Garden Design and Consultancy

NFU hits out at EU's "poor science" behind pesticide ban

The NFU has reacted angrily to a compromise agreement on EU control of pesticide use, and has called for farmers...

Tulip and rose production under threat

Members of the European Parliament's agricultural and rural affairs committee last week heard that the latest EU proposals would hit...

Health campaign in jeopardy as fresh produce faces tighter rules

Efforts to increase consumption of fruit and vegetables to improve the nation's health are being undermined by the proposed legislation,...

Plans will hit ornamentals and retail hard, Adlam warns

Ornamentals growers could lose many "very effective and familiar products" due to the EU pesticide proposals that will be considered...

Loss of insecticide treatments will leave UK pea and bean producers at a disadvantage

Even following revisions to the original plans, there are so few pesticides available for peas and beans, the losses are...

Resistance worries for fruit production

Using the PSD's revised assessment, Dr Jerry Cross of East Malling Research has drawn up a list of significant active...

Pesticides watchdog reveals low residues

The public has virtually nothing to fear from pesticide traces in food, according to the UK's top watchdog, which revealed...

Weed control costs set to spiral

Weed control costs for landscaping projects could increase 10-fold if significant herbicides are lost due to changes to Directive 91/414/EEC.

EU-wide pesticide loss assessment crucial

A Europe-wide impact assessment on the potential effects of the proposed EU pesticides legislation is "absolutely crucial" before the rules...

PSD report confirms potential product losses 'serious' for horticulture

The Pesticides Safety Directorate's (PSD's) revised assessment of the latest EU proposals on pesticides confirms that between 14 and 23...

Burglaries at garden centre blamed on credit crunch

A spate of burglaries at Foxwood Garden Centre in Durham is due to the credit crunch, according to owner Kenny...

CABE slams landscaping of 2012 Velodrome

The landscape of the Velodrome in the Olympic Park could "alienate local communities and visitors", according to CABE's design review...

Strong euro favours British Plant Fair

The first British Plant Fair of the year looks set to be well-attended by exhibitors, with 36 growers signed up.

Leicester offers 5-year arb contract

Leicestershire County Council is looking for a forestry and arboricultural maintenance firm to look after trees on its council properties.

Wrest Park makeover secures £139.5k funds boost

Plans to restore Wrest Park to its original splendour received a boost as the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awarded English...

Bangor land expert to join Council of Food Policy Advisers

A leading land and growing expert has been chosen by the Government to form part of the new Council of...

Flood mitigation tops agenda with drainage workshop and equipment demos

After a wet autumn and winter, drainage will be on the minds of many greenkeepers and grounds.

Golf course legislation beater

Keeping up-to-date with the ever-stricter environmental legislation in relation to the golf industry is now an essential part of a...

Parks guru Alan Barber appointed OBE

Parks guru Alan Barber has been appointed OBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours list 2009.

David Bright targets costs with perennial cover

A seed specialist has launched a cost-effective cover aimed at shoot managers wanting to trim budgets because of the credit...

Lib Dem Cable speaks on reasons for record slump

Liberal Democrat treasury spokesman Vince Cable has attributed a mix of buyer confidence concerns and the collapse of the mortgage lending industry to the record house price falls included in a recently published Halifax report.

Isle of Man boasts rising house prices

The Isle of Man saw house prices rise four per cent throughout 2008, one estate agent has claimed, in a move that could motivate interest in the marketplace.

Homes in Scotland now 'more affordable'

Homes in Scotland have become largely more affordable throughout 2008, a Herald report has claimed, suggesting 11 more of the 30 council areas throughout the country can now be labelled as affordable for those on an average salary.

First-time buyers 'may return by year-end'

Property buyers could celebrate 2009 as the year of the first-time buyer, it has been suggested.

Bold buyers could return this year

Forecasts that the housing market will turn around between 2011 and 2013 have been given a shot of confidence by a recent report which claims many buyers will purchase property even before the market bottoms out.

BBA records mortgages dropping by third

The British Banking Association (BBA) has published research showing a significant drop in the number of mortgages approved throughout November.

