News item

BPF SUCCESSES IN 2008

Date

19th December 2008

Description

Here is a brief overview of the BPF's successes over the past 12 months.

Empty property rates
We have fought a high profile and vigorous three pronged campaign, collecting information on the impact from the removal of the relief to provide to the Government; marshalling support from MPs, councils, development agencies and trade bodies to put pressure on ministers; and raising the profile of the adverse consequences in the broadcast, national and regional press and trade magazines.

Landlord and tenant issues
We have provided our largest landlord members with the opportunity to share their experience of, and approaches from, those retail companies that are pushing for the introduction of monthly rents. The Owners’ and Occupiers’ Forum, which we established and administer, has brought together representatives from both sides to discuss the issues and explore areas of agreement. We have continued to promote the lease code 2007, the Commercial Landlords Accreditation Scheme (CLAS) and the Occupiers’ Satisfaction Index.

Community infrastructure levy
We have worked very closely with the civil servants drafting the enabling legislation for CIL and have recently succeeded in having references to the uplift in land values removed from the draft legislation. We are continuing to monitor and assist the Government to ensure the final Act is acceptable to the industry.

Planning reform
We have made highly influential inputs to the various consultations and reviews of the planning process and its operation, and have created our own Planning Manifesto outlining the twelve areas where we believe the planning system could be improved.

High density development and tall buildings
In response to concerns from some members that aesthetic and heritage issues were having a disproportionate effect on planning decisions for tall buildings, we commissioned independent research with financial support from British Land and Land Securities. The resulting report has been well received by property companies and local authorities.

Professional rented sector
We have succeeded in raising the profile of the professional rented sector within Government, both as a good thing in its own right and as a way of mitigating the impact of the housing crisis. We influenced the setting up of, and contributed to, the Rugg Review of the private rented sector, which recommends tax changes to support greater institutional investment.

REIT regime
Working both on our own and in association with colleagues in the Property Industry Alliance, we have continued to push the Government to extend the scope of the REITs regime and to encourage the establishment of residential REITs.

Greening of existing buildings
We have administered a Parliamentary inquiry into the measures that can be taken to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings, have continued to develop our methodology to help landlords and tenants monitor and reduce their carbon emissions from energy use and have advised the Government on the ways in which the property industry can reduce its carbon footprint.

Scotland
We have been at the forefront of a campaign to reform further the Scottish planning system and have achieved significant commitments to culture change in the planning service from the Scottish Government. We have also achieved a commitment from the Scottish Government to postpone fundamental reform of developer contributions.

Funding infrastructure
We have prepared a report, to be published shortly, calling for a broader debate on tax increment financing (funding infrastructure from the increase in local taxation flowing from new development) as a means of funding infrastructure.

Residential tenancy agreements
We have created a web based standard assured shorthold tenancy agreement, in five different versions, that has achieved the Plain English Campaign’s Crystal Mark. It will shortly be available to anyone to use.