
Reform's war on green energy is all hot air
He meant it, too. 'This is war,' he announced the following day. 'We will wage war against you people and your terrible ideas.' In his arsenal are 'planning blockages', 'judicial reviews', 'lawsuits', 'health and safety notices' and 'every available legal measure' to prevent things like 'ugly pylons' appearing on Reform land.
'It's going to cost you a fortune,' he warned developers, and they wouldn't get anywhere, either.
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BreakingNews.ie
13 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Government looking at reducing minimum apartment size
The Housing Minister is bringing proposed changes to apartment building guidelines that will reduce the minimum size of units and cut back on other requirements. The measures are designed to reduce costs by between €50,000 to €100,000 per unit. Advertisement It comes amid frustration and criticism of the Government's response to a slowdown in apartment building. The changes look at the mix of apartment types, the layout and design of individual of units, and the provision of communal facilities. It also includes measures around dual-aspect windows and the ratio of units to lifts and stairs. The new guidelines reduce the minimum size of studio apartments from 37 square metres to 32 square metres. Advertisement In an attempt to improve delivery costs of apartment schemes, they will also remove any restrictions on apartment mix. Currently, guidelines restrict the number of one-bedroom apartments within a scheme to 50 per cent, with no more than 20 to 25 per cent consisting of studio apartments. It is also proposed to remove any limitation on the number of units per lift and stair core per floor, subject to compliance with building regulations. This will allow developers to exceed the current maximum of 12 units. Advertisement Minister James Browne's proposals would also reduce the amount of apartments required to be dual aspect in new developments to at least 25%, down from 33% in urban locations and 50% in suburban areas. Elsewhere, the guidelines contain easing of restrictions on providing private open space and specify that communal facilities shall not be required on a mandatory basis.


Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
More than 1.4m claiming mental health benefits
A record 531 people a day were granted welfare benefits for mental health problems, analysis of last year's Personal Independence Payment (Pip) figures reveals. In the 2024-25 financial year, Department for Work and Pensions staff approved 193,890 such cases for England and Wales – equivalent to one application being rubber-stamped every three minutes. The full extent of those claiming Pip due to mental health illness could in fact be much higher because the Government data do not include those who successfully appeal an initial rejection of their claim. The latest statistics for the month of April also reveal that a total of 1.4 million people were in receipt of a Pip payment due to mental health issues. That figure represents a 70 per cent increase compared to a similar monthly snapshot taken in January 2020 when 848,882 such payments were approved. That April data includes 407,000 cases approved for 'mixed anxiety and depression', 62,000 for 'anxiety disorders' and 83,000 for ADHD, alongside a variety of other illnesses ranging from autism to personality disorders. Meanwhile, one in 10 of the country's 38 million working-age people is in receipt of some kind of health benefit. In November 2024, 3,943,677 people aged between 16 and 64 were claiming some form of payment for disability or sickness. Reform UK's Richard Tice MP said: 'The level of waste and corruption in this country is at an all-time high, with a total lack of oversight, massive overspending, and no accountability from this Labour government. 'This country needs to be run more like a business and less like a charity with unlimited funding. It's always the hard-working British taxpayer who ends up paying the price. 'Reform will slash government spending by scrapping net zero, ending DEI practices, and securing our borders. By doing so, we will free up funds to focus on what truly matters: improving public services and easing the burden on the working class.' Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said: 'This week, the Prime Minister was forced into a humiliating climbdown on welfare by socialist Labour MPs. 'Runaway welfare spending has to be brought under control, but unbelievably we're now left with a Bill that will end up costing the taxpayer more. 'Starmer is in office, but not in power. And without someone able to take difficult decisions, this country is doomed.' The analysis comes just days after Labour backbenchers forced Rachel Reeves to back down on her plans to cut the benefits bill. The Chancellor had hoped to impose more stringent disability criteria for Pip claimants to help fill a black hole in the Government's spending forecasts. But on Thursday, she was forced into a £3 billion U-turn to placate rebel MPs. As part of the deal, the restriction will only affect new claimants, while those already on the benefit will continue to receive it. The move has raised the prospect of tax rises in the autumn budget. There has been speculation that the fiasco surrounding the reversal and its financial repercussions may have contributed to Ms Reeves' tears in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Analysis of Government data shows that since January 2020, the number of Pip cases for mental health problems has soared considerably faster than for other ailments. Overall Pip claims have increased by 55 per cent, whilst those citing mental health have increased by 70 per cent. Last year, the government spent £26.5 billion on the benefit, including around £3.5 billion for anxiety, ADHD and depression alone. By 2029-30, the total cost is expected to approach £35 billion, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. Telegraph analysis found that around 8.5 per cent of the working-age population are on either Pip or its immediate predecessor, the disability living allowance (DLA). This is up from 4.4 per cent in 2002. Once other disability benefits are included, such as attendance allowance or employment and support allowance, this increases to 10.3 per cent of the working-age population being on some form of sickness or disability support. Of particular concern is the rise in disability benefits being awarded to young adults. Around 5.8 per cent of people aged 16 to 30 now claim either Pip or DLA, up from just 1.7 per cent in 2002. More than one in 25 young adults (4.4 per cent) are claiming for mental health. The vast range of Pip payments, including obscure ones, has also caused concern. In April alone, a total of 10 payouts were awarded for 'Munchausen syndrome', 67 for food intolerance, 16 for 'old age' and almost 17,000 for alcohol and drug misuse. In 2024-25, an average of 2,656 new registrations for Pip were made everyday in England and Wales, with about 1,262 of those claims then being approved. Of those, an average of 531 a day were for psychiatric disorders, 341 for bone and joint issues and 121 for neurological disorders.


BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Staffordshire MP call to protect farmland from renewable schemes
An MP has called on the prime minister to change the law to protect farmland from renewable energy Conservative member for Staffordshire Moorlands Dame Karen Bradley said during Prime Minister's Questions her constituents were "extremely concerned" about the number of local solar farm and battery storage month, Staffordshire Moorland District Council granted permission for a fifth battery site in fields near Wetley response to the comments in Parliament, Sir Keir Starmer said it was right to support both agriculture and bring down people's energy bills through use of renewable technology. Plans to extend an existing solar farm at Blythe House Farm, near Draycott in the Moors, were approved last an application for a 141-acre solar farm at Wetley Rocks was rejected in March after more than 300 objections. Citing her constituents' concerns, Dame Karen asked during the exchange on Wednesday: "Will the prime minister give them some reassurance that he will change the law and that we will see good agricultural land saved for producing food, as it rightly should be?" The prime minister responded: "The right honourable Lady says that people across the country are concerned about solar, but they are also concerned about their bills coming down, after they went up under the previous Government."The only way to get them down is on renewables, and that is what we are doing." This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on Facebook, X and Instagram.