Section 6 of the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004 requires a biennial report on the sustainability of the building stock in England.

This current report covers progress between November 2014 and November 2016 (unless otherwise stated) in relation to:

• furthering the conservation of fuel and power
• preventing waste, undue consumption, misuse or contamination of water
• furthering the protection or enhancement of the environment
• facilitating sustainable development

Ongoing construction of phase 2 of the Environment Agency Perry Barr and Witton Flood Risk Management Scheme, meant that the children’s play area at Forge Mill Farm, had to be closed whilst the wall was being built. In addition to the play area being ready for the start of school holidays, contractors have now moved access to their construction site, away from the main visitor car park, to ensure safety of visitors to the park.

Rachel Kelly, Environment Agency project lead for the scheme said:

We have been working closely with our partners and the local community, to ensure that we minimise disruption to the park users and safety is of our top priority, especially as the summer holiday season begins and more people come to enjoy the park.

A number of notice boards are now on display around Forge Mill Farm, the lake and RSPB, to give visitors the latest information on progress of Phase 2 of the Perry Barr and Witton Flood Risk Management Scheme, which will reduce the risk of flooding for 1400 properties in the area.

More information is available about the scheme on the Perry Barr and Witton flood scheme page or contact the Environment Agency project team.

Along with flood defences and flood management schemes, knowing your flood risk is also important when protecting your family and property from flooding. People can check their risk and register to receive free flood warnings by visiting the Environment Agency flood information pages or calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188.

Ongoing construction of phase 2 of the Environment Agency Perry Barr and Witton Flood Risk Management Scheme, meant that the children’s play area at Forge Mill Farm, had to be closed whilst the wall was being built. In addition to the play area being ready for the start of school holidays, contractors have now moved access to their construction site, away from the main visitor car park, to ensure safety of visitors to the park.

Rachel Kelly, Environment Agency project lead for the scheme said:

We have been working closely with our partners and the local community, to ensure that we minimise disruption to the park users and safety is of our top priority, especially as the summer holiday season begins and more people come to enjoy the park.

A number of notice boards are now on display around Forge Mill Farm, the lake and RSPB, to give visitors the latest information on progress of Phase 2 of the Perry Barr and Witton Flood Risk Management Scheme, which will reduce the risk of flooding for 1400 properties in the area.

More information is available about the scheme on the Perry Barr and Witton flood scheme page or contact the Environment Agency project team.

Along with flood defences and flood management schemes, knowing your flood risk is also important when protecting your family and property from flooding. People can check their risk and register to receive free flood warnings by visiting the Environment Agency flood information pages or calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188.

This guidance explains how operators of nuclear sites should prepare for the surrender of their radioactive substances permits. An operator cannot surrender a permit until they have completed all work to decommission and clean up their sites.

The guidance describes the standards that operators must meet before they can surrender permits – including when they have disposed of radioactive waste from the final stages of decommissioning on site.

The Environment Agency has produced this guidance with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Natural Resources Wales.