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FC Wales smooths passage to important woodland

With its fascinating historical features, enchanting scenery and strong links to the end of the last major ice age, i Parkwood on the Gower is a popular tourist location. Forestry Commission Wales has stepped in to ensure a smoother passage into this environmental jewel after the Welsh Government woodland became the victim of its own alluring beauty. The road allowing access to the site of special scientific interest (SSSI) was showing signs of serious wear and tear, with badly pot-holed areas testifying to Parkwood’s popularity.
 
Saffery Champness comment on CAP Reform announcement

Commenting on the announcement on CAP Reform by EU Farm Minister, Dacian Ciolos, Andrew Arnott, a partner of  Saffery Champness Landed Estates & Rural Business Group says: “There was not much in the announcement that had not already been leaked. However, it confirms the intention to distribute subsidies more evenly by way of a cap on payments to farmers at 300,000 euros (£261,240) per year.  A progressive levy, to be applied on all payments exceeding 150,000 euros (£130,620), was also announced as a proposal. Assuming that the proposals will be approved by both the EU parliament and all member states, this will be bad news for many large arable farmers and some medium scale farming businesses, including those in the uplands.It remains to be seen whether the ‘sustainable and inclusive growth’ for European agriculture can really be achieved through these proposals.  I think they could, as they stand, have the opposite effect, acting as a disincentive to invest for farm businesses that are highly-mechanised with lower staffing levels”.
 
Leaked proposals for the reform of CAP entitlements

News has recently been leaked from the European Commission that farmers who claim more than €150,000 from the direct support element of the CAP (Pillar1), will see their entitlement payments progressively capped.  Commenting on the leaked proposals Mike Harrison, a partner of Saffery Champness Landed Estates & Rural Business Group, says: “There is a strongly worded proposal for progressive cuts in the entitlement payments above €150,000 ( £127,000) with a cap of €300,000 (£255,000)”.   Whilst the new regulations will apparently incorporate an allowance which reflects the farm’s wages bill, which is welcome news and should mean that both larger and smaller farms are treated equally, there will be a discrimination for those using external contractors
 

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Home Innovations Halcrow launches flood modelling software
Halcrow launches flood modelling software PDF Print E-mail
Written by Alf Maxwell   
Thursday, 23 April 2009 06:15

Clifton Suspension Bridge from the air 

Engineer Halcrow is launching a update to its 'ISIS by Halcrow' suite of software packages for river modelling. The company says it is already used extensively across the world for flood forecasting, flood risk mapping and flood alleviation scheme design by government organisations, environmental regulators and engineering consultants.

To support the launch of ISIS 2D Halcrow has included some GeoPerspectives aerial photography and Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) from aerial photography specialist Bluesky, to enable users to evaluate the improved modelling functionality.

ISIS 2D is the latest addition to the ISIS by Halcrow suite of products. A fully hydrodynamic computational engine, it is designed to work either as a stand-alone tool or within the ISIS suite of products enabling dynamic integration between ISIS Professional and ISIS 2D. At the core of the software are two advanced algorithms that have been specifically designed to replicate different types of hydraulic conditions within rivers, estuaries and floodplains. ISIS 2D is available for free and can be downloaded from www.halcrow.com/isis, and has all of the same features as the full version but is limited to 2,500 2D cells.

“The data sets supplied by Bluesky are being used in ISIS to allow users to evaluate the new 2D modelling components. The DTM is used to generate trial models of flooding from rivers, the sea and dam failures, while the aerial photography is used to enhance the visualisation by providing a real world background,” says Dr Matt Horritt, specialist modeller in the water and engineering management division of Halcrow.

Bluesky has supplied Halcrow with GeoPerspectives aerial photography for test sites including river, coastal and dam break flooding. The photogrammetrically derived Digital Terrain Model supplied by Bluesky is also part of the GeoPerspectives range, offering a resolution of 5 metres the data is accurate to 1 metre and is available off the shelf for the whole of England and Wales. Both products can viewed and purchased online at www.bluesky-world.com.

“We chose the data from Bluesky as they were of sufficiently high resolution and accuracy for broad scale modelling,” says Horritt. “The DTM is particularly effective for modelling in complex urban or vegetated environments as it is essential to represent ground level rather than the tops of trees or buildings.”

GeoPerspectives is a joint venture between Bluesky and Infoterra providing national coverage of orthorectified aerial photography, digital terrain and surface models (DTM/DSM) for 3D modelling, and colour infrared imagery (CIR) for vegetation analysis.
 
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