Rural Business Category
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Tractor weight and speed limits increased
Regulation to allow higher tractor speeds and heavier tractor and trailer combinations on Britain's roads will come into force from Spring 2015, the Government has announced. Under the changes, the maximum combination weight limit for tractors and trailers will increase from 24.39 tonnes to 31 tonnes, while the speed limit will increase to 25mph (40km/h), up from 20mph. The increase in combined weight means bigger tractors will be able to pull trailers without sacrificing cargo to meet the ...
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Basic Payment Scheme – last call to smallholders
Smallholders in England are reminded that they are rapidly approaching a key deadline to decide what approach to take to important EU rule changes. Around 18,000 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) claimants have less than five hectares and / or five entitlements, and may wish to consider transferring entitlements to another farmer before midnight on 21st October, as they prepare for the introduction of the new Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). They will ...
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Security updates needed post “Shellshock”
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is urging firms and individuals to make sure their IT systems are up-to-date. The warning comes after the identification of a flaw known as "Shellshock" which has been found in a software component called Bash. Apparently, Bash is a part of many Linux systems as well as the OS X operating system used by Apple Macs. The flaw potentially allows any computer with the vulnerability to be taken control of remotely. Security updates ...
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Bids invited for shale gas exploration
The Government has opened the bidding process for companies seeking licences to explore for shale gas. The licences won't give absolute agreement to drill beyond the exploratory stage, as any further drilling will require planning permission plus permits from the Environment Agency and a sign-off from the Health and Safety Executive. In addition, some specific planning guidance has been prepared for: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty; World Heritage Sites; National Parks; and The Broads The Department of Energy & Climate Change will ...
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Britain’s recycling stalls
British recycling is stalling: recycling rates rose just 0.2% between 2012 and 2013, partly because of the disjointed way recycling is organised across the UK. A new report from environmental think-tank, Green Alliance, claims the UK's recycling market isn’t working too well, to the extent that we are losing an estimated £1.7 billion in material and reuse value each year. Outdated policy means that a plastic bottle discarded at home is treated differently across the UK’s 376 ...
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Policy strengthening required to meet UK carbon budgets
A new report from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) concludes that the UK's carbon budgets can be met but only if the Government strengthens its key policies. The CCC’s latest progress report to Parliament says that the first carbon budget has been met but partly as a consequence of the recession. There has been strong progress in improving the fuel efficiency of new cars and the foundations have been laid for the electric vehicle market and ...
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Koi herpesvirus disease confirmed in Gloucestershire
Koi herpesvirus (KHV) disease has been confirmed in koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) in a fishery at Ford House Farm, Gloucestershire. The site is now subject to statutory controls to prevent or limit the spread of the disease.; fishery equipment disinfection and movement control measures are in place and anglers must ensure that they comply with all biosecurity measures within the designated area. The fishery owners voluntarily closed the affected water as soon as the disease problems began ...
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Renewable energy seals sale of one of Scotland’s largest estates
Knight Frank has revealed that it has acted in the sale of one of the largest Scottish estates which had an £11 million price tag on account of significant income potential from generating hydro-electricity. The 28,300-acre Auch & Invermearan Estate in Argyllshire and Perthshire has the potential for 15 hydro-electric schemes, one of which has already been commissioned, generating a gross income of £245,000 in its first year of operation. According to the firm, the estate also ...
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SMEs get new “bank rating” website
The Federation of Small Businesses has launched a new website showing results from a survey of thousands of UK SMEs, who were asked about their experience of the banks they use. The site, which is free to use, will be updated with new survey data every six months. It shows results in three main ways: Business Current Account - Shows scores for all the banks that respondents said they use for a current account. Each bank’s overall score is ...
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Weald shale-gas prospects written off
Having completed an estimate for the amount of shale gas in the Weald Basin in south-east England, the British Geological Survey has reported that "No significant gas resource is recognised using the current geological model". The news comes alongside the launch of a government consultation on proposals to simplify the existing procedure for shale gas and oil and deep geothermal underground drilling access. The proposals are: underground right of access for shale gas and deep geothermal operations only ...
