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Discusses the concept of waste management as opposed to waste disposal – as the way in which organizations deal with their waste – through the introduction of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990 Part II which replaced the Control of Pollution Act (COPA) 1974. Examines the problems of the COPA and defines the benefits of the EPA which gives the new waste regulation authorities (WRAs) extensive powers such as the granting/revoking of licences to operators, the aim being the control of the waste management process. Also examines other features of the Act such as public registers and environmental auditing, and takes a look at the future prospects of waste management.

The purpose of the article is to show that the liability system established by Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 is unfit for purpose because its mixture of joint and several liability and proportionate liability makes it impossible to implement and enforce effectively or efficiently as well as making it expensive to administer. The article aims to analyse the liability system and its effect on the implementation and enforcement of Part 2A.

A research approach was taken to examine and analyse Part 2A and the accompanying statutory guidance, and its implementation and enforcement. This approach included researching the liability system of Part 2A in depth, liability systems in other jurisdictions to compare and contrast with the liability system in Part 2A, publications by the UK Government on the progress of Part 2A, and commentaries on Part 2A and its progress.

The paper found that the liability system introduced by Part 2A is too complex to enforce effectively or efficiently. The article concludes that the result is a contaminated land regime that has failed to achieve its purpose in identifying land that poses a risk to human health and the environment and in remediating it.

The paper is the first paper to examine and critique the liability system in Part 2A and its implementation in depth and to suggest issues to consider in its revision so as to replace the regime with a regime that is fit for purpose.

Summarises the legal implications of the 1990 UK Environmental Protection Act, including integrated pollution control and air pollution control, waste on land, statutory nuisance and clean air, amendments to the radioactive substances act, genetically modified organisms, nature conservation in great Britain and countryside matters in Wales, and finally some miscellaneous and general provisions.

Concentrates on those provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 which directly affect the property manager in general practice. Discusses the background to the Act, Part I: Integrated Pollution Control, Part II: Waste disposal on land, Part III: Statutory nuisance, and further provisions of Parts IV to IX. Concludes that the provisions relating to Integrated Pollution Control in particular are likely to have future significance.

The purpose of this research is to investigate development competitions in England in order to uncover any shortcomings and point to improvements. A “development competition” is a sale by tender of publicly‐owned land with development potential where bidders also submit designs.

First, an interview survey of local authorities in north‐east England; second an interview survey with developers in north‐east England; third a questionnaire survey of local authority estates officers and fourth an interview survey with London based property consultants.

Despite their theoretical attractions, some competitions have problems. Conflict exists between professions and agencies. Development competitions encounter difficulties between developer appointment and construction which may lead to delay or the developer pulling out.

The data collected are biased in favour of the financial/property perspective. Further research is therefore still required.

Despite its practical significance, no literature exists on this specific topic. The results reveal delays, disputes and sub‐optimal use of resources. Further research is needed leading to new official guidance covering all aspects of this process.

Large numbers of competitions are held in the UK each year. The disposal of sites in this way has become more significant due to the concentration of activity on brown‐field land. In future, the need to assemble urban land using compulsory purchase powers is likely to make competitions more frequent. These results, which highlight best practice, will be of interest to all professional people involved.

Appraisal of records to separate the wheat (records of enduring value) from the chaff (ephemeral records) is one of the most important functions of the archives. In terms of the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (NARSSA) Act (No. 43 of 1996) (the Act), “no public records may be transferred to an archives repository, destroyed, erased or otherwise disposed of without the written authorisation of the national archivist”. In implementing this section of the Act, the NARSSA issues a disposal authority, which emanates from the appraisal process explained in the policy guidelines of 2002. The purpose of the study is to analyse the appraisal policy guidelines on the approach of NARSSA in relation to preservation of digital records.

This study has used qualitative data obtained through content analysis and literature to review the appraisal policy guidelines and approach of NARSSA in relation to preservation of digital records. The 2002 approved appraisal policy, as well as the directives issued by NARSSA in terms of Section 13(4) of the Act, is examined to determine the criteria, the process and the methodology adopted in the appraisal of records. Content analysis data are augmented through interviews conducted in person with the head of the records management unit at NARSSA and the archivist responsible for appraisal of government records.

The study has established that, in terms of the approach, records are appraised two years after the implementation of records classification systems in governmental bodies and those of archival value are then transferred to an archives repository after a period of 20 years. Twenty years is a long period as records might be lost, especially in digital environments. Furthermore, the appraisal policy guidelines limit the powers of records managers in governmental bodies in deciding on records of enduring value, as this responsibility is assigned to archivists at NARSSA. It is clear that the policy was written with paper records in mind.

This study may go a long way in influencing policy review to embrace appraisal of digital records in South Africa. This in turn will help in determining the feasibility of preservation technology for digital records.

This study is useful to ensure participation of the public in the appraisal process. This study has triangulated content analysis data with interviews to examine appraisal criteria, process and methodology, followed by NARSSA.

The total capital value of the tenanted non‐residential property of English and Welsh local authorities is immense, more even than the total holdings of the top eight, UK‐based, property companies. However, while property investment companies own tenanted property for financial returns, the primary reason for its ownership by local authorities is far from clear. A survey of councils revealed that while many considered much of their tenanted non‐residential property was held for investment, it rarely formed part of wider financial investment aims. Moreover, investment objectives and management strategies were not clearly stated, prioritized, effected, or measurable. These failings were true of both individual properties and overall portfolios. Where property does not primarily meet a function of a statutory local authority, it must at least be regarded as non‐operational. The opportunity for a council to create a credible investment property portfolio is markedly restricted by the absence of the statutory objective of “property investment”. If, after review, property remains unsuited for assisting any real function of local government, it should be classed as surplus. It is proposed that local authority investment property may therefore justifiably be considered surplus to the functional objectives and requirements of a statutory local authority. If also unsuitable for operational use, such property should be programmed for disposal.

It is unlikely that, as yet, a paper on this subject is of wide general interest. However, it would seem that the assessment of landfill sites will become a more common valuation exercise, particularly for those involved with the mineral extraction industry. Responsible landfill waste disposal was primarily in the control of local authorities, but there has been an emergence of privately operated waste disposal companies over recent years and an awareness of the commercial potential of such operations has developed. Therefore, a need to appreciate values in the context of all aspects of practice, whether for sale, purchase, asset valuation or tax computation, is becoming more relevant to the general practitioner.

Future waste management in the UK will have to address the problem of rising costs of waste disposal. The current financial costs of landfill disposal represent an under pricing of the waste assimilative capacity of the environment. Economic, social and political pressures over the coming decade will serve to force up disposal costs closer to the “true” economic cost to society. The cost rise will have important positive ramifications for waste minimisation and waste recycling. It is argued that rational decision making in the waste management context has been made more difficult in the UK because of a series of failures: information failure; lack of “systems” thinking; institutional failure; lack of economic cost‐benefit thinking.

Index by subjects, compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals: Facilities Volumes 8‐17; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐17; Property Management Volumes 8‐17; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐17.