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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

PLEASE NOTE: A download link for Volume 1 will be sent to you by email and Volume 2 will be sent to you by post as a book.

Buy individually or both books together. Delivery is free!


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    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeFeb 24th 2017 edited
     
    According to an article in todays The Times...

    "Environmentally friendly schools will have to pay hundreds of pounds extra under changes to business rates."

    "According to the Solar Trade Association, the ratable value for self use solar panels will rise from £8 per kilo-watt to up to £61.60"

    The article mentions a school in London that paid £24K for their array (size unspecified) and they face an increase in business rates of £500 a year due to the PV array and £4000 on the rest of the school.
    • CommentAuthorEd Davies
    • CommentTimeFeb 24th 2017
     
    Will they be bringing back the window tax next?
    • CommentAuthorringi
    • CommentTimeFeb 24th 2017 edited
     
    The business rates are set according to how much the building would rent for, free electric increases the rent level. Likewise with good insulation levels, low running costs etc (but only if the person setting the rates knows.)
    •  
      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeFeb 24th 2017
     
    Why bother setting business rates instead of simply taxing business rents? That way there would be no need to revalue.
    •  
      CommentAuthornigel
    • CommentTimeFeb 24th 2017 edited
     
    Posted By: djhWhy bother setting business rates instead of simply taxing business rents? That way there would be no need to revalue.


    What happens if you own the building?

    Better way would be to tax energy use in buildings.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeFeb 24th 2017
     
    Why not have one national taxation rate based on floor area.
    £/m^2 seems to easy to calculate and collect.
    Business would also know where they stand with it.
    Seems wrong to me that depending on your area you can pay different amount of business rates.
    •  
      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeFeb 24th 2017
     
    Posted By: SteamyTeaSeems wrong to me that depending on your area you can pay different amount of business rates.

    That's the whole point - encourage businesses to move to areas that need further development. i.e. the ones with lower rents.

    Posted By: nigelWhat happens if you own the building?

    Yes, there'd need to be something to catch that. It's all a rats nest.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeFeb 24th 2017
     
    Posted By: djhThat's the whole point - encourage businesses to move to areas that need further development. i.e. the ones with lower rents.
    But the rates are only a small part of running a business.
    Rents play a part, as do the cost of buying a building, then there is the skill levels of the local labour force, communications to other parts of the country/world.

    I can't see the problem of making rates a fixed tax on the size of the building, what in effect happens now, but each local authority can dick about with it a bit to encourage the sorts of business they want in. Not really a local authority's job to 'pick winners' is it. We pay local authorities to clear up the 'mess', not create more of it.
    • CommentAuthorringi
    • CommentTimeFeb 24th 2017
     
    Posted By: djhWhy bother setting business rates instead of simply taxing business rents? That way there would be no need to revalue.


    The "rateable value" get reset every generation or so and then remain the same, also a lot of companies own their own building but still have to pay rates.
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeFeb 25th 2017 edited
     
    I forgot to add that the article said business rates on a free standing PV array (eg solar farm) would go down but rates for a solar PV array on a building roof go up. So we are discouraging dual use to save land.

    It hacks me off to see huge distribution warehouses springing up without PV on the roof. Then just up the road a farmer is applying build a solar farm on agricultural land.
    •  
      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeFeb 25th 2017 edited
     
    '
    Posted By: ringiThe "rateable value" get reset every generation or so and then remain the same

    No, business rates are revalued every five years (unless the politicians have an election coming and deliberately cheat like Cameron did). More people doing make work in the VOA.
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