It's not just the beginning of a new financial year on the 6th of April but also the intended commencement date for various regulations which will affectdevelopers in the following ways:

1) The Site Waste Management Plans Regulations come into force and require any person intending to carry out a construction project with an estimated value in excess of £300,000 to prepare a Site Waste Management Plan before they start work on site (with additional information needed for developments worth more than £500,000). There is a useful template for the Plan on: http://www.wrap.org.uk/construction/. The Waste Resource Action Programme (WRAP) has other guidance on reducing waste.

2) There is a proposed increase in fees for planning applications, deemed planning applications, applications for consent to display advertisements and requests for written confirmation of compliance with conditions. It is estimated most planning fees will increase by 25% (although a smaller increase for alterations to existing dwellings is intended).The draft regulations can be seen on: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/draft/pdf/ukdsi_9780110809892_en.pdf

3) With waterside developments watch out for the water voles! Whereas previously they had their places of shelter protected they have now entered the list of species in danger of extinction, along with the the Roman snail, the spiny and short snouted seahorses and the angel shark. Developers may be concerned they unwittingly commit an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA) although they may find a defence where harm is done unintentionally or could not be reasonably foreseen in carrying out a lawful activity.

4)New Builds will require a HIP from 6th April 2008

A reminder that as from 1st October 2008 the Companies (Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2008 come into effect. They require all companies to disclose certain information on their websites which includes their registered name and number, its registered office and physical location and if it isn't apparent the fact that it is a limited company. Any reference to share capital must be to paid-up share capital. There are fines for any breach.

SEE Previuos Article of 25/05/2007:

Carbon Footprints

A lot of attention has been drawn to the commencement of the Home Information Pack (HIP) on the !st of June on the sale of a dwelling. One of the constituent parts of the HIP is the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which gives a rating as to energy efficiency for the home. This has been implemented by the UK government due to one of many directives issued by the European Union in their drive to improve energy efficiency, so whatever happens to the HIP the requirement of the EPC on dwellings is likely to remain. It's as well to remember that EPCs are going to be required for most commercial properties (non-dwellings) over the next few years as well. As from April 2008 an EPC is going to be required (1) for all newly constructed non-dwellings,(2) on the sale and renting out of non-dwellings with a useful floor area over 500 sq metres and (3) on some large public buildings. By October 2008 an EPC is to be required for all other buildings that are not dwellings. By the beginning of 2009 a valid report will be needed for all existing air conditioning systems with an output of more than 250Kw and with the remaining air conditioning systems requiring a report by 2011. Its all part of the EU drive to make us more aware of our carbon footprints