Clearview South January 2014 - Issue 146 | Page 71

BUSINESSNEWS

HOUSING ACTIVITY
EASES A LITTLE
NHBC data for the three months to the end of October 2013 shows
31,600 housing starts, 19.0% above the same period in 2012, albeit
down 10% from the recent peak seen in July 2013.
The affordable sector (24.6% up) performed relatively stronger than
the private sector (17.0% up).
26,050 homes were completed in the three-month period, 3.1% more
than the same period in 2012. Meanwhile plots under construction
now sit at 140,900, 8.6% higher compared to the same time last year.

SIMPLIFIED PLANNING TO SPEED UP DELIVERY
OF NEW HOMES AND SUPPORT LOCAL JOBS
New measures will speed up the delivery
of homes by cutting down unnecessary
planning processes and providing more
certainty about where sensible development
should take place.
Proposals outlined will boost housebuilding
and support businesses keen to expand by
removing delays from the planning system,

stopping burdensome conditions and cutting
the costly red tape often faced by applicants.
The changes will also provide more certainty
for communities and developers by proposing
to make it a legal requirement for local
authorities to have a Local Plan in place. This
will ensure that councils engage with local
people about where homes, businesses and

services for their area should be located in the
future.
Planning Minister Nick Boles said: “These
proposals mark an important next step in
streamlining the planning system and ensuring
it is able to work efficiently to support the
development of new homes, infrastructure and
jobs we need.”

DRIVER AND VEHICLE
STANDARDS AGENCY NAMED
A new agency with
responsibility for maintaining
vehicle standards has been
launched as the Driver and
Vehicle Standards Agency
(DVSA), Transport Minister
Robert Goodwill has
announced.
The new agency, which employs
4,600 people throughout the UK,
will replace the Driving Standards
Agency (DSA) and the Vehicle
and Operator Services Agency
(VOSA) with responsibilities for
setting, testing and enforcing
driver and vehicle standards in
Great Britain.
Robert Goodwill said: “In June
the department announced that
DSA and VOSA would merge to