P.A. writes Around this time of year many students are leaving, or have just left, their private rented accommodation. Aside from the frantic cleaning and figuring out how on earth they are going to move the junk collected through three years of university back home; one topic bothers pretty much all of them. How to get their deposits back.

A deposit for a student house is often a lot of money and it is not uncommon for students never to see a penny of it. Many others lose large chunks; £50 to mow the lawn, £150 to professionally clean the carpets, £75 to repaint that wall with all posters sellotaped to. It mounts up.

The frustrating thing about this is that landlords are very often seriously in breach of the law in making these claims. The Housing Act 2004, in force since 6th April 2007, requires the landlord to pay the deposit into one of three tenancy deposit schemes (Deposit Protection Scheme, Tenancy Deposit Scheme or mydeposits). They are then required to notify the tenants of which scheme is being used. If you are currently in a dispute with your landlord over deposits, get in touch with the three schemes listed above. If none of them have your deposit, your landlord is in big trouble.

Under s.214 of the Housing Act 2004, failure to pay the money into a scheme within the required period (14 days after recieving it) can result in a court order requiring the landlord to pay the tenants a fine equal to three times the amount of the deposit. Suddenly the boot is on the other foot.

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Jim Duffy writes: Energy Minister Charles Hendry today announced there will be a re-consultation of the widely criticised Energy National Policy Statements (NPS). Originally expected to be ready by the end of July, Hendry has said it will not be ready until Spring next year when Parliament can debate it.

The announcement throws the planning process into some confusion as there will be no list of nuclear sites with which developers such as EdF can line up their planning applications.

The text of the announcement suggests that the Government fears being challenged over aspects of the Policy Statements which may not be legally watertight. The suggestion is that the re-consultation and consequent delay will benefit the developers in terms of certainty but oddly states that a nuclear power station is still possible by 2018.

Friends of the Earth earlier this year promised to mount a legal challenge over the first NPS consultation framework. RSPB, World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace all hinted strongly that aspects of the NPS were open to challenge.

The specific parts of the Policy Statements highlighted by the announcement are called Appraisals of Sustainability. The AoS must for example include 'comparison with reasonable alternatives to the preferred policy'. In other words renewable energy should be thoroughly investigated as an alternative to the policy of introducing new nuclear power at any specific site.

Full Article | Hinkley Site to be Razed Prematurely | Council stands up to Hinkley over earthworks application | Hinkley C application slips amidst uncertainty |

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Upto five hundred acres of species-rich woodland, hedgerows and fields may be destroyed by EdF even before it receives full planning consent from the Infrastructure Planing Commission (IPC) to build its two massive nuclear reactors. A large hole will be excavated in preparation for foundations and the adjoining coastline, a protected area, may be cemented and terraced and a huge jetty built into the estuary, in preparation for the eventual building works. All this will involve the movement of a million cubic metres of soil and rock.

EdF have signaled they wish to apply to West Somerset District Council to undertake the premature destruction well in advance of their expected planning submission to the IPC in December. The Commission will then take a year to decide for or against the nuclear building proposal, which will be signed off by a Minister.

West Somerset District Council have said due to its 'grand scale' they are committed to undertake a broader range of consultation than they are legally required to by holding events at towns which may be affected by the early disruption, such as Cannington which falls in the neighbouring local authority of Sedgemoor. The council wishes to involve parish councils and interest groups beyond their obligation to write letters to the directly local villages. The Council is waiting receive the application papers but cannot yet say when they will launch their consultation. Full article.

Full article | Council stands up to Hinkley over earthworks application | Hinkley C application slips amidst uncertainty |

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Smash EDO writes: The EDO Decommissioners have all walked free after unanimous acquittals following the three week trial which concluded on Friday (2nd July) at Hove Crown Court. What began as a trial of the Decommissioners effectively ended up with the Brighton arms manufacturer, and the war crimes of the Israeli state, in the dock. Is it all over for EDO/ITT in Brighton? It might be now... “It’s a real victory for the anti-war movement, The jury were presented with the facts and they supported our motivations. If people in Britain knew the truth away from media manipulations they would all support our actions” - Ornella Sabeine, EDO Decommissioner.

After a nail-biting twenty-four hiatus, the jury came to decision on the Decommissioners Case (see SchNEWS 721) - 100% Not Guilty! Six of the seven defendants Tom Woodhead, Bob Nicholls, Ornella Saibene, Harvey Tadman, Simon Levin and Chris Osmond came smiling out of Hove Trial Centre at the end of a gruelling three and half week trial. Elijah Smith was remanded in custody for another offence. Five were acquitted on Wednesday afternoon, the other two Chris and Elijah had to wait until this morning. They had waited eighteen months for this moment.

The jury decisions were all completely unanimous, an indication perhaps of the depth of feeling ignited by the evidence presented of war atrocities committed in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead.

Full Story | EDO Decomissioners Round 2 | Smashingly Good Start At Decomissioners Trial | Goldstone Report to be Used as Defence at Decommisioners Trial | Decomissioners Blog | 5 EDO decomissioners not guilty |

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