Category Archives: Blog

Unlimited penalties for business who pollute the environment

Back in September 2023 I wrote an article ‘It’s never been more prudent to be compliant’ about  a DEFRA consultation to review the financial penalties for environmental non-compliance. The fines for environmental offences relate to ‘Variable Monetary Penalties’ which were capped at £250,000, however the consultation considered a removal of that cap, and for the […]

Update to Fire Regulations for all businesses

Fire safety is crucial when it comes to demonstrating compliance as a small business. Ensuring that you have determined the risks posed by your activities, and that you have made arrangements to reduce or eliminate those risks are key steps to demonstrating how to ensure the safety of staff and guests alike. Regulations brought out […]

Landlords given reprieve from potentially costly energy upgrades

Government’s recent announcement in which many of its net zero plans were shelved or delayed, means that landlords will no longer be legally required to improve the energy efficiency of their rental properties. A consultation to amend The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 would have required landlords to ensure their […]

Keeping up with the pace of change

Well they say a week is a long time in politics. Never was this more true that the last few weeks when it comes to the environmental and sustainability agenda for the UK. It seems every time I write an article about legislative changes on the horizon to help shape the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan […]

It’s never been more prudent to be compliant

Back in April and May 2023 the Department for Environment Food and Rural affairs (DEFRA) launched a consultation to review the financial penalties for environmental non-compliance. Currently under the Environmental Civil Sanctions (England) Order 2010, there are a range of measures which the regulator can use to penalise businesses who break environmental laws. These include […]

Planning on gaining a sustainable future?

Impacts from the Environment Act 2021 are now starting to bite, and none more so than the introduction of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). Put simply BNG is development which leaves biodiversity in a better state than before, and from November 2023 planning consent through the Town and Country Planning Act will require projects to deliver […]