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News
Stamp duty: how the £250,000 threshold affects housing, 24 March, 2010
The government is to raise stamp duty relief for first time buyers from £125,000 to £250,000. This is the reaction of industry analysts: Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist, RICS
Measures to help boost the housing market are welcome and will benefit a significant number of buyers, removing 50% of transactions from the stamp duty system. Based on our assumptions about activity, RICS estimates that raising the initial stamp duty threshold will cost the Government around £750 million.
RICS believes that greater reform of stamp duty is still needed. The current slab structure, where a higher rate applies to the whole value of a transaction, should be replaced with a marginal system similar to income tax. This would smooth out distortions in the market and can be done on a revenue neutral basis. The Government should also consider reshaping the tax by introducing a new band for higher value properties. Read more: http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=627&storycode=3160563&c=2#ixzz0jBsiHmf6
Enter the South West Built Environment Awards 2010
The prestigious SWBE Awards 2010 are open for applications now. The deadline is 8th March and the glittering award ceremony is on 11th June in Bristol.
Enter now on: http://www.buildsw.org.uk/2010%20Awards
Dozens of zero-carbon schools to be built by 2016
Pilot green schools planned in all English regions as part of implementation of newly published Zero Carbon Task Force report. Four zero-carbon schools will be built in each of the nine regions of England by 2016, under plans unveiled today (28 Jan 2010). The plan is one of a series of measures to be taken forward by the government following the final report of the Zero Carbon Task Force, published today. The task force, chaired by Cabe commissioner Robin Nicholson, was established to address the problem of cutting carbon emissions from school buildings. Read more: http://www.building.co.uk/sustain_story.asp?sectioncode=284&storycode=3157120&channel=747&c=3#ixzz0f31Omqsm
Householders could earn £900 in feed-in tariffs
Government announces details of payments to households that use photovoltaics and micro wind turbines to feed in energy to the grid. Householders could reduce energy bills by £140 a year and earn up to £900 a year by installing photovoltaics according to details published today on feed-in tariffs.The announcement made by Ed Miliband, energy and climate change secretary, will mean that households and communities who install generating technologies such as small wind turbines and solar panels will, from April, be entitled to claim payments for the low carbon electricity they produce and will also be paid for any electricity they feed into the grid.Read more: http://www.building.co.uk/sustain_story.asp?sectioncode=284&storycode=3157284&channel=747&c=3#ixzz0f32rxlF1
Gloucestershire 10:10 launched by Jonathon Porritt to promote a low carbon county
Renowned international sustainability campaigner, Jonathon Porritt, launched Gloucestershire 10:10 at an event facilitated by Gloucestershire Media and hosted by University of Gloucestershire at their Oxstalls Campus on 20th January. Jonathon was joined by Eugenie Harvey, CEO of 10:10 UK, Sarah Daly, managing director of Heath Avery Architects, who devised the idea of the campaign, and Amy Fetzer a freelance journalist and sustainability author.
The event signalled the start of a year of activity where all residents and organisations of every kind, will be encouraged to look carefully at their environmental impacts and to find ways to help us create a low carbon county. Gloucestershire Media will be producing 10 supplements in 2010 to showcase good practice, promote case studies and signpost to help, advice and services available across all areas. www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/1010
The Gloucestershire construction sector is committed to doing its part with a key role in leading the refurbishment programme for homes, workplaces and all the other buildings of the county. Constructing Excellence is working closely with Gloucestershire First and Gloucestershire College to promote the reskilling and upskilling agendas with a series of seminars and courses and the possibility of part-funded visits to exemplar projects. Contact sarah@heath-avery.co.uk www.1010uk.org www.climbthegreenladder.co.uk www.facebook.com/gloucestershire10:10 www.twitter.com/glos1010
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