, 26 March 2024 | UPDATED: 00:28, 26 March 2024 Labour has pledged to not only keep the extension of the windfall tax on oil and gas to 2029 in place, but to increase the rate from 75 per cent to 78 per cent if it enters power. Mr Dornan said: 'We've seen four tax regimes in two years and we've seen further changes proposed by Labour aimed at increasing the headline rate of tax and cutting allowances. 'I think this would really make the UK move towards being uninvestable, from a number of fronts.' His comments came as the body released a report saying there could be as much as £450 billion of investment in the energy sector up to 2040. Yesterday Labour set out plans to increase national energy security with GB Energy – a new publicly owned clean energy company. The party has pledged to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030, and insisted yesterday that the promise is 'absolutely deliverable'. Ed Miliband, the shadow energy security and net zero secretary, accepted that making all power 'clean' by the end of the decade was an 'ambitious' goal.

📄 How can the newly elected Labour Government deliver transformational change in the #builtenvironment during their first 100 days in power? Today, BRE publishes a roadmap outlining the measures the new Government should prioritise during its first 100 days, such as unlocking innovation in #construction, improving Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) usage and clearly defined targets for the Warm Homes retrofit programme. This follows the Labour Party’s pledges to make Britain a #cleanenergy superpower and bolster the standard of the UK’s homes with initiatives such as the Warm Homes Plan. BRE's key recommendations for the Government include: - An extension of building regulations to include #embodiedcarbon, setting a timeline for its implementation across new and existing buildings. - A commitment to decent, safe homes for all, with the publication of a Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector. - Cutting the lifespan of domestic EPCs from ten to five years to increase their usability and #netzero readiness. 🔊"We urge the new Government to harness the full resource and capability of the built environment sector to develop and implement improved standards over the coming years, both at home and abroad," said BRE CEO, Gillian Charlesworth. BRE’s roadmap can be read in full here: https://lnkd.in/ezuYfQ5n

"... "get Britain building again" by bringing back compulsory housebuilding targets as part of a wide-ranging plan to reboot the UK economy." Get Britain building, why not the whole of the UK. Kind of reminded me of 'build back better', just without the better, hopefully this will all be for the better though. "... would overhaul planning restrictions and end the effective ban on onshore wind farms in England in order to speed up national infrastructure projects." There was no effective ban, was there. Thought it was just if objections were raised that could not be addressed, then the planning proposals could be refused. Wonder what objections were effective in leading to refusals. Might be relevant for the public to be made aware of any/all of the concerns that could impact them adversely, or at least the issues that prevented some developments from going ahead ... 🧐 #thinkingaboutthings #justanotherthought #thinkingdifferently #onebigchocolateeg #beavoice #beanecho #dotherightthing #stopthespread #dowehavetolivewithit #circular #donotstareatgoats #whatdoyouthink #wonderlust #wanderlust #wherediditcomefrom #whoknows #cananyonehelp #donotgowiththeflow #dejavu #onebigchocolateegg https://lnkd.in/eZc8RGcM

The UK needs to upgrade 29 million homes to low-carbon heating by 2050, requiring a £250bn investment. This amongst other reasons presents a great opportunity in Residential #Retrofits - especially for #surveyors in the UK. Here's why👉:https://hubs.la/Q02wyfcY0

The new Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves is expected to announce some immediate loosening of planning red tape at a speech to business leaders at the Treasury this morning. She will outline the new Labour Government's proposals for construction, infrastructure, and the energy grid. Kickstarting economic growth is a 'national mission' Ms Reeves has stated. She is expected to announce she will bring back compulsory housebuilding targets, as part of Labour's intended overhaul of Britain's planning rules. We look forward to hearing more of the Chancellor's plans, and those of her colleagues, Ed Miliband (the new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero) and Angela Rayner (Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities). We believe that there needs to be a renewed push towards enhancing energy efficiency in homes and buildings - as well as ensuring sustainability. Clear, concise policies that lead to high quality retrofit, energy conscious solutions can only be beneficial for the country as a whole. 🏘 ➡ With such policies clearly signposted, and duly implemented, the Westdale Group will maintain its unflinching dedication to delivering meaningful projects that make a positive impact on society, and the environment. Making room for better living, now and in the future. #ChancelloroftheExchequer #RachelReeves #Government #energysolutions #insulation #SirKeirStarmer #AngelaRayner #EdMiliband #insulation #retrofit #NetZero #EnergySecurity #Housing #Labour #planning