1 in 5 homes taking a year to sell

New research has found that the housing markets in some areas of Britain are suffering so much that a fifth of all homes on the market have remained on sale from the start of 2008.

Repossessions to rocket in 2009

The number of repossessions predicted for the coming year continues to look bad as the recent publication of research from homeless charity Crisis provides a particularly bleak outlook.

Popularity gaining among commercial property

The commercial property market has been predicted to offer rental yields in 2009 high enough to warrant investment in the market despite the predicted falls in value, it has been suggested.

Year-end accompanies optimism

The end of 2008 has come along with more small glimmers of hope among estate agents, it has been reported, suggesting that the housing market may improve throughout 2009.

House prices 'will drop 35%'

A leading market analyst announced recently that the chances of the housing market returning to strength next summer are low, instead claiming that there is a greater chance that prices will fall for another two years.

Lettings and landlords looking good in 2009

Landlords and letting agents alike can afford to look confidently towards the coming year, one analyst has said recently.

Capital properties 'near bottoming out'

Estate agent Savills has released research explaining the possibility that the property market in London could see a return in value next year.

Property prices drop £22,000

The average property in Britain has seen £22,083 wiped from its value in 2008, it has been reported.

No house price forecast from CML

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has decided that it will not publish its annual house price forecast this year, following one of the worst 12 months in recent history.

NAEA offers mixed messages

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) has given a mixed outlook on the year ahead with the publication of a report detailing both falling prices and rising first-time buyer sales.

Repossessions could hit 1991 levels

The number of homes repossessed next year could match levels not seen since 1991 if predictions are correct, it has been reported

Mortgage lending drops to below half

Recent research into the gross amount of mortgage lending recorded in 2008 shows that the year to November 2008 experienced a 51 per cent fall in cash lent.

Almost 50% of Brits would still buy property now

Almost half of the respondents to a recent survey regarding the current housing market have stated that, despite poor market conditions, they would still buy a home, it has been reported.

Repossessed homes increasingly sent to auction

The number of repossessed homes sent to be sold at auction has doubled in the past year, recent research has shown.

Asking prices likely to redouble 10% drop

Recent research from Rightmove has suggested that asking prices for UK properties are likely to drop as fast in 2009 as they have done this year so far.

2010 could see house prices rising

It has been widely agreed that the next 12 months is going to be an unpredictable time for the housing market, but a growing number of analysts are claiming that house prices will rise in 2010.

Rightmove property feed now accepted at Houseladder

After many requests, Houseladder has updated their website to be able to accept Rightmove version 3 and 3a bulk property data feeds for <font style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: red">FREE</font>.

House prices 'to drop a full 15 per cent in 2009'

The chief executive of Barclays Bank, John Varley, has offered one of the more conservative estimates of 2009 house price falls to Sky News.

Government makes attempt to attract buyers

Home loans for first-time buyers could be made more affordable once again as a result of government financial aid, it has been reported.

Renting favoured by young professionals

The Trade Unions' Congress (TUC) has published a report which finds renting is the most popular form of living for young people, given the current market.

Canary Wharf sees rush to sell property

The number of homes available for sale in Tower Hamlets, the London borough home to Canary Wharf, has jumped sharply in the past month, it has been discovered, showing the true effect of the recent job losses in the City.

Housing market 2009 open to debate

A recent Times report has given mixed opinions of the coming year, suggesting that it could either play host to the housing market regaining confidence or experiencing greater falls in value than those seen in 2008.

Cost of trackers to fall by £9bn

The recent Bank of England base rate cuts now mean that by next Christmas a total saving of &#163;9 billion could be enjoyed by homeowners with tracker mortgages.

Banks 'playing a part' in rapid house price falls

Banks which insist on selling repossessed homes at bargain prices through property auctions are partly responsible for the rate at which house prices have been falling, it has been claimed.

Students queue in street to rent

Students in Oxford have begun queuing overnight outside estate agents, despite sub-zero temperatures, in order to secure a rental property, it has been reported.