Successful appeal highlights uncertainty for contaminated land regime

The powers of local authorities to force landowners to deal with contaminated land are looking somewhat less secure following a landmark successful appeal by a landowner against a local authority.

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The case concerned a site which had been a gasworks in the 1950s. In 1972 it was sold by Walsall Council, with planning permission for housing. A developer bought the land and 90 homes were subsequently built.

Walsall Council investigated the land for contamination in 2007 and in 2012 decided that there were contaminants within two zones on the land. They served a remediation notice on the developer, presumably hoping that he would employ land remediation services to clean up the site. However, he appealed and the Secretary of State allowed the appeal, on the basis that the remediation notice and its estimate of possible harm was not soundly based in science. Therefore, the definition of the land as ‘contaminated’ was not reasonable.

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As the local Walsall paper has pointed out, since the council insisted the land was contaminated, it now faces a bill for land remediation services to clean it up http://www.ashremediation.co.uk/.

Guidance on contamination rulings

The developer had other grounds for appealing, and the Secretary of State gave guidance on these. Effectively the guidance was:

The person committing the contamination must be responsible for ‘causing or knowingly permitting’ the introduction of the specific contaminating substance. They need to know the substance is there and to be able to remove it but fail to do so.

The council did not sell the site with the relevant information on contaminants. The contract acknowledged parts of the site might not be suitable for building but didn’t inform the developer about the presence of a specific contaminant. However, when the developer found out about this later, he then became what the law calls a ‘knowing permitter’ of contamination.

Winners and losers from this appeal decision

People who have sold sites that were historically contaminated and which have since been redeveloped, may be welcoming this decision. It will be less welcome news for developers now and it will be very unwelcome to local authorities, who may now not wish to serve remediation notices, given that the responsible person would almost certainly appeal, and the council might find public opinion insisting that they pay to clean up the site.

 

Open a Business: What comes before the business plan?

Open a Business

The business plan is a necessary step whenever you choose to open a business. But how to manage the time before the business plan?

Even before you make a business plan, what other activities should play to start properly a business project?

The business plan is a key document but certainly takes time and resources to be drawn up, for this additional planning is necessary to enable an agile enterprise guide to her earliest moments of life, let’s call for simplicity: pre-business plan.Continue reading →

Keep Your Staff Engaged Through Corporate Events

Staff engagement is a workplace approach meaning that staff have an emotional commitment to their employer and share its goals and ethics. It also means ensuring that staff feel they are listened to and respected by the organisation they work for, and that they have a significant input into major decisions or developments.

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Why Is Having ‘Engaged’ Staff Good for Your Business?

There are many benefits to having engaged staff. Staff who feel engaged with their role and/or company are less likely to be off sick. According to research carried out by performance-management consulting company Gallup, engaged employees in the UK take an average of 2.69 sick days per year, while the disengaged take 6.19. Research suggests that offices with ‘engaged’ staff were considerably (as much a 43%) more productive.

When staff feel engaged, they are far more likely to stay with the organisation for a longer amount of time. This saves on recruitment costs and helps keep those employees with the knowledge and experience. Engaged staff who feel they have a real part to play in the organisation often improve efficiency by creating new products, services and processes.

Examples of Team-Building Corporate Events

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Engaging team-building activities can include paintballing, treasure hunts, sailing or whitewater rafting. These can be useful for building team spirit, resolving conflicts and learning what makes your colleagues tick whilst also creating a memorable shared experience. From London to Leicester team building corporate events can be great fun as well as making a hugely positive difference to your business.

If you are based in or around Leicester and would like to see what team-building events are available, then take a look at a company such as https://www.armourgeddon.co.uk/team-building-corporate-events.html today.

Holding a corporate event that can be attended by all employees is a great way to make staff feel that they are a valuable asset to your company. Many companies hold annual awards ceremonies where staff are recognised for a variety of achievements such as ‘innovator of the year’ or ‘motivator of the year’. Other examples of corporate team-building events include a company trip to the theatre or theme park or a meal at a top restaurant.

A workforce that knows that hard work will be recognised and rewarded is likely to be happier, perform better and work extra hard to meet targets.

