Graffiti CMS Beta 1 Paul Thompson News <p>&nbsp;</p> <div> <div class="articleTitle">&nbsp;<strong>A threat to green spaces from the Government's draft Planning Bill has been averted today (18 November).</strong></div> <div class="cms articleBody"> <p>The draft Planning Bill will receive its third reading in the House of Lords today following amendments that safeguard common land.<br /> <br /> The previous draft of the Planning Bill put common land at risk, according to the Open Spaces Society. <br /> <br /> Open Spaces Society general secretary Kate Ashbrook said:</p> <p>&quot;Common land is special, and consequently enjoys extra protection. For instance, if anyone wants to erect a fence or other work on a common he must obtain the consent of the Secretary of State for Environment.<br /> <br /> &quot;It appeared the Planning Bill was sweeping away this special protection for commons, where common land was subject to an order granting development consent. <br /> <br /> &quot;As drafted, the Planning Bill appeared to override current legislation which requires that, when a common is taken for development, [similar] exchange land must be given back. <br /> <br /> &quot;The amendment restores that provision. Furthermore, the environment secretary's jurisdiction over applications for works and other development on common land has been reinstated.&quot; <br /> <br /> The Planning Bill's &quot;ping pong&quot; stage will start on 24 November, when the Bill will pass back and forth between the House of Commons and House of Lords while debates on amendments take place.</p> </div> </div> http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/amended-planning-bill-restores-protection-for-green-spaces/ http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/amended-planning-bill-restores-protection-for-green-spaces/ Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:16:59 GMT 2008-11-18T14:16:59 Paul Thompson News <h1>&nbsp;</h1> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="subheadline" id="ds-subheadline">&nbsp;</div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="viewarticlepanel"> <div id="wctlAudioLinks">&nbsp;</div> <div class="multiimageon" id="MainMultiImage"> <div id="MainImageDiv"><img id="MainImage" title="Ann Parry's damaged car" style="width: 174px; height: 112px" height="156" alt="Ann Parry's damaged car" src="http://editorial.jpress.co.uk/web/Upload/MKC//TH1_611200855stmary'stree3.jpg" width="294" /></div> <div id="ImageCaption">Ann Parry's damaged car</div> <div class="offinline" id="ThumbDiv"> <div class="thumb">&nbsp;</div> <div class="thumb"><a href="javascript: ShowThumb(1);"><img class="offinline" id="ImageThumb1" alt="Click on thumbnail to view image" src="http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/images/1pixel_spacer.gif" /></a></div> <div class="thumb"><a href="javascript: ShowThumb(2);"><img class="offinline" id="ImageThumb2" alt="Click on thumbnail to view image" src="http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/images/1pixel_spacer.gif" /></a></div> <div class="thumb"><a href="javascript: ShowThumb(3);"><img class="offinline" id="ImageThumb3" alt="Click on thumbnail to view image" src="http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/images/1pixel_spacer.gif" /></a></div> <div class="thumb2"><a href="javascript: ShowThumb(4);"><img class="offinline" id="ImageThumb4" alt="Click on thumbnail to view image" src="http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/images/1pixel_spacer.gif" /></a></div> </div> &nbsp;</div> </div> <div class="ds-bylinetext" id="ds-bylinetext">&nbsp;</div> <div class="ds-keypoints" id="ds-keypoints">&nbsp;</div> <div class="va-bodytext" id="va-bodytext">A PENSIONER is giving thanks this week after narrowly escaping being crushed by a falling tree.<br /> <br /> Ann Parry, 73, left her Mercedes A-Class at St Mary's Church in Shenley Church End just before 9am on Sunday morning.<br /> <br /> Then the 35 foot ash tree came crashing down, slamming into the driver's side of the car.<br /> <br /> Ann's daughter Jill Mohan told the Citizen that if her mother had been in the car, she would have faced certain death.<br /> <br /> She said: &quot;It could have killed her. It was a huge tree, over 30ft tall, and it landed straight on the car.<br /> <br /> &quot;She had been in it just minutes before so it was really quite lucky.<br /> &quot;She was still very shocked by it all, though, and the car is a write-off.&quot;<br /> <br /> Church warden Alison Baird echoed those sentiments, and said it could also have been tragic if the tree had toppled moments later.<br /> <br /> She said: &quot;It happened before service and most people hadn't arrived yet. There would have been more people in the car park closer to service and it was lucky no-one was in the car.<br /> <br /> &quot;In fact someone had parked there already and decided to move, which was a stroke of luck!&quot;<br /> <br /> According to Jill, neighbours around the church have been complaining to Milton Keynes Council about the condition of trees at the church.<br /> <br /> Most are well over 100 years old and she said they had been concerned about the one which fell in particular.<br /> <br /> &quot;All the residents have been complaining about that tree for over a year,&quot; she said.<br /> <br /> &quot;A man who saw it happen said the tree just fell completely on its own, there was no wind at all, not a sound.<br /> <br /> &quot;And the tree surgeon who came told us the tree was dead.&quot;<br /> <br /> A council spokesman said: &quot;We do not have a record of any complaints regarding a potentially dangerous tree in the wooded area on top of Dudley Hill in Shenley Church End.