iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 06/10/2026

Think I'm reading this right that the Conservatives have been the least able of the main parties to hang on to their 2024 general election voters

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 05/10/2026

From N Ireland's govt's independent review of environmental governance: www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications...

Separating policy and regulation
There has been debate about whether Northern Ireland’s environmental regulator
should be more independent for decades. Successive reviews since the Rossi
Report of 1990 have concluded that greater independence is a key element to
securing consistently better outcomes.
Based on our Call for Evidence, discussions with regulators and other experts, and
our analysis of best practice, we too recommend that Northern Ireland’s
environmental regulator should be independent of government. We believe a
Non-Departmental Public Body, sponsored by DAERA, provides the most
appropriate balance between too much and too little independence. It affords a
greater degree of political neutrality and allows more operational flexibility and better
long-term planning. Crucially, this model ensures a much clearer separation
between policy making (remaining within a Government Department) and regulatory
responsibilities (vested in a new NDPB.)

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 02/10/2026

RAC and AA had other ideas though

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 02/10/2026

Office is being cleared out before we move. Found this on my desk - 1973 report on need to move away from petrol and roads post-oil shock.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 01/10/2026

AI on LinkedIn today. Note door height and charger location.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 27/09/2026

Minister didn't seem super-keen on new powers on empty homes when he gave evidence to HCLG committee in February 2026, and today's announcement is more about making it easier to use existing powers.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 27/09/2026

Good to see some action on empty homes. Number of empty homes has risen by over 50% since 2016 & some estimates put it over 1.2m, affecting most regions. (see www.actiononemptyhomes.org/the-last-dec...)

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 25/09/2026

Thank you LinkedIn but I'm really not

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 25/09/2026

And a slightly surprising shrine to Ernst Schumacher, William Blake and Kate Raworth

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 25/09/2026

Plus a dolmen thrown in (Kit's Coty House)

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 25/09/2026

Walked section 7 of the N Downs Way today. From the roar of the M2 over the Medway to more peaceful paths beyond.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 25/09/2026

How hot was this summer? Newt little postcode lookup from BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Answer - pretty hot in SE London.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 24/09/2026

Longer-term picture by tenure - council house building the line at the bottom, just beginning to rise. New govt aim (according to housing minister) is to get council housebuilding rate up to early 80s level ("end of the post-war era of council house building")

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 24/09/2026

Latest housing supply stats out from MHCLG today. Completed housing numbers down but increase in the number of starts (but still quite a bit below govt target) www.gov.uk/government/s...

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 18/09/2026

Surrey has pretty much the same amount of brownfield land available as Liverpool

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 18/09/2026

New stats on brownfield land available for housing, recorded on LA brownfield registers. England notionally has a "brownfield first" planning policy. So if that policy was biting, shouldn't we see the brownfield numbers coming down as more sites gets developed on? Instead...

the number of brownfield sites has grown every year since 2018

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 18/09/2026

"Radical planning reform" (sort of happening already, not quite so radical so far but awaiting legislation)

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 18/09/2026

Alongside proposal to weaken the highly effective ZEV mandate regs, proposals to spend more public funding on grants for EVs purchases (effectively a subsidy to car companies)

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 18/09/2026

"Dash" on home energy efficiency and heat pumps. Not sure this would be possible without either getting into a mess on badly installed insulation, or big spending on skills and heat pump subsidies

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 18/09/2026

Weakening the ZEV mandate (Burnham govt now consulting on doing this)

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 18/09/2026

From Sam Coates/Sky News leak of Starmer policy team ideas in spring - encouraging rather than constraining gas use by data centres

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 15/09/2026

Help to Buy houses rather than flats (from www.nao.org.uk/reports/the-...)

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 11/09/2026

Mostly sunny day on stage 6 of North Downs Way today. Now seeing it all through the eyes of highway law from my Open Spaces Society trustee role (second pic presumably by way open to all traffic but in reality definitely not one you'd want t drive up)

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 10/09/2026

More importantly, recommendations to make it happen:

Remove tax and regulatory barriers by clarifying REIT rules for solar investment; broadening the REIT regime to include renewable energy; extending the business rates exemption for solar investment beyond 2035; and improving capital allowance reliefs.
Standardise legal and commercial frameworks such as PPAs and lease clauses to reduce complexity, cost and delays.
Introduce consistent insurance standards for rooftop solar to reduce design risk and avoid projects being downsized or abandoned.
Strengthen export revenues through more predictable long-term pricing mechanisms, making larger solar installations viable.
Accelerate grid reform and investment to improve connection times, increase capacity and provide clearer information for developers.
Provide long-term policy certainty, including clear implementation of MEES to support investment and make solar a standard feature of commercial buildings.
Maximise existing solar projects by increasing the 50kW cap on permitted development regimes with prior approval with local planning authorities

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 07/09/2026

At a Commons reception this evening. Fellow guest described Palace of Westminster as "like a giant Wetherspoons", which seems a pretty accurate description

Not tonight's reception but a stock photo of reception room at Parliament

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 07/09/2026

Taking charge of the commanding heights of the economy, 2026-style. Quite a change from New Labour, still quite different from old Labour. (from John Healey speech today. Interested in that hanging comma implying something extra was there in earlier draft...).

