Land Business Tracker | February 2023

Welcome to our quarterly tracker of key land management, farming, planning and energy regulation and legislation.

We try to keep the Tracker as concise as possible and to only focus on what is significant. However we have noticed, over the past year or so, that that list has become longer and we think that this is a result of proposals, regulations and legislation taking longer to pass and also due to an increase in ambition from governments in what they want to deliver through policy.

Below we feature the items to implement and monitor now for each sector. To read more information on each sector download the Land Business Tracker.

Employment

Implement:

• National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates (UK)
• Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (UK) 

Monitor:

• Making flexible working the default (England, Scotland & Wales)

Economy

Implement:

• Charities Act 2022 (England & Wales)
• Protect Duty (UK)

Monitor:

• Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill (UK – but application varies) 

Environment

Implement:

• Controlling the felling of trees (UK)
• Powers to enforce measures against hare coursing (England and Wales)

Monitor:

• Net Zero Strategy (UK) 
• Environmental targets and Environmental Improvement Plan
• Water abstraction and impounding licensing in England: changes to the regulatory framework (England)
• Guiding principles on the environment: draft statutory guidance (Scotland)
• New National Parks for Scotland (Scotland)
• Wildlife Management (Grouse) Bill (Scotland)

Farming

Implement:

• Agricultural support schemes (England)
• The Official controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations 2020 (England, Scotland & Wales)

Monitor:

• Delivering our vision for Scottish agriculture – proposals for a new Agriculture Bill (Scotland)
• Agricultural Bill (Wales)
• Soil Carbon Code (UK)

Food

Monitor:

• Good Food Nation Act (Scotland)
• Food Bill (Wales)

Planning

Implement:

• Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (England & Wales)
• Draft National Planning Framework 4(Scotland)

Monitor:

• Local Development planning – regulations and guidance: consultation (Scotland)
• Permitted Development Rights review (Scotland)

Property

Implement:

• The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 (UK)
• The Building  Safety Act (UK – but application varies)
• Business rates relief (UK)
• Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England & Wales)
• The Fire Safety Act 2021 (England and Wales)
• The Land reform Act 2016 (Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land) Regulations 2021 (Scotland)
• Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland)

Monitor:

• Heat and Buildings strategy (UK)
• Energy Security Bill: Energy Performance of Premises (UK)
• Built environment – proposed construction product competence standard – White Paper (UK)
• Changes to permitted development rights for electronic communications infrastructure (UK)
• Modernising the reservoir safety regime (UK)
• Land Reform Bill (Scotland)
• Second Homes in Wales – higher council tax (Wales)
• Second Homes in Wales – statutory licensing scheme (Wales)
• Second Homes in Wales – higher Land transaction tax (Wales)

Residential Lettings

Implement:

• Right to Rent checks (UK)
• Electrical safety in the private rented sector (England)
• Domestic smoke and carbon monoxide alarms (England)
• Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Bill 2022 (Scotland)
• Civic Government Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 (Scotland)
• Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales)
• The Non-Domestic Rating (Amendment of Definition of Domestic Property) (Wales) Order 2022 (Wales)

Monitor:

• Renter’s Reform Bill and A Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper (England)
• The Decent Homes Standard (England)
• Government review into short-term tourist accommodation(England)
• A New Deal for Tenants – draft Rented Sector Strategy Consultation (Scotland)
• Energy Efficiency (Domestic Private Rented Property) Regulations (Scotland)
• Consultation on a Statutory licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation providers (Wales)

Taxation

Implement:

• Annual Investment Allowance and 130% ‘super deduction’ (UK)
• Registration of Trusts with HMRC (UK)

To read more information on each sector download the Land Business Tracker below.