<br /> <br /> &quot;The tree was due for removal as it had been identified in our annual tree survey as being in poor condition. <br /> <br /> &quot;Unfortunately we were unaware of the presence of honey fungus within the base of the tree, which is very difficult to identify through standard monitoring procedures. <br /> <br /> &quot;This fungus decaying into the roots led to the tree's unexpected failure.<br /> <br /> &quot;We take the health and safety of our residents very seriously and now that this problem has been highlighted, we are examining the remaining trees in this area.&quot;</div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <!-- Article End --><!-- google_ad_section_end --> <div class="premiumoff" id="divWordCount">The full article contains 425 words and appears in n/a newspaper.</div> http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/35-foot-tree-falls-on-car/ http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/35-foot-tree-falls-on-car/ Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:01:38 GMT 2008-11-10T19:01:38 Paul Thompson News <h2>&nbsp;</h2> <!-- Page Information end --><!-- Main Content start --> <div class="wysiwyg"> <p class="date">03 November 2008</p> <p class="intro">Natural England welcomes today's (Monday 3 November) Environmental Audit Committee report on Greener Homes for the Future, but calls for green development to be a priority for housing development at all times, rather than promoted solely at a time of economic downturn.</p> <p>The EAC's report argues that the downturn of recent weeks presents an opportunity to revise the target of 3 million new homes by 2020 so that &quot;more emphasis can be placed on environmental concerns&quot;. It looks for the government to review its house-building targets and related carbon budgets and wants the Government to strengthen planning policy so that the importance of protecting existing green belt boundaries is given a priority.</p> <p>Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England, said, &quot;Green development is always important, not only when the economy is in the red. High quality, locally distinctive and carbon-efficient homes, surrounded by green space which people can enjoy and in which wildlife can thrive, must be central to solving our housing needs. It shouldn't take an economic downturn to bring this emphasis to the fore.&rdquo;</p> <p>Natural England welcomes the EAC's recommendations that:</p> <ul> <li>Stress the importance of environmental quality in the design of all new homes, particularly in their efficient use of natural resources.</li> <li>Call for the full incorporation of the Government's Code for Sustainable Homes into Building Regulations.</li> <li>See a return of a sequential planning policy that gives priority to the development of brownfield land over greenfield sites; whilst recognising that some brownfield sites have high value as open spaces or wildlife habitats.</li> <li>Encourage a sustainable approach to the provision of the new infrastructure needed to support housing development. Natural England agrees with the idea of a sustainable approach to new transport infrastructure and endorses the Committee's concern that sufficient priority might not be given to green infrastructure in the current economic climate.</li> </ul> </div> <!-- Main Content end --> <p><span class="end">source : Natural England</span></p> <!-- Related links start --><!-- Related links end --><!-- Footer start --> http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/green-development-is-for-life-not-just-for-the-economic-downturn/ http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/green-development-is-for-life-not-just-for-the-economic-downturn/ Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:04:22 GMT 2008-11-06T22:04:22 Paul Thompson News <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Town and Country Planning Association have published guidance on ways garden cities and garden suburbs like Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire can continue to develop and thrive. The Garden City movement of the 1920s, led by Ebenezer Howard, was a pioneering attempt to establish sustainable settlements a century before the concept became mainstream.</p> <p><a href="http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/PpWeb/jsp/redirect.jsp?url=http%3A//www.tcpa.org.uk/press_files/pressreleases_2008/20081031_Gardens.pdf" target="_blank">Read the Town and Country Planning Association press release and access the Garden City Settlement Policy Advice Note</a>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/garden-city-guidance/ http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/garden-city-guidance/ Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:01:56 GMT 2008-11-06T22:01:56 Paul Thompson News <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Major new plans to use Scotland's forests to boost economic growth and increase renewable energy capacity, mainly by planting more trees for use in biomass generation, have been unveiled by the Scottish Government.</p> http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/forestry-strategy-unveiled/ http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/forestry-strategy-unveiled/ Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:00:19 GMT 2008-11-06T22:00:19 Paul Thompson News <h1>&nbsp;</h1> <p>Communities and Local Government has denied that &quot;significant swathes&quot; of countryside would be lost through its Regional Spatial Strategies.</p> <p>According to the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) over 2,250 hectares of greenfield land, including areas of designated Green Belt, are set to be developed for housing each year, equivalent to the size of the city of Birmingham.