West Country Firearms Officers to Be Given Body Worn Video Cameras

Firearms officers across Dorset, Devon and Cornwall are to be issued with body cameras following a successful trial.

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Evidence Gathering

A total of 270 authorised firearms officers across two forces will use the cameras to capture evidence after a public consultation on their usage. Dorset Police claims that the use of the cameras has led to an increase in the number of early guilty pleas in domestic abuse cases where offenders know that their crimes have been recorded.

The decision is a significant development in the way police use technology in order to gain evidence for victims. It reduces the likelihood of witnesses having to speak in court when an offender enters an early guilty plea.

Using a body worn camera gives both officers and potential offenders greater transparency, a Dorset Police spokesman claimed. They added that this leads to the public feeling reassured when interacting with the police and demonstrates the professionalism of its officers.

The body worn cameras are to be attached to officers’ uniforms but won’t permanently record. All footage captured complies with national guidance and is subject to legal safeguards. Once an officer returns to his or her station, the footage is uploaded on to secure servers, with any video not needed for evidence automatically deleted within 31 days.

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Members of the public can apply for any footage taken of them under Freedom of Information Data Protection laws within 31 days, unless it is retained as police evidence.

Reducing Complaints

According to the BBC, body cameras can dramatically reduce the number of complaints against police officers. Researchers believe that that both the public and police adjust their behaviour when they are being used.

Dorset Police said the scheme came in response to public expectations to make the police more accountable for their actions. The Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, Martyn Underhill, said: “Public surveys undertaken by me over three years have shown consistent support from the public in introducing this tactic to the policing of Dorset. “Body worn videos are a win-win scenario for the police, the victim and the courts.”

Fast becoming a standard piece of police equipment in the UK, these types of cameras were first introduced a decade ago and are thought to now be available to the majority of front-line officers.

3 Keys to help you stand above your competition

stand above your competition

The entrepreneurial spirit nowadays has become more volatile, increasing competition more than ever. Industries are changing rapidly, technology is steadily advancing, and political and social changes are affecting the way we do business.

In short, everything is changing and we should not be left behind. So what does an entrepreneur or management team need to focus on being the first in the game?

We believe that there are three distinctive attributes that can put your company ahead of the competition : make sure that your customers experience runs smoothly, pay attention to developments within your industry, and start aligning with technologies Emerging as fast as possible.Continue reading →

How To Keep Your Business Going And Growing

invest in 2017

If business growth is your primary objective this year, note that there are all kinds of strategies you can deploy to realize the goal. Here are three of them:

1. Know The Local Laws.

One strategy you can implement to keep your organization moving forward is knowing your company’s local laws. This technique is empowering because it can help you and your employees stay out of legal trouble that detracts from your ability to work productively. There are numerous strategies you can implement to learn about local laws. One of them is learning about UKPC and the parking regulations the organization is now enforcing. You can learn more about how the public is responding to parking charges by visiting the HotUKDeals website.

2. Focus On Staff Development.

In addition to knowing the local laws, make sure that you focus in on staff development. This technique is empowering because it enables you to keep your employees growing in a way that optimizes their professional and personal potential. In addition to making them more effective in completing their daily tasks, focusing on staff development will almost always increase the employee’s loyalty to your company. When this happens, you can expect your staff members to consistently operate in excellence. There are multiple strategies you can deploy to help your employees start growing in a dynamic way. One is by signing them up for ongoing educational courses. Also note that meeting with your clients in a one-on-one setting is a wonderful way to learn more about their needs and determine which course of action to take to maximize their strengths and eliminate all weaknesses.

3. Optimize Your Level Of Health.

Oftentimes, business owners find that the process of growing their companies engenders a great deal of stress. Unfortunately, many corporate leaders fail to implement health strategies that will enable them to mediate and limit anxiety. Yet you should. Failing to do so could lead to burnout and also compromise work performance. Luckily, there are hundreds of wellness techniques you can use to optimize your level of health. One of them is replacing caffeinated beverages with green juices and fruit smoothies. Another is meditating for at least ten minutes per day.

Start Moving Your Company Forward Today!

