CLA responds to launch of Nature Recovery Green Paper

THE UK Government has published a Nature Recovery Green Paper that is designed to help meet its target of protecting 30% of the England's land by 2030 to support the recovery of wildlife. The CLA (Country Land and Business Association) responds…

The paper's wide wide ranging proposals includes:-

► A consolidated, stream lined approach to wildlife site designation with a more science based approach.

► Reform of Habitats Regulation Assessment.

► Encouraging woodland creation by identifying land that is low risk for woodland creation and making it easier to plant trees in these places.

► Reform species protection regulations, looking at:- protection, licensing, enforcement and wildlife crime.

► Developing proposals to support private sector markets to help finance nature recovery.

► The Government also announced a series of new targets, including halting decline in species abundance by 2030, and then increasing species abundance by at least 10% by 2042.

Responding to the launch, CLA President Mark Tufnell said:- "The fact that we have continued to experience such rapid decline in species abundance shows that the existing rules do not work. Farmers and land managers are ready and willing to play an even greater role in nature's recovery, but too often are hampered by restrictive regulations and slow moving processes. Now we are out of the EU we are able to make sensible changes to outdated and bureaucratic regulation, and this Green Paper is an important step towards creating a more robust and workable regulatory regime that will allow land managers to further their contribution to nature recovery."

Applications to open for Landlord Licensing

APPLICATIONS open on Friday, 18 March 2022, for Liverpool City Council's new Landlord Licensing Scheme, which will cover around 80% of privately rented properties when it begins in April. The new scheme, which runs until April 2027, is based on poor property conditions, targeting the 16 wards in the City where at least 1 in 5 homes is owned by a private Landlord.

Around 45,000 of the 55,000 properties in the original City-wide scheme; which ran from 2015 to 2020 are covered, giving the Council additional powers to drive up standards and keep vulnerable tenants safe, such as:- tackling fire and electrical safety hazards, excess cold and damp and prevent and tackle anti-social behaviour.

The wards included are:- Central, Riverside, Greenbank, Kensington, Picton, Tuebrook and Stoneycroft, County, Anfield, St Michael's, Princes Park, Kirkdale, Old Swan, Warbreck, Wavertree, Fazakerley and Everton.

Landlords signing up before the end of June 2022 will benefit from an early bird discount which will take the total cost of a 5 year licence down to ₤380 per property, rather than ₤550.

This discount will be extended to Landlords who are new to the rental market if they apply for a licence before the property is tenanted, or for those who buy a property with a tenant in situ within 14 days of the completion of purchase.

A number of other discounts will also be in place:-

► ₤50 - for each property with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or above.

► ₤50 - for each property licenced by the same licence holder in the same block of flats.

► ₤30 - for each property if the licence holder has an active membership of a professional body related to housing.

There will be no charge for Landlords offering permanent accommodation to meet homelessness duties, providing the property meets licence standards.

Applications are made online and payment; which covers the 5 years of the scheme; is in 2 parts:-

► The 1st payment is for the administration needed to process and issue licence applications, including checks to make sure a licence holder is fit and proper. Applicants will also need to attach supporting documents such as a valid gas safety certificate.

► The 2nd payment will be requested once the licence has been deemed suitable to be granted and leads to checks for compliance and the enforcement of licence conditions.

► A list of fees and charges is at:- Liverpool.Gov.UK and Landlords can start the application process on this page from Friday, 18 March 2022.

► Landlord Licensing is separate to HMO (Houses of Multiple Occupation) licensing, which is already mandatory and covers over 2,600 properties. The City Council will continue to provide a reactive service dealing with complaints and referrals covering all private rental properties.

An evaluation of the 2015 to 2020 City wide licensing scheme found:-

► Over 34,000 inspections of licensed properties had been completed, which identified 65 per cent of properties were not fully compliant on the 1st visit.

► Identification of 4,350 cases of the most serious category 1 and 2 hazards including:- disrepair and excess cold affecting the health and wellbeing of residents.

► Issuing of more than 2,500 legal notices, 169 formal cautions and 197 written warnings.

► More than 300 successful Landlord offence prosecutions and issuing of 87 civil penalties.

The scheme is pivotal to the success of the Council Plan and the City Plan, both of which aim to ensure residents live in a safe, inclusive and welcoming neighbourhood.

Cabinet Member for Strategic Development and Housing, Councillor Sarah Doyle, said:- "The launch of our new Landlord Licensing scheme is a major step forward in giving us the tools to improve our neighbourhoods. Too many vulnerable people in our City are in poor housing conditions, paying rent to a Landlord who doesn't carry out essential maintenance to keep them warm and safe. The Landlord Licensing scheme gives us regulation of private rented houses, so that we can take action when concerns are raised. Under the previous scheme, Council intervention forced bad Landlords into taking action to improve their properties. Poor electrical and fire safety standards are a danger to life and damp and anti social behaviour contribute to poor health and mental wellbeing."