</p> <p>The CPRE has complained that proposals made by regional planners to reduce the environmental impact and respond to public concerns are routinely over-ridden by the Government.</p> <p>But a Communities and Local Government spokesperson said the analysis was &quot;flawed and one sided&quot;.</p> <p>He said: &quot;What the CPRE fail to tell you is that since 1997 the overall amount of Green Belt has grown by 33,000 hectares or 44,000 football pitches.</p> <p>&quot;The latest statistics show it is possible to build the homes future generations need while protecting the environment and green spaces and preventing urban sprawl. The overwhelming majority of homes, 77 per cent in 2007, are being built on brownfield land. Building on brownfield will remain our clear priority.</p> <p>&quot;Regional plans are clear that any local council reviews must meet the tough national criteria for protecting the Green Belt set by the Government.&quot;</p> <p>The CPRE voiced particular concern that regional housing targets have been increased and policies to secure less damaging development diluted, often during the final stage of the RSS process.</p> <p>The organisation also argued that regional strategies frequently contain contradictory policies to reduce carbon emissions while supporting such developments as airport expansion.</p> <p>Fiona Howie, CPRE&rsquo;s senior regional policy officer, said: &quot;We do need more homes, but they should be delivered in a way that will not damage the environment and people&rsquo;s quality of life.&quot;</p> <p>The CPRE has made it clear it is unhappy with the Government&rsquo;s current plans to shift regional planning from Regional Assemblies to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs).</p> <p>Howie argued: &quot;If regional planning is to be reformed it must be done in ways which address the environmental shortcomings of current practice. In future, regional plans should set out an environmentally sustainable and achievable vision for the regions, developed by genuine partnership with those living and working in the area.&quot;</p> http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/government-responds-to-green-belt-accusations/ http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/government-responds-to-green-belt-accusations/ Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:53:07 GMT 2008-11-06T21:53:07 Paul Thompson News <h1>&nbsp;</h1> <p>New amendments to the Government's Planning Bill have been laid in Parliament designed to strengthen the scrutiny of national policy statements by the House of Lords, and tackle climate change.</p> <p>Under these measures, published in advance of the report stage of the legislation in the Lords on 6 November, ministers now expect regional plans to indicate how they will mitigate and adapt to climate change. Government will have to explain how this will be achieved in Parliament.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> The changes provide a key new role for peers in scrutinising all national policy statements including those for aviation, nuclear power and renewable energy, and there is now a legal duty in the Bill for national policy statements to show how they will mitigate and adapt to climate change.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> The Government has also confirmed that the proposed Infrastructure Planning Commission will be able to allow cross-examination of witnesses where appropriate.</p> <p>In advance of the key Parliamentary session in the Upper House, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears stressed that the Government&rsquo;s plans for a new regime for major infrastructure schemes were crucial in the fight against climate change and to help deliver new challenging targets on renewable energy required by the European Union.</p> <p>She said: &quot;With climate change now firmly implanted in this Bill it really will deliver, in a more democratic system, the low carbon economy we need to move to.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> &quot;We have improved the Bill at each stage and listened to constructive ideas from MPs and peers.</p> <p>&quot;It will give local people three chances to have their say instead of just the one now, decisions will take less than a year, and save our economy up to &pound;300m each year by preventing unnecessary delays. That is why I'm urging all sides of the House to back the Bill.&quot;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/government-amends-planning-bill-to-improve-its-climate-change-credentials/ http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/government-amends-planning-bill-to-improve-its-climate-change-credentials/ Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:51:00 GMT 2008-11-06T21:51:00 Paul Thompson News <div> <div class="articleTitle">&nbsp;<strong>Baroness Andrews is to warn MPs that more trees are needed to &quot;secure our green future&quot;.</strong></div> <div class="cms articleBody"> <p>The communities and local government secretary, will use the launch of the 34th annual National Tree Week to make her clarion call for trees at the House of Commons.</p> <p>&quot;She will give a reminder that more trees are essential if we are to secure our green future,&quot; said the National Tree Council, which is backing her call.</p> <p>Baroness Andrews is to speak at a private event in the commons on 26 November. National Tree Week runs from that day to 7 December.</p> <p>Director-general of the Tree Council, Pauline Buchanan Black, said:</p> <p>&quot;The presence of trees in our environment is so normal to us that we tend to forget their immense value.