China to scrap millions of cars to improve air quality. 26 May 2014Last updated at 21:28 ET China's air quality is now a concern among its leaders China plans to remove six million vehicles that do not meet exhaust emission standards by the end of the year as a way of improving air quality. More than 300,000 vehicles will be decommissioned in the capital Beijing. Recent findings from the state's environmental agency showed that 31% of the air pollution in Beijing comes from vehicle exhaust fumes. Next year, the government plans to scrap up to five million vehicles from other regions. The action plan, aimed at strengthening control on vehicle emissions, "will be a major agenda item for the country's energy savings, emissions reductions, and low-carbon development during the next two years".
That is according to a statement on the government's web portal. The state council did not offer details on how the latest plan will be implemented. Nightly News: U.S. vet detained in North Korea finally returns home. New Islington, Manchester - project information | Urban Splash. New Islington (formerly the Cardroom Estate) was identified as one of English Partnership's (now the HCA) 'Millennium Communities' to be delivered as a public/private partnership. The great thing about our appointment as lead developer was that it was based on our reputation and not on any proposed plans. This meant that we could conduct true and meaningful consultation with the existing community and not impose an already developed plan on them. Taking on the development of what was one of Manchester's worst estates was always going to be a challenge. The bones of the plan came from architect Will Alsop's sketch, made with a glass of wine in one hand and a thick felt pen in the other – with Alsop there is no other way...
The plan is a great piece of strategic thinking, it is a great piece of urban design. We wanted New Islington to work like your favourite neighbourhood, but better. Our ambition was (and still is!) Call our sales team to find out more about homes at New Islington. High Street needs post-war scale rebuilding says report. 28 November 2013Last updated at 19:22 ET By Emma Simpson Business correspondent, BBC News Alternative use must be made of empty commercial properties Rejuvenating town centres requires radical action on a scale not seen since the building programmes of post-war Britain, according to a new report.
The Distressed Town Centre Property Taskforce says structural changes needed in retail are so fundamental, many towns and cities need reshaping. The taskforce was set up following Mary Portas's review of the High Street. The report calls on the government to designate town and city centres as key national infrastructure. In its scale and range, it is an unprecedented group. In other words, the folk who own and finance so much of our town centres have come up with their own solutions on what to do. Too many shops? One of the main recommendations is that the government should designate town and city centres as key national infrastructure in order to open up new funding opportunities. Scourge They include: Changing Urban Enviro Intro. Learning Zone Class Clips - The changing face of London: London Docklands - Geography Video.
Plans submitted for 265 homes on Jotmans green belt in Benfleet. Plans submitted for 265 homes on Jotmans green belt in Benfleet 6:00pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News Under threat - Jotmans Farm off Jotmans Lane, Benfleet GREEN belt campaigners have vowed to fight plans to build up to 265 homes in their leafy neighbourhood. Persimmon Homes has submitted proposals on behalf of company Charles Church to develop on green belt land south of Jotmans Lane, Benfleet after holding a two-day exhibition on the application last November.
The developer claims 12 years worth of affordable housing could be provided on the 35-acre site. However residents are determined to preserve the green fields and will be distributing 5,000 leaflets in the area to boost opposition. Susan Buhr, 73, of Jotmans Lane, Benfleet, who is member of the Save Jotmans Farm campaign group, said: “We will continue to fight these types of proposals for as long as developers submit them because ultimately they will affect our way of life. People who read this article also read. Benfleet homes plan earmarked for refusal. Benfleet homes plan earmarked for refusal 7:00am Thursday 26th September 2013 in News Benfleet homes plan earmarked for refusal CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a housing estate on a green belt site in Benfleet have been earmarked for refusal.
Developer Persimmon Homes is seeking to build 265 homes south of Jotmans Farm, claiming the proposals would go a long way to easing the borough’s housing shortage. More than 600 people have objected to the plans, saying road, health and education infrastructures would not cope with the influx of extra residents. Now, council officers have recommended the plans be rejected at a planning meeting next week. A Castle Point Council report, compiled by chief development control officer Kim Fisher, states: “The proposal represents inappropriate development in the green belt in respect of which the applicant has failed to advance any very special circumstances which might justify a departure from normal green belt policy. People who read this article also read. Toxic waste 'major global threat'
More than 200 million people around the world are at risk of exposure to toxic waste, a report has concluded. The authors say the large number of people at risk places toxic waste in a similar league to public health threats such as malaria and tuberculosis. The study from the Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross calls for greater efforts to be made to control the problem. The study carried out in more than 3,000 sites in over 49 countries. "It's a serious public health issue that hasn't really been quantified," Dr Jack Caravanos, director of research at the Blacksmith Institute and professor of public health at the City University of New York told the BBC's Tamil Service. The study identified the Agbobloshie dumping yard in Ghana's capital Accra as the place which poses the highest toxic threat to human life. The researchers say that the report has not been hidden from governments, and they are all aware of the issue.
The study warns that that Ghana's e-waste imports will double by 2020.