government

£5m for councils to stop rogue landlords

Councils across the country are to receive a £5m cash boost to tackle rogue landlords in their area, Housing Minister Brandon Lewis announced today.

Forty eight councils will share the funding so they can take on the irresponsible landlords that force tenants to live in squalid and dangerous properties, making their lives a misery.

The cash will also allow councils to root out...

Architects awarded BIM certification ahead of deadline

HLM architects, with offices in Plymouth, London, and across the UK, have passed their Business Information Model (BIM) audit. The business now joins only a handful of companies to have been awarded the prestigious BIM certification through the BRE BIM Level 2 Business Systems Certification scheme ahead of the government’s April 2016 deadline for public sector project compliance.

The...

New regional air routes offer fast journeys from SW

Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill has welcomed the new domestic routes that will start in 2016 from Newquay and Exeter airports.

The Chancellor announced in last week’s Spending Review that 11 successful bidders across the UK had been awarded support from the UK Government’s Regional Air Connectivity Fund. The new flights will offer fast journey times to Leeds-Bradford and Norwich....

Spending Review & Autumn Statement delivers for South West

The Chancellor George Osborne used his Spending Review and Autumn Statement today to set out how he will deliver economic security, national security and opportunity for families across the South West.

The region will benefit from major protections to health, education and defence budgets, while the Chancellor also announced wide-ranging new local investments to support transport and...

SW bill payers missing out on £180m

New data reveals there is a staggering £180 million worth of savings available to households in the South West if they simply switch their energy supplier.

As colder weather sets in, the Government revealed new figures estimating that 900,000 households in the South West still stand to save £200 or more by switching their gas and electricity supplier.

However a recent poll of...

Enterprise zone confirmed for South Yard

South west to benefit from its second government-backed enterprise zone - which will create hundreds of local jobs.

Visiting Plymouth’s South Yard naval dockyard, the Chancellor confirmed it has now been approved as the site for a new enterprise zone that will be focused on growing the marine industry.

The confirmation comes after an announcement earlier this year that the site...

Continue with cull say farmers

The Government must make an immediate decision to proceed with badger cull roll out this year or risk losing the trust of the farmers who helped to elect them, say industry leaders in the South West.

Implementing a 25-year bovine TB eradication plan, including badger cull roll out, was one of the Conservatives’ manifesto pledges, but despite winning a majority in the general election...

New coastal teams to help local economies thrive

Seaside communities are being urged to create dedicated Coastal Community Teams to drive forward economic regeneration and a long-term vision, by new Coastal Communities Minister Mark Francois today (16 June 2015).

The government is providing over £1 million to set up 110 Coastal Community Teams to deal with the specific economic challenges faced by seaside towns and take forward a...

Plans to double free childcare

The Government has announced plans to double free childcare for hard working families – which will benefit up to 50,000 parents in the South West to the tune of £5,000 per year.

The offer of 30 hours of free childcare per week during term time means parents will be able to get on while bringing up a family.

All three- and four-year-olds in working families will be eligible for...

Devon landlords could face mandatory licensing

Landlords in Devon could be forced to secure a licence under Government plans to tackle illegal immigration.

The Residential Landlords’ Association understands that the new Conservative Government plans to extend the scope of the mandatory licensing regime to tackle illegal immigration.

In a speech last week, Prime Minister David Cameron called for a new licensing scheme to...

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