</p> <p>&quot;But there are social and economic reasons to plant trees as well as environmental ones. They have a proven positive impact on crime reduction and improve health.</p> <p>&quot;We need trees, now more than ever, to help ensure a green future for everything from humans to lichens. Without trees our towns and countryside would look bleak.&quot;</p> <p>National Tree Week first ran in 1975, and encourages tree planting, walks and talks to raise tree awareness. Tree Council is an environmental charity.</p> <p>Visit <a href="http://www.treecouncil.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.treecouncil.org.uk/</a></p> </div> </div> http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/baroness-andrews-to-lobby-mps-for-more-trees/ http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/baroness-andrews-to-lobby-mps-for-more-trees/ Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:04:27 GMT 2008-11-05T15:04:27 Paul Thompson News <h1>&nbsp;</h1> <div class="ynw-article-info"> <p class="date updated yesterday">Yesterday, 03:09 pm</p> <cite class="auth"><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/SIG=10si9osl2/**http%3A%2F%2Fitn.co.uk%2F" rel="nofollow"><img height="30" alt="ITN" src="http://l.yimg.com/i/i/uk/ne/itnl.jpg" width="72" /></a><font color="#999999">&nbsp;</font></cite></div> <div class="ynw-article-body mod"> <p class="ynw-standfirst">A tree-living fungus that produces a substance similar to diesel fuel has been discovered in South America. <a class="offscreen" href="http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081104/twl-diesel-producing-fungus-found-41f21e0.html#ynw-article-part2">&nbsp;</a>Related photos</p> <div class="mod" id="ynw-image-video-inset"> <div class="mod"> <div class="bd ynw-image-video-inset-preview clr"> <div id="ynw-image-video-inset-preview"><span class="tinyimage"><img height="232" alt="" src="http://d.yimg.com/i/ng/ne/itn/20081104/15/2754968516-diesel-producing-fungus-found.jpg#300,225" width="310" /> <span>'Diesel' producing fungus found </span></span></div> </div> </div> </div> <p id="ynw-article-part2">Experts believe Gliocladium roseum could potentially be a completely new source of green energy.</p> <p>The fungus, which lives inside the Ulmo tree in the Patagonian rainforest, naturally produces hydrocarbon fuel similar to the diesel used to power cars and lorries.</p> <p>Scientists were amazed to find that it was able to convert plant cellulose directly into the biofuel, dubbed &quot;myco-diesel&quot;.</p> <p>Crops normally have to be converted to sugar and fermented before they can be turned into useful fuel.</p> <p>Professor Gary Strobel, from Montana State University in the US, said: &quot;G. roseum can make myco-diesel directly from cellulose, the main compound found in plants and paper. This means if the fungus was used to make fuel, a step in the production process could be skipped.&quot;</p> <p>Prof Strobel led an investigation into novel fungi in the rainforests of northern Patagonia, which cross the borders of Argentina and Chile.</p> <p>He found that when the diesel fuel fungus was exposed to potentially toxic antibiotics, it reacted defensively by generating volatile gases.</p> <p>&quot;Then when we examined the gas composition of G. roseum, we were totally surprised to learn that it was making a plethora of hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon derivatives,&quot; he said.</p> <p>&quot;The results were totally unexpected and very exciting and almost every hair on my arms stood on end.&quot;</p> <p>Cellulose provides the fibrous supporting structure of plants. During biofuel production, cellulose from plant waste is first treated with enzymes that turn it into sugar. Microbes then ferment the sugar into inflammable ethanol.</p> <p>Nearly 430 million tonnes of plant waste is produced from farmland each year around the world.</p> <p>Prof Strobel said: &quot;We were very excited to discover that G. roseum can digest cellulose. Although the fungus makes less myco-diesel when it feeds on cellulose compared to sugars, new developments in fermentation technology and genetic manipulation could help improve the yield.</p> <p>&quot;In fact, the genes of the fungus are just as useful as the fungus itself in the development of new biofuels.&quot;</p> </div> http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/diesel-producing-fungus-found/ http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/diesel-producing-fungus-found/ Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:51:43 GMT 2008-11-05T08:51:43 Paul Thompson News <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The government has insisted it was still on track to shortlist up to 10 potential eco-town locations by early next year. Ministers have denied media reports that the Government was winding down the initiative.</p> <p>A Communities and Local Government (CLG) spokesman said: &quot;The extra homes of eco-towns are still needed and the challenge of climate change is not going to fade, irrespective of economic conditions.</p> <p>&quot;We have consistently said we are looking to build up to 10 eco-towns and have made clear that we will shortlist up to 10 potential locations by early next year.&quot;</p> <p>When Housing Minister Margaret Beckett was quizzed by MPs at a CLG select committee on Monday, she said the eco-town programme remained a &quot;hope&quot; and called the target to build three million new homes by 2020 as &quot;an ambition&quot;.</p> http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/housing-minister-issues-eco-town-assurances/ http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/housing-minister-issues-eco-town-assurances/ Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:46:46 GMT 2008-10-30T16:46:46 http://marishalthompson.co.uk/news/ en-US