Latest news with #BaronessTaylor
Telegraph
27-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Landlords on the hook for ‘thousands' after Labour's rent reforms U-turn
Landlords face paying hundreds of pounds to fix property damage caused by tenants' pets after a Labour U-turn. A tabled amendment to the Renters' Rights Bill has reversed a previous pledge to allow landlords to require tenants to take out insurance to cover pet damage. The legislation, which is passing through the Lords, will ban 'no-pet' tenancies. This means landlords will have to accept renters with pets unless they have a good reason not to. Angela Rayner had promised that landlords would be able to require tenants with pets to take out insurance. The Housing Secretary previously said that this would mean 'no one is left unfairly out of pocket'. However, the amendment, tabled this week by Baroness Taylor on behalf of the Government, would reverse this commitment. Chris Norris, of the National Residential Landlord Association (NRLA), said the about-turn had 'betrayed' landlords, who risked having to pay out 'hundreds or even thousands of pounds' to repair damage, as deposits are capped at five weeks' rent. He added: 'I can't fathom why the Government won't allow the landlord to take an extra deposit if they have a pet. It's now illegal for [landlords] to do that. 'This would be cheaper than insurance for the tenant and they would get it back if their pet does no damage, and give landlords reassurance.' The average claim on home insurance for pet damage is £225 per incident, according to research by price comparison site Compare the Market. The most common mishaps included ripped or stained carpets, damage to sofas, skirting boards and doors, and broken ornaments. Greg Tsuman, of estate agency Martyn Gerrard, said removing the option to require pet insurance was a 'prime example of an ill-thought-through policy' that would inevitably push up rents. He added: 'Once again, landlords are being penalised for trying to strike a fair balance between accommodating tenants and protecting their investments. 'If landlords can't offset risk, they'll build it into the base rent. The inevitable result? Higher starting rents and a market distorted by forced assumptions that every tenant will come with a pet in tow.' The Renters' Rights Bill has been dubbed the biggest overhaul of rental law in 30 years. It will end fixed-term tenancies, stop landlords from taking action against non-paying tenants for up to three months, and ban bidding wars by requiring landlords and letting agents to publish an 'asking rent' for the property. The legislation will also eliminate Section 21, otherwise known as 'no-fault evictions', for all new and existing tenancies from next summer. Instead, landlords will need to rely on Section 8 to evict a tenant, a piece of legislation undermined by long court delays. The Bill had been expected to become law this summer, but delays in the parliamentary process mean it is now not expected to gain Royal Assent until the autumn. The Government's Employment Bill has also been pushed back. Critics of the Bill have warned that it could lead to a rise in rents, as landlords sell up and flee the sector amid tougher conditions and dwindling profits. One in three landlords are now looking to sell off some or all of their rental properties, according to the latest English Private Landlord Survey, with just under two thirds blaming recent changes in legislation. Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said: 'This is a shoddy and outrageous way to make law. 'Yet again the Government simply expects responsible landlords to shoulder even greater risks without any consultation about the likely impact.' A Government spokesman said: 'Our landmark Renters' Rights Bill will bring long overdue fairness to the market and deliver much-needed reforms to the system. 'It is only fair that tenants are given the same choice to keep a pet as homeowners, and landlords will remain protected from the cost of any damage caused by pets through their existing deposits.'
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Revamp of Salisbury Station forecourt marked with ceremony
Local residents and dignitaries celebrated the revitalisation of a railway station forecourt at a ceremony on Railway Station has undergone a £4.5 million redevelopment, with improvements made to bus stops, drop-off points and pedestrian and cycle money was allotted under the Future High Streets Fund, with additional funds provided by the previous Tory Ardley, Regional Development Manager at South Western Railway said that the station had undergone a transformation, from what had previously been "just a big car park". "There were no proper pedestrian routes, no proper cycle routes. The only bus that could get in here had to do a three-point turn,", he added."Now we've got proper designated bus stops with the buses go round the car park without having to do a ,turn. They've got proper quality bus stops. "It's very clearly signposted for pedestrians and other users. We've got designated pick-up and drop-off points for people arriving by car." Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government Baroness Taylor said there were added benefits from the scheme on top of improving the look of the area and boosting transport."These kinds of projects where everyone gets together and collaborates on them are really important to driving the economy of the country forward, but also providing new facilities for the whole community, including making sure that this station is accessible for everybody," she Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, Streetscene and Flooding, described the new forecourt as fulfilling an "interconnected transport vision".Salisbury MP John Glen said: "We did the work that was needed to upgrade the look and feel of the entrance to the city. I'm delighted it's done."