Business owners who are serious about growing their companies should know that they can. Three techniques you can utilize to realize the objective include knowing your local laws, focusing on staff development, and optimizing your level of health!

Tips for Transforming Your Home Hobby into a Legitimate Small Business

When you’re coming up with ideas for a new small business, it’s only natural to take a look at what you already enjoying doing around the house. Of course, it’s easier to transition some hobbies into actual careers than others, so where should someone begin? In order to help answer this question, as well as some of the other most common ones surrounding new small businesses, this guide will look at several tips for converting an existing hobby into something that can help you generate a recurring income.

Create the Illusion of a Workplace

After setting up your small business, you’ll probably be working from home in the early days. While working from home can be great for productivity, it can be difficult to convince potential customers of your legitimacy though. With that in mind, notary New York City firms like Fulfillment Services USA specialize in helping businesses to create the illusion of a professional workplace. For instance, you could hire professional services to take care of all of your shipping needs, until your business has grown enough to utilize a warehouse. Similarly, you can hire a mailing service to essentially provide your company with an alternate mailing address, so as to not make people send all of their business related mailings directly to your home. Once you’ve created a separation between your work and home life, it will be much easier to organize things and stay productive.

Dress for Success

Even if you’re working from home, that doesn’t mean you should dress like it. Studies have shown that people are substantially more productive when they dress for the task at hand. For instance, if people wake up and stay in their pajamas while attempting to conduct work, they’re actually much more likely to procrastinate and avoid doing anything that requires their full concentration. To avoid falling into this psychological trap, prepare each morning as if you were getting ready to leave for an office. Once your mind settles into the rhythm, you’ll be amazed at how much of an impact it can potentially have on your work speed.

While these tips can’t guarantee the success of your new venture, they can at least provide you with some of the tools to pursue that success yourself. You’ll notice that these tips focus primarily on psychological tools, and that’s not a coincidence. Once you’ve developed a solid mindset, your business will have a much greater chance of finding success.

The Essential Components Of A Good Online Store

In the new digital world, online retail stores are becoming more prominent. People are finding that shopping at home and waiting a day or two for their products to arrive is preferable to fighting traffic and having a limited selection. If you want to cash in on the online retail industry, then you need a good website. As part of that good website, there are features you need to attract and retain the traffic that will generate revenue.

Shopping Cart

One of the most prominent elements of your online retail website is your shopping cart. When you put your website together, you need to choose the latest shopping cart ecommerce software that has all of the updated security and transaction features. Online shopping carts are constantly evolving, and you need to make sure that you get the right software for your online store.

Security Certificate

When consumers visit your online retail store, they will be checking your website URL to make sure your site is secure. A normal website begins with the “http://” address, but a secure site begins with “https://.” If you do not have that “s” at the start of your website address, you will not get the kind of traffic you are hoping for. You get that “s” by investing the best possible online security certificate your web host offers. This may cost a few more dollars than you want to pay, but it will pay for itself in increased consumer traffic.

Product Videos

The successful online retail stores are investing the necessary time and money into creating videos for their products. If you carry products from other manufacturers, then ask those manufacturers for videos you can add to your website. A product video not only shows potential consumers what the product can do, it also heightens the feeling of need the consumer has for the product.

Customer Service Online

In the early days of online retail, it was a common practice to put a phone number on the website where customers could call for issues such as product returns or tracking deliveries. But more and more online retail stores are putting these features online to save customers time. Instead of trying to get customers to call a toll free number for customer service, you should create a customer service section of your website where consumers can return damaged products, track orders, and review their account information.

Customer Feedback

Until recently, most retail websites offered very few options for customers to give their opinions on the company’s products or level of service. But as marketing professionals learn how to properly use customer feedback, it is becoming an essential part of every retail website. You should set up customer surveys on various aspects of your business that can be filled out during the purchase process, or immediately after a purchase has been made. Your surveys should allow customers to opt-in on receiving marketing emails, which will allow you to send out surveys periodically to get input on your company’s service after the sale.

The world seems to prefer shopping online, and there is plenty of room on the Internet for retailers who want to go digital. If you do decide to pursue an online retail website, you should remember to include the key elements your site will need to attract consumers.

Keep reading opening pet store step by step.