London-based environmental consultancy Tyler Grange has been appointed to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Advisory Board on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).

ESG, or corporate sustainability practices, have never been higher on the agenda.

Now, as a member of this Group, Tyler Grange leaders meet with parliamentarians, regulators, think tanks, investors and other business heads to drive forward the nation’s ESG policy agenda and provide technical and practical advice to the Government.

The B Corp four-day week firm – located on Park Street, SE1 – has long been committed to ESG and believes that development is a key source of social mobility – to level-up communities across the country.

As experts in arboriculture, ecology and landscape planning, Tyler Grange works with UK architects, housebuilders and developers to ensure that construction projects are delivered with optimal benefits to people and the environment.

More sustainable

To reduce its carbon footprint, and meet its ESG goals, Tyler Grange has made its supply chain and business practices more sustainable, which has also resulted in increased productivity and profitability. 

In preparation for trialling a four-day work week, the firm significantly reduced its bureaucracy, unnecessary meetings and mileage and other inefficiencies – resulting in such success that it’s been adopted permanently. 

Tyler Grange also places great importance on the mental health and wellbeing of its 100+ team, who are supported by an in-house psychologist and mindfulness and resilience coaches, as well as having many opportunities to volunteer for the causes that they care most about in their local communities.

Simon Ursell, managing director of Tyler Grange (pictured left) said: “We’re obviously absolutely thrilled to have been invited to become one of the select sponsors for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on ESG. And we’re very proud that the brilliant work we’re doing to operate most sustainably has been recognised by our invitation to join. 

“As a B Corp certified organisation, we’re