Osborne maintains fuel duty freeze
Chancellor George Osborne has delivered his Budget Statement to Parliament, setting out how the government will take further action to “secure the recovery and build a resilient economy”.
This has included maintaining a freeze on fuel duty, meaning a planned rise in September will not go ahead.
This was expected but the industry backed FairFueklUK campaign hoped for a cut in the rate, which has not been delivered.
James Hookham, FTA MD of Policy and Communications said: “The Chancellor has kept his promise to freeze fuel duty and industry will be £187 million a year better off for that, but he missed the opportunity to stimulate the economy further by reducing fuel duty and putting around £690 million into the pockets of families and British business. This could have given a further stimulus to the economy and locked in the positive growth already achieved.”
Launched in 2011, the FTA backed FairFuelUK Campaign has been credited with stopping all fuel duty increases that were planned in this Parliament, and has helped save the freight industry over £4 billion.
In addition, the government has submitted an application to the European Commission for 17 of the most rural areas in mainland UK to receive a 5 pence per litre (ppl) fuel duty discount.
The Budget revealed £200 million would be provided to establish a ‘potholes challenge fund’.
Warehouse and loading bay planning changes
The government has taken steps to streamline the planning system. The refreshed approach is based on a three-tier system to decide the appropriate level of permission, using permitted development rights for small-scale changes, prior approval rights for development requiring consideration of specific issues, and planning permission for the largest scale development.
The government will consult on measures such as allowing businesses greater flexibility to expand facilities such as loading bays within existing boundaries, where there is little impact on local communities, as well as offering greater flexibility for change to residential use from, for example, warehouses and light industry structures.
