Local Authority round-up 14/02/20
13th February, 2020
Our Local Authority round up provides brief summaries of topical information on a weekly basis, to keep you aware of the changes and updates relevant to you.
Brexit
Salmon farmers face “huge unnecessary burdens”
The chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO), Julie Hesketh-Laird, has said planned changes after Brexit which will require salmon farmers to have an export health certificate for every consignment, signed by a vet or health official, will create “huge unnecessary burdens” for UK salmon farmers. Depending on the fees set by councils that could mean up to 100,000 certificates a year, with the cost estimated at up to £9 million annually, and would create delays to the departure of fresh fish. She said “Any extra cost will eventually be borne by the consumer, so keeping the bureaucracy and administrative costs to a minimum is really important.” The Government has said that it would inform producers later this year on the measures they needed to take.
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“UK trade will be better outside EU” says former Chancellor
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid, said that UK trade will thrive despite the introduction of UK border checks after the Brexit transition period which will end on 31 December 2020. He said “we have a better future as an independent sovereign nation trading with European friends, but also trading more so with the rest of the world.” He has urged the EU to consider Britain’s financial sector as “equivalent”, in order to protect its access to the bloc however the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said that this was not up for discussion. The chancellor said he was confident the bloc would change its mind saying “Look back at withdrawal agreement, there were things that EU would reject… only to change their mind later on.” He has also said that “private discussions” with the EU that made him “very confident about the future.”
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Councils call for urgent consultations on trade
Council leaders have called for the Government to ‘urgently’ consult with councils on how post-Brexit trade checks might affect port authorities so they can ensure that the right resources and capacities are available to carry out checks post-Brexit. Cllr Kevin Bentley, chairman of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Brexit Taskforce has said that councils will see an impact on transport infrastructure and will require more resources to deal with the increased workload. He said “The sooner councils receive clarity surrounding how these border controls will apply, the better they will be able to plan for them. In order to support councils carry out a greater number of checks on goods arriving and to prevent disruption at ports, councils will also need additional resources and capacity, particularly environmental health officers and veterinary staff.”
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Government confirms import controls after transition period
The Government has confirmed plans to introduce import controls on EU goods at the border after the transition period ends on 31 December 2020 which will treat all UK imports and exports equally and will require traders in the EU and GB to submit customs declarations and be liable to goods’ checks. Businesses will need to ensure they have an Economic Operator Registration and Identification number. Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said “The UK will be outside the single market and outside the customs union, so we will have to be ready for the customs procedures and regulatory checks that will inevitably follow.”
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Shoppers warned Brexit could create shortage of fruit and veg
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is warning that new border checks for traders from January 2021 will means that there will be shortages of fresh fruit and vegetable and price increases. Even if a trade deal is reached with the EU the border checks will inevitable cause problems for suppliers and consumers as it will cause lorries to be held at the border and even checks taking two minutes could lead to 17 mile tailbacks as the current infrastructure will be unable to cope. Andrew Opie, the BRC’s director of food, said “There will definitely be a problem with availability if we don’t see a massive upgrade of how those facilities work. “Also, let’s not forget, additional friction will lead to additional costs and that will impact on consumers as well.”
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Commercial
Government pledges £5 billion bus and cycling routes
The Government has pledged £5 billion over the next five years to improve bus and cycling services in England in order to provide more frequent services and simpler, more affordable fares. In making the announcement, Boris Johnson said the £5 billion of funding will go towards new priority routes for buses and 4,000 “zero-carbon” buses in England and Wales. Other improvements would include more evening and weekend services to make it easier for people to get around outside peak hours, a “simpler, cheaper and more convenient” ticketing system for buses and priority schemes to allow buses to pass quickly through congested roads. Mr Johnson said “Our daily journeys for work or leisure are about so much more than just getting from A to B – they are the key to accessing skilled jobs and opportunities, boosting businesses and unlocking economic growth for towns, cities and regions across this country.”
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£4.5 million funding for local digital projects
Sixteen organisations have been selected to receive a Social Care Digital Pathfinders grant from £4.5 million of Government funding which will be managed by NHS Digital. The funding will enable the organisations that provide and commission adult services to roll out their local digital products on a wider scale commencing with a 13-month implementation phase with projects predominantly looking at standardising information and developing digital ways of sharing that information between multiple health and care organisations. Health minister Nicola Blackwood said “This £4.5m investment will support local areas to improve information sharing across services, ensuring people avoid hospital unless absolutely necessary and helping everyone live independently for longer.”
For more information please click here.
Regulatory
Councils urge retailers not to sell knives
The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for retailers to become “no knife shops” in an effort to tackle the knife crime epidemic. They have said that the only stores that should be able to sell knives are those where it is a core part of their business, such as DIP shops or kitchenware suppliers. The LGA is also urging the Government to extend the Home Office Prosecutions Fund to help councils prosecute retailers for blatant breaches of knife sale laws. Cllr Simon Blackburn, chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said “We urge retailers, including online businesses, to be part of collective efforts to reduce the availability of knives and seriously consider why they need to sell them, and if they do, to ensure that they are complying with their responsibilities to prevent under-age sales.”
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Council joins Local Land Charges Register
Watford Borough Council has joined the Local Land Charges Registers which enables property buyers in the area to obtain local land charges searches direct from HM Land Registry rather than applying to the council. It is hoped that the change will make the home buying process quicker and simpler. Helen Fisher, Head of Place Shaping at Watford Borough Council, said “We are pleased to be at the forefront of this digital transformation. Our local land charges data was a mixture of computerised and paper records. By updating our local land charges data into a single digital source, we are providing confidence in the accuracy of the data and helping to improve the efficiency of buying and selling property in Watford.”
For more information please click here.
Planning and housing
Architects call for permitted development rights to be overhauled
Permitted development rights, which are an automatic grant of planning permission which allow certain building works and changes of use to take place without having to make a planning application, are facing scrutiny. A new report from Resi has said that permitted development “doesn’t work” as the rights allow sub-standard homes to be built and has called for an extension of the requirements in order to ensure new buildings contribute to the wellbeing of residents by considering what is ‘relevant and necessary’ to the type of permitted development change. A recent report from the Town & Country Planning Association also argued that permitted development rights have led to the delivery of large numbers of new homes in poorly designed estates which lack public transport and basic social facilities.
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Government announces plans to cut cost of new homes by a third
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced a new scheme which will cut the cost of some new homes by a third. The First Homes scheme will see a discount locked into the property so that more first-time buyers benefit in years to come as it will apply in perpetuity and the scheme will also lower deposit and mortgage requirements for local first-time buyers in England a well as prioritising the discount for veterans and key workers such as nurses, police officers and firefighters. Mr Jenrick said “A proportion of new homes will be made available at a 30% market discount rate – turning the dial on the dream of home ownership. The discount will be passed on with the sale of the property to future first-time buyers, helping thousands more people in years to come and ensuring local communities can stick together.”
For more information please click here.
Upcoming seminars
As you may well know we run a programme of seminars on a wide range of topics. Listed below are those seminars coming up which we feel may be of interest to you. Please click on the links for further information and to book your place. You can see our full programme of upcoming events by clicking here.
The UK in transition: What does it mean for our business?
Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking session centred around the emerging consequences of Brexit, the UK’s pending trade deal with Europe and what it all means for business in our region.
Wednesday 18th March (Newcastle)
Housing Management Law School – Spring Term 2020
Join us for the latest series of Housing Management Law Schools, where our social housing experts will be discussing the most recent news and hot topics.
Thursday 30th April (Newcastle)
Wednesday 6th May (Manchester)
If you have any questions about the issues raised in this update, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
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