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Inspector's report into Chinese ‘mega-embassy' with ministers for final decision
A report by the planning inspector into a controversial proposal for a Chinese 'mega-embassy' in London has been submitted to ministers for final decision, Parliament has been told. Communities minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said a Government determination on the application would be made on or before September 9. Until then, neither the inspector's report nor its recommendation would be made public. The plans by Beijing for a super-embassy on the historic former site of the Royal Mint near the capital's financial district have sparked security concerns. Worries stem from the close proximity of the extensive development to critical data centres and communication cables. The contentious scheme comes against the backdrop of ongoing disquiet over Chinese interference in the UK, with allegations of spies infiltrating the establishment and secret police stations being used to intimidate dissidents in Britain. Unease has also previously been raised over ministerial involvement in progressing the plans, after the Metropolitan Police dropped their opposition. The embassy development was 'called in', which means Communities Secretary Angela Rayner, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, will make the final decision taking into account the inspector's findings. Updating peers at Westminster, Lady Taylor said: 'The inspector's report was received on June 10 by the department. 'Parties have been notified that a decision will be made on or before September 9 2025. 'As the report has just been received, we have not yet begun to assess the case. 'The inspector's report will form part of the final decision and will be released alongside it. 'Until that point, neither the recommendation nor the report will be made public.' She added: 'Because we now have the report, we will be considering it, it wouldn't be helpful to comment on any specific security issue raised on the application while it's under active consideration by the department.' The minister said the inspector's evidence-based recommendation would take into account a wide variety of material planning matters, which 'may include safety and national security'. Pressed over previous warnings by the head of MI5 over the 'epic scale' of Chinese espionage in the UK, Lady Taylor said: 'National security is, of course, the first duty of government, more generally. 'With regards to the specifics of the case, the inspector's report will consider the application against all of the national issues, local issues and regional issues, according to planning policy, and safety and national security will be taken into consideration, to make sure that we have considered fully all of the issues that may relate to this planning application.' She added: 'It's difficult to answer general questions about the relationship with China and talk about that in the same space as a planning decision, which has to be taken according to a fixed process. 'But please be assured that national security is (something) we very strongly consider to be our first duty.' Independent crossbencher Lord Alton of Liverpool, who has been banned by Beijing over his criticism of its human rights record, including its treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority, said: 'It's hard to imagine that if in 1980 the former Soviet Union had asked for a prime site for a new mega-embassy that we in Parliament would have agreed at that time.' Responding, Lady Taylor said: 'The Government stands firm on human rights, including against China's repression of the people of Xinjiang and Tibet.' On the plans for the embassy, she added: 'All material planning considerations will be taken into account in determining the case.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Miliband urged to save net zero through higher bills in the South
Ed Miliband must ramp up energy bills across London and southern England to hit net zero targets, a parliamentary committee has said. The Energy Secretary is likely to miss his target of making the electricity grid 95pc carbon free by the end of the decade unless he embraces so-called zonal pricing, a new report from the Lords industry committee warned. Such a change would mean splitting Britain's single electricity market into almost a dozen regions, with the price of power determined by supply and demand within each area rather than set nationally. In practice, prices would surge in London, southern England and the Midlands where renewables are in short supply, but plummet in Scotland because of its plentiful wind farms. The change would therefore be hugely controversial. However, it would encourage companies to build renewable power infrastructure nearer to where prices are high, cutting down the amount of new pylons, cables and transformers needed to achieve a decarbonised grid. 'Regional zonal pricing should enable better use of existing grid capacity and lower the cost of electricity, provided that the transition and its risks are managed well,' the report said. Even with such changes, Mr Miliband's clean power by 2030 pledge looks increasingly likely to fail, the Lords warned. Baroness Taylor of Bolton, the committee's chairman, said: 'Given the scale of changes needed to the planning, regulation and delivery of energy infrastructure, and the UK's historic [poor] record of delivering major infrastructure projects, our report questions the feasibility of meeting the clean power target. 'Time is already running out, and there is no room for complacency. The Government and the sector must ramp up their efforts to have a chance of success.' Zonal pricing has been under consideration in the review of electricity market arrangements initiated by the previous government three years ago. An announcement is now imminent. Government officials have advised Mr Miliband to press ahead with the policy, but the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Desnz) has refused to say if he favours the idea. Mr Miliband has insisted he will not make any change that leads to higher bills for people. Regardless, the machinery for zonal pricing is already being put in place. Ofgem recently announced plans for 11 'Regional Energy Strategy Boards'. Nine would be in England with one each in Scotland and Wales, all overseen by the National Energy System Operator (Neso). The boards would be similar to the municipal electricity and gas boards that oversaw energy supplies before privatisation, comprising local councillors and energy company representatives. Julian Leslie, Neso's chief engineer and director of strategic energy planning, said the boards would 'ensure that local communities play a central role in planning how they decarbonise and how their contributions support national strategic energy planning'. Sam Richards, of Britain Remade, a pro-growth campaign group, said the UK needed a 'clean energy revolution to lower bills and create high-quality jobs'. He added: 'Moving to zonal pricing is a crucial step in achieving this ... It would help make smarter use of our existing grid, bring down electricity costs and attract the investment needed to build clean energy where it's most abundant.' A Desnz spokesman said: 'We need new infrastructure to protect family and national finances with energy security, through clean home-grown power we control.' The three years of discussions around zonal pricing have generated growing tensions in the UK energy industry. John Pettigrew, the National Grid chief executive, last month spoke out against it, warning the disruption would be a huge distraction. Hitachi, suppliers of half the transformers, inverters and switch gear vital to the UK's 'great grid upgrade', have issued similar warnings. Others are strongly in favour, including Greg Jackson, the Octopus Energy boss. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
04-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Miliband urged to save net zero through higher bills in the South
Ed Miliband must ramp up energy bills across London and southern England to hit net zero targets, a parliamentary committee has said. The Energy Secretary is likely to miss his target of making the electricity grid 95pc carbon free by the end of the decade unless he embraces so-called zonal pricing, a new report from the Lords industry committee warned. Such a change would mean splitting Britain's single electricity market into almost a dozen regions, with the price of power determined by supply and demand within each area rather than set nationally. In practice, prices would surge in London, southern England and the Midlands where renewables are in short supply, but plummet in Scotland because of its plentiful wind farms. The change would therefore be hugely controversial. However, it would encourage companies to build renewable power infrastructure nearer to where prices are high, cutting down the amount of new pylons, cables and transformers needed to achieve a decarbonised grid. 'Regional zonal pricing should enable better use of existing grid capacity and lower the cost of electricity, provided that the transition and its risks are managed well,' the report said. Even with such changes, Mr Miliband's clean power by 2030 pledge looks increasingly likely to fail, the Lords warned. Baroness Taylor of Bolton, the committee's chairman, said: 'Given the scale of changes needed to the planning, regulation and delivery of energy infrastructure, and the UK's historic [poor] record of delivering major infrastructure projects, our report questions the feasibility of meeting the clean power target. 'Time is already running out, and there is no room for complacency. The Government and the sector must ramp up their efforts to have a chance of success.' Zonal pricing has been under consideration in the review of electricity market arrangements initiated by the previous government three years ago. An announcement is now imminent. Government officials have advised Mr Miliband to press ahead with the policy, but the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Desnz) has refused to say if he favours the idea. Mr Miliband has insisted he will not make any change that leads to higher bills for people. Regardless, the machinery for zonal pricing is already being put in place. Ofgem recently announced plans for 11 'Regional Energy Strategy Boards'. Nine would be in England with one each in Scotland and Wales, all overseen by the National Energy System Operator (Neso). The boards would be similar to the municipal electricity and gas boards that oversaw energy supplies before privatisation, comprising local councillors and energy company representatives. Julian Leslie, Neso's chief engineer and director of strategic energy planning, said the boards would 'ensure that local communities play a central role in planning how they decarbonise and how their contributions support national strategic energy planning'. Sam Richards, of Britain Remade, a pro-growth campaign group, said the UK needed a 'clean energy revolution to lower bills and create high-quality jobs'. He added: 'Moving to zonal pricing is a crucial step in achieving this ... It would help make smarter use of our existing grid, bring down electricity costs and attract the investment needed to build clean energy where it's most abundant.' A Desnz spokesman said: 'We need new infrastructure to protect family and national finances with energy security, through clean home-grown power we control.' The three years of discussions around zonal pricing have generated growing tensions in the UK energy industry. John Pettigrew, the National Grid chief executive, last month spoke out against it, warning the disruption would be a huge distraction. Hitachi, suppliers of half the transformers, inverters and switch gear vital to the UK's 'great grid upgrade', have issued similar warnings. Others are strongly in favour, including Greg Jackson, the Octopus Energy boss.
