The annual Andrew Ludlow awards is a scheme that rewards the hard work of a short listed group of six innovative schemes, each aiming to tackle the problem of homelessness in London. With £50,000 available for a winner and two runners up, this is a valuable source of funds in the fight against destitution that, it seems, may only get harder.
To read more about why homelessness is becoming a serious issue for Great Britain, click here.
In order to show popular appreciation for the huge amounts of time, effort and money donated by groups of restorers up and down the country, The Daily Telegraph has helped to launch a new scheme “The English Heritage Angel Awards†for the best restoration project.
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Young, well-educated professionals are causing more than a quarter of all accidental house fires in the capital, according to new figures released on the 30th June by the London Fire Brigade.
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Up to 500,000 fridge freezers could be posing serious fire risks in homes and businesses across the country, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has warned.
The LFB said a fire in the capital last week, which was originally thought to have been caused by a lightning strike, was caused by a Beko appliance.
Beko has been alerted to the problem which the LFB says has caused 20 fires and one death in London since 2008.
Fire chiefs are urging people to check if they own particular models manufactured between January 2000 and October 2006. A full list can be found via the trading standards website here
Anyone with concerns should contact Beko by calling their free phone number on 0800 009 4837 or visiting www.beko.co.uk
Steve Turek, assistant commissioner for fire safety regulation, said: “Any fire can be lethal but the LFB is particularly concerned about this because fires involving any sort of fridge freezer develop rapidly and produce an enormous amount of toxic smoke.
“Having established this link, we have worked closely with Beko to ensure the public is kept safe.
“However, the brigade urges everyone who has a Beko fridge freezer to check it is not one of those highlighted by the company as potentially faulty.”
An interactive map covering 500 locations around the English and Welsh coasts has been published by the Environment Agency, highlighting the best and worst areas to bathe. The map allows holidaymakers, movers and locals alike a more informed choice over the best locations….
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Housing Benefit Changes Commence in April 2011
Changes may impact on anyone in the three main sections of the property market affected by Housing Benefit commencing from this April.
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Grant Shapps, the housing minister, told Radio 4 on the 3rd January when commenting on the end of boom and bust in the housing market, that it was not “within the gift of government to do that”. He stated that “I would be foolish to say that you can simply end boom and bust, you can’t.”
Mr Shapps did confirm that there were policies that the Government could use to influence the market such as those affecting mortgages and investments.
Contrast that with the exuberant comments coming out of 10 Downing Street in the early years of the Blair-Brown Government. “No more boom and bust.”
Such realism from a government minister seems rather novel and refreshing!
The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) have reported that although the number of houses on their books fell slightly in June, the number of house hunters rose.
The RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) report gives the opposite picture, with the number of house buyers down and housing stock up.
The monthly property market survey fact file from the Propertysurveying.co.uk team collating survey data from the building and property market. To read click here.
The Consumer Prices Index, which is used by the government to measure the annual inflation rate, rose to 3.4% last month (March). It was 3% in February. The increased price of petrol and diesel, and the knock-on effects of this on other sectors, is blamed for the increase. Also, the bad weather in January forced the price of certain produce up, as some vegetables became more scarce as a result.
Source: Office for National Statistics 20/4/10
