Cornish Social & Economic Research Group
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_______________________________________________Get a bag habit,
Departments: DEFRA (UK Government)
Document type: News release
Date published: 7 April 2009
Summary
The Government, the BRC and the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) are running a publicity campaign to encourage people to 'get a bag habit' and re-use their carrier bags whenever they can. This reflects the importance of communication with customers, and is part of the agreement in support of retailers' commitments to cut the number of bags they give out.
For more..... (Defra news release, 7 April 2009)
Further information..... (Directgov campaign information, 11 April 2009)
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Greening towns and cities would help tackle recession,
Departments: CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment)
Document type: News
Date published: 27 March 2009
Summary
With the next budget fast approaching, CABE and Natural England are calling on government to prioritise funding for green assets such as parks, trees and open spaces. Shifting public spend into the greening of towns and cities is needed to tackle both climate change and the recession and to create places we all want to live in.
For more..... www.sustainablecities.org.uk/news_and_updates
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Housing and economic development: Moving forward together
Departments: Housing Corporation,
Document type: Information,
Date published: 06 November 2008
Summary
This report considers the Government's housing growth plans as an opportunity to improve the use of housing as an enabler of economic growth. It also looks at housing policy in the context of local economic development conditions.
For more..... www.housingcorp.gov.uk
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Giving green spaces the priority they deserve
Departments: Communities and Local Government
Date published: 05 November 2008
Responding to today's announcement from the Department of Communities and Local Government on its proposed Planning Policy Statement for eco-towns, Natural England has called for a planning policy that transforms the way in which all urban spaces make use of the natural environment.
Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England, said "Green spaces often have been sidelined in urban development in the past and we live with the legacy this has created. The 40% green space standard is a welcome step in the right direction and has the potential to make eco-towns genuine standard bearers of how urban environments can be planned."
But to achieve this potential Natural England has called for more focus on how the green space standards measure up in terms of how they support biodiversity, deliver high quality landscapes and help with adaptation to climate change. Natural England emphasised that CLG has to ensure that these elements are properly addressed in the ways in which eco-towns are planned.
Natural England also emphasised that the value of high quality green spaces should not be confined to eco-towns. To achieve their potential, it is essential that the proposed green space and sustainability standards for eco-towns are rolled out into future urban planning policy.
CoSERG Comment
'Natural England' is right to emphasise the importance of green space in existing urban areas. It is a policy area which has often been misused in the past. Too often green space has been defined narrowly as formal park areas or simply an expanse of mown grass. In this process areas of important habitat and informal green areas have often been destroyed .
For More......www.naturalengland.org.uk
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Eco-towns - Consultation
Departments: Communities and Local Government
Date published: 04 November 2008
A number of documents available with links below:
Eco-towns PPS...ppsecotowns
Eco-towns: Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment of the Draft Eco-towns Planning Policy Statement and the Eco-towns Programme - Non-Technical Summary....nontechsummaryecotowns
Eco-towns: Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment of the Eco-towns Programme - St Austell (China Clay Community)....staustell
Eco-towns: Draft Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment of the Draft Eco-towns Planning Policy Statement - Annex: Profile of European sites.....sustainabilityappraisalchapters
And also.....ecotowns