New Planning Act
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025, with a number of the new measures coming into force with immediate effect. The new Act is key to meeting the Government’s targets for homes and major infrastructure, and Ministers will confirm in due course when the remaining reforms will take effect.
GOVERNMENT RAISES AGRICULTURAL AND BUSINESS PROPERTY RELIEF THRESHOLD FOLLOWING FARMER PROTESTS
There was some good news for farmers and business owners over the festive period with the government’s announcement that the combined Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) thresholds will be increased to £2.5m from April 2026.
The changes to inheritance tax (IHT), first announced in the 2024 UK Budget, initially set out plans to limit the relief to £1million. That proposal prompted strong opposition from the farming community, including protests and demonstrations across the UK, amid fears that family farms would face substantial IHT liabilities.
Under the revised rules, individuals will be able to claim 100% relief on combined qualifying agricultural and business assets up to £2.5m. Any value above this threshold will still benefit from relief, but at a reduced rate of 50%.
In practice, this means a married couple or civil partners could pass on a farm or business worth up to £5.65m before any inheritance tax is due. (This is made up of two £2.5m combined agricultural or business property relief allowances and two £325,000 nil rate bands.)This will also apply to people who are widowed and have lost spouses or civil partners before the policy was introduced.
Fleet Safety Focus – Speed
When we talk about speed, the conversation often shifts to stopping distances. People tend to boast about their vehicle’s big brakes or their Formula One driver reflexes.
But let’s take a step back and think about the laws of physics for a moment.
Imagine you’re up in a helicopter, looking down at a stretch of motorway. You see two vehicles: one vehicle in lane one travelling at 70 miles per hour, and another in lane two travelling at 80 miles per hour.
Suddenly, a massive hole appears in front of them; doesn’t matter how far ahead it is – everything in this scenario is the same, other than the initial vehicle speeds. Both drivers hit the brakes at the same time. The vehicle going at 70 mph manages to stop just before the edge, but the one travelling at 80 mph plummets over into the hole.
Here’s the question: how fast was the second vehicle going when it went over the edge?
The slower vehicle stops, but the vehicle travelling at 80 mph is still doing almost 40 mph when it reaches the edge. Now, replace that hole with something solid.
The impact at that speed could be devastating.
Now, let’s consider two HGVs. One is doing 50 mph and the other is running on the limiter at 56 mph. Both hit the brakes at the same time. The 50 mph truck stops, but the 56 mph truck goes over the edge at 28 mph. What if that hole is replaced with stationary traffic – in that scenario, your driver has probably badly hurt the people in the vehicle he hits.
And remember, these are best-case scenarios. If your reactions are slow, or your vehicle isn’t well-maintained, the outcome could be much worse.
Finally, let’s bring this into an urban setting with a speed limit of 30 mph. A vehicle going at 30 mph stops just before hitting a child who stepped into the road. However, a vehicle moving at 35 mph is still doing 18 mph at the point of impact with the child.
Around 18 mph is where the likelihood of killing someone you hit is more likely than not.
- What are an employer’s responsibilities when it comes to ensuring your drivers are driving at appropriate speeds for the road conditions?
- What should safety managers and fleet managers be doing to support the safety of their drivers and other road users?
- Are you sharing the right messages with your drivers?
Our fleet safety focus can help.
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National Apprenticeship Week
National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2026 will run from Monday 9 – Sunday 15 February to showcase the benefits of apprenticeships. With the theme ‘Skills for Life’, NAW 2026 will focus on the role of apprenticeships in breaking down barriers to opportunity and driving economic growth by equipping people with the skills employers need.
It is a great opportunity to showcase the value of apprenticeships in construction ahead of Open Doors Week, and we are encouraging all members to think about how they can celebrate their apprentices and the impact that they have on businesses. If you are looking for inspiration, there are lots of ideas in the NAW 2026 Toolkit. Any members in‐scope to CITB who would like support with finding, recruiting and retaining apprenticesshould contact CITB’s New Entrant Support Team.
Reminder: Yellow General Certified Contractor Scheme
To gain your Yellow General Certified Contractor Scheme status (in addition to your AFI membership), please remember to send us your renewal documents, including:
- Valid insurance documents, and
- A positive reference (this can be in any format — a website review, social media feedback, email, or message).
Once received and approved, your Yellow status can be added alongside your AFI membership.
BS 1722-19
BS 1722-19 has now been issued for public comment and will be open for comments until 6th March.
The draft can be found on the online standards development portal here