…the blog and website of Andy Wightman
Interesting announcement today [broken link – Nov 2023] by the English Housing and Planning Minister, John Healey. He proposes that Parish Councils be given powers to build affordable housing by extending the scope of permitted development rights. Individual planning applications
Continue readingGood coverage of Treasury Committee report in the Herald on Saturday. Front page story Inside feature (please note that paragraphs 4 and 5 should NOT have quotation marks) Editorial 5 April Follow up piece on Herald website (Dated 4 April)
Continue readingThe Scottish Government has just published its consultation paper [broken link – Nov 2023] on legislation to reform long leases and allows for their conversion into full ownership. This follows up the Scottish Law Commission’s Conversion of Long Leases report
Continue readingFor the last few years a growing number of people have been calling for the easing of the complex and restrictive licensing terms imposed by the Ordnance Survey for use of their digital maps. I have had my own horror
Continue readingGood to hear Professor James Lovelock who, at 90, is still making us think. “trying to save the planet is a lot of nonsense” I’ve always thought that.
Continue readingThe Treasury Select Committee today published the report of its inquiry into the management of the Crown Estate. This represents an important stage in the ongoing debate about the future of the Crown Estate Commission and I have prepared a
Continue readingGood news in East Ayrshire – Council is to appoint a paralegal to investigate the common good in Cumnock, Darvel, Gaslton, Kilmarnock, Newmilns & Greenholm and Stewarton. Further details here.
Continue readingYesterday, at First Minister’s questions in the Scottish Parliament, Alex Salmond again argued that Scotland’s seabed should be controlled in Scotland “Yes, we have an enormous renewable energy resource off the shores of Scotland and this Government is hugely in
Continue readingThere’s a conference in Inverness today about the community right to buy. I should probably be there but I can’t afford to take a day off work, the train ticket is over £40 and I’m kinda skint right now. The
Continue readingForgive me for continuing this thread on Scotland’s seabed but I’ve just caught sight of an interview on 16th March with Alex Salmond about Scotland’s marine renewables potential. Now I think that the progress made with marine renewables is very
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