Tag Archives: infrastructure
Public land could deliver as many as two million new homes in England
Up to two million new homes could be delivered on public sector land holdings in England to help with the current housing crisis, according to a new analysis from real estate adviser Savills. The firm’s estimate is based on detailed analysis of public records of the Central Government Estate and the land holdings of the Greater London Authority (GLA) as well as market knowledge of the potential for development on NHS and Local Authority land. It is widely recognised that England is facing a housing crisis and that surplus or underused public land could play a vital role in delivering new homes, which are currently being built at only half the rate needed to accommodate the country’s growing population. However, the analysis report points out that a lack of transparency regarding the totality of these assets remains a major drawback in assessing the full potential, despite huge progress by the Government in this area, and limited public data currently makes it impossible to conduct a comprehensive analysis of all public land. The public estate held by central and local government in England is worth £370 billion according to figures from the Cabinet Office, but there is little clarity regarding what form these assets take. The Savills residential research team has conducted detailed analysis of 250,000 hectares of land held by the Central Government estate in England, for which data is available. The team estimates that 13,000 hectares (5%) are most suitable for residential development and that these sites could deliver 600,000 homes. Further analysis of assets held by the Greater London Authority (GLA) shows there is space for at least an additional 100,000 homes, bringing the known potential to 700,000 homes. However, these sites are only part of the public land story. A lack of data means that large parts of public land holdings are impossible to measure. NHS and Local Authority land, which Savills was not able to include in its analysis, has significant potential. In the absence of public records, the capacity of Local Authority land is not clear, but the firm estimates that this might be around one million, if assets are actively managed and estate densities are increased. Similarly, little data is available regarding NHS Land. However, based on market experience the firm knows that these sites include many prime developable locations with scope for intensification. Hence Savills best estimate for the number of additional homes that could be delivered through the reconfiguration and intensification of operational sites within the NHS estate could be 300,000. NHS Property Services, which controls just 11% of the whole estate, released 24 hectares of surplus land between April 2013 and July 2014 alone. ‘Big strides have been made to provide data on Central Government holdings but we urgently need to achieve a similar register of assets held by Local Authorities and NHS bodies,’ said Robert Grundy, head of housing, Savills housing division. ‘Only then will we be in a position to accurately assess the full potential both for… Continue reading
UK govt already agreed to buy over 350 properties affected by high speed rail link
The UK government has now agreed to buy over 350 properties along the route of the new High Speed rail link from London to Birmingham. They are affected property owners who have served Statutory Blight notices or applied via the Express Purchase Scheme. This makes clear the government’s commitment to acquire a significant amount of the property required for the construction of HS2 before the necessary legislation enabling the railway has even passed through parliament. However, even when the government has accepted a Statutory Blight notice, care should be taken when negotiating a final settlement, according to experts at independent property consultants Knight Frank. James Del Mar, head of Knight Frank’s HS2 Team, pointed out that compulsory purchase and compensation legislation is complex. ‘Those facing Compulsory Acquisition or making a Statutory Blight or other compensation claim are entitled to be represented by properly qualified professionals. HS2 will meet those professionals’ reasonable fees incurred in assisting claimants,’ he said. He explained that the ‘disturbance’ aspect of a claim, for example, has a multitude of facets. ‘As well as the value of the property, which needs to be evidenced by reference to actual market transactions, there is the Home Loss Payment of a further 10% capped at £47,000 or a business loss payment for those that aren’t home owners,’ he said. ‘There is the Stamp Duty Land Tax, itself a significant sum, the removal costs and all other associated expenses which can be considerable. In many cases HS2 are hoping to settle on a full and final basis and are leaving little ability for claimants to come back if they’ve forgotten something,’ he added. Knight Frank has a dedicated team of Compulsory Purchase and compensation specialists with over 100 years’ experience between them. The team has a 100% success rate in its dealings with HS2 with all fees being directly paid by HS2. ‘It’s an enormously stressful event and taking the comfort in the form of professional advice is one way of diffusing some of that emotion and receiving the reassurance that HS2’s proposal is correct and appropriate,’ said Del Mar. Continue reading
Resist the urge for loans, Mansour tells Emiratis
Resist the urge for loans, Mansour tells Emiratis Muaz Shabandri / 12 February 2014 Shaikh Mohammed launches Ehtmam Web initiative along with the Deputy PM at the end of the plenary session. Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has urged Emirati citizens to be more careful and prudent when taking loans from banks. “My advice and recommendation to UAE citizens is not to take a loan unless you are in dire need. Take a loan in order to establish your own business and if you are aware of the risks. The citizen has to be aware of this matter and the media can play an important role in highlighting financial guidance,” he said during a plenary session on the second day of The Government Summit on Tuesday. Shaikh Mohammed, in the presence of Shaikh Mansour, inaugurated ‘Ehtmam’, a website of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, on the sidelines of the Dubai Government Summit on Tuesday. Citizens can log on to the website and submit suggestions and ideas aimed at development of local community. — Wam His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Ehtmam Web initiative along with the Deputy PM at the end of the plenary session. The Ehtmam service will help members of the public to submit comments and suggestions on services provided by government entities and give feedback for improving government services. It will also allow residents to raise complaints concerning customer service, problems or unjustified delays in finishing processing the applications or any mistreatment from a government employee. Talking about loans earlier, Shaikh Mansour said: “A bank has certain responsibilities and people who benefit from loans should also be aware of the risks involved. We do realise there are some weaknesses in our laws and we should improve these laws for the sake of UAE,” . In 2012, the government’s initiative to pay off debts by Emiratis reached 1,500 citizens. A total of Dh1.3 billion was paid to banks in 2012 to help heavily indebted ones. In 2013, the number of beneficiaries of the debts settlement fund reached 2,000 citizens and it had paid off Dh2.05 billion. Shaikh Mansour, who is also Minister of Presidential Affairs, acknowledged the efforts of local and international banks and recognised the support extended to the UAE Government. Asked about the Arab spring and its effect on the UAE, the Deputy PM highlighted the openness of the UAE’s leaders to innovation and development. “Throughout our history, the people of the UAE have always been very supportive of the leadership because of the strong bond between the leaders and people.” He added: “When a revolution takes place, there should be a positive outcome. We pray to Allah to stabilise these Arab countries and I hope these countries go back to better conditions. Arabs are welcome in the UAE and we do really exchange our experiences with them. We want to take advantage of their ideas and we have implemented some schemes to benefit from Arab experiences.” During the session, Shaikh Mansour was also asked about the increasing energy needs of the UAE and how the country planned to meet the infrastructure requirements. In reply, he said: “The energy minister is doing a great job in upgrading water and electricity infrastructure. The ratio of increase in demand for energy services is very high and it has reached 12 per cent in some areas of the UAE. Federal institutions have created a 10-year plan and providing water and electricity to all emirates is a priority. These high ratios of increase do not suit the requirements of water and power generation and we have insisted on more cooperation (between federal and city authorities).” muaz@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