Some might claim that public control is public ownership – but it’s broader than that:

It means local leaders and a stronger centre, together exerting the public influence the public direction over the essentials – transport, energy and housing, other utilities,

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 07/09/2026

Further limits on JR where Parliament has authorised a project:

The Government intends to progress these reforms, and to broaden the range of projects to which
they can apply, from only energy projects to all nationally significant infrastructure projects. This
will mean that transport, water and other types of major infrastructure can benefit from the
parliamentary authorisation route once we have passed the necessary legislation.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 07/09/2026

Is this approach below really going to be that different to now?

Formal consultation should only take place where there is a statutory requirement
to consult, where it would be conspicuously unfair not to consult, or where ministers believe there
is a good case for seeking external input and that the right vehicle for doing so is a formal
consultation.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 04/09/2026

About 5% of UK's domestic greenhouse gas emissions come from HGVs. Decarbonising them depends on rolling out electric HGVs. Govt policy is to end the sale of smaller diesel HGVs in 2035 but latest stats from @newautomotive.org show snails pace in eHGV rollout in the meantime. Really not good enough

46 trucks were registered in August 2026, accounting for 1.86% of registrations this month. BEVs currently sit at
1.07% of the market and have struggled to make a dent in the diesel market. With the government still proposing
to end the sale of diesel HGVs by 2035 for vehicles under 26 tonnes, and 2040 for those over, the sector has a
mountain to climb.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 01/09/2026

PM agrees to take up the idea of reviewing warehouse rooftop solar/ground mounted solar roll-out. Nice one for DESNZ ministers and officials to deal with first day back...

Stuart Andrew
(Daventry) (Con)
In a volatile world, I think we can all agree that energy security is important, but so too is food security. I was interested in the answer the Prime Minister gave to my hon. Friend the Member for North Dorset (Simon Hoare) a moment ago, because in the eastern side of my constituency there is an application for a huge solar farm on prime agricultural land, when on the western side there are huge distribution warehouses with not a single solar panel on their roofs. Will he commit to review this situation, so that we can have a policy that safeguards both our food and our energy?

The Prime Minister
The right hon. Gentleman’s point is characteristically clear and he makes a good suggestion that I will take up. I meant what I said when I thanked him for coming to those cross-party talks in the summer. I have always enjoyed working with him and wish him well in whatever comes next.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 01/09/2026

Outcome of DfT's call for evidence about net zero ports. As with most decarbonisation policies, it's basically all about the grid connections/capacity and the price of electricity. (from www.gov.uk/government/c...)

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 29/08/2026

Not an unreasonable line from Govt on data centres (below) but policy doesn't really exist to match this - there's no national policy statement on data centres for when they go through infrastructure planning process and for local planning, NPPF policy is just weighted to let them go through.

The government spokesperson said its refusal to pause development “does not mean a blank cheque for big tech or that every datacentre should be approved”. They said developers should “prioritise clean power, use water responsibly, create British jobs and supply chains, and provide investment to the communities in which they are built”.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 27/08/2026

Did we know Tony Juniper is leaving Natural England? (from EAC session next week)

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 27/08/2026

Latest EV charging stats - really need to see continued acceleration of EV chargers to meet growth of EVs. Uncertainty of ZEV mandate likely affecting investment. That said, I've never had an issue charging our EV and new chargers just gone into our street, adding to five in near vicinity.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 13/08/2026

Housing output in GB in the two years since the general election. Impact of Iran war likely to mean further falls later this year. Spending on public housing in June 2026 was 71% of amount spent in July 2024 while await new funding coming on stream next year.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 12/08/2026

Sustainability First and Local Storytelling Exchange did some public polling & engagement on this - really negative reactions from those affected by new pylons. Finding below:

3. Replace the £250 Bill Discount Scheme
with other forms of support
There was widespread agreement that The Bill Discount Scheme (£250 discount on energy
bills each year for 10 years) was tokenistic, trust‑eroding and not reflective of the impact
of development on their lives. The Sounding Board provided preferred alternatives that
meaningfully improve households’ long‑term resilience or quality of life.
(See below “What Did Participants View as Preferable Alternatives to £250 bill discount”)
Recommendation:
DESNZ should reconsider the Bill Discount Scheme and develop alternative
approaches informed by community insights — for example, energy‑efficiency
support, local transport improvements, or place‑enhancing investments.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 06/08/2026

Vertical drinking, 1830s style (Cruikshank illustration from Dicken's Sketches by Boz. See en.wikisource.org/wiki/Sketche... for the full Dickens sketch)

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 05/08/2026

Also puffins (Lunga, Treshnish islands)

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 05/08/2026

Back from a week and a bit in Mull, Skye and Fort William. Like a GB summer holiday of old, with jumpers and anoraks needed most days.

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 26/07/2026

Design choice of a sun roof for a London bus seems slightly strange given the summers we now have

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 24/07/2026

All doom and gloom for European car makers? Maybe a bit more complicated - including they've been riding a massive profit boom in recent years (via adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-...)

Graph showing how in 2023 European firms earned 40.6 percent of all profits earned in the global automobile industry, up from a share of 27.9 percent in 2006

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 24/07/2026

Burnham on forthcoming 10 year plan: - public control - reindustrialisation - council housing & state active in housing market www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

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Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 21/07/2026

At the Oval for Mumbai Indians London v Sunrisers Leeds (part of Sunrisers Hyderabad) for the brave new world of the Hundred post-sell off.

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