HIP report may recommend security and fire assessment

Newsblast

Submitted by: MikeC (Admin) on 09-Feb-10 02:38:32 PM

The Home Affairs select committee last week discussed The Government’s Approach to Crime Prevention. It took evidence from Sebastian Conrad of the Home Office Design and Technology Alliance, a Government initiative to “design out” the risk of crime in products and buildings.

Mr Conrad revealed how he was working and lobbying, alongside the CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment), to include recommendations in the forthcoming HIPs report (a “pet project”) for “safety and security” disclosures to be made within Home Information Packs.

(You can watch the hearing on Parliament TV’s Player - 25mins in – or watch the newsblast below)

What isn’t known is whether the HIP report he speaks of is the same one commissioned by the Govt., due for publication in the Summer. If it is, then it suggests that the CLG is open to ideas on expanding its role, not binning it, as reported last November (see Estate Agent Today Sucks).

But then, isn’t the report supposed to be an assessment of HIPs, rather than a consultation?

And how would the public feel about more inspectors poking around their home? Or if the property is to be judged without an inspection, can it be judged at all? OK it’s got an alarm, but does it work?

Northgate slash fees

The competition for Domestic Energy Assessors stepped up again over the weekend after Northgate announced a change to the way it charges for lodgements.

It has done away with joining and membership fees (now free) and introduced a sliding scale of lodgement fees tied to service levels.

There are three options starting at £3 for email-only support and 15 year document storage, rising to £4 for the full-monty. (Landmark fees additional.)

You can upgrade anytime but cannot downgrade until annual renewal.

Full details: Northgate Options.

Branson warns oil crunch in five years

The next five years will see us face another crunch – the oil crunch. This time, we do have the chance to prepare. The challenge is to use that time well

Branson warns of oil crunch within five years | Business | The Guardian

You’ve probably missed a few screencasts because I’ve had little time to post them here. You can catch up at Screenr and there’s a couple on Screentoaster, including one on how to combat negative online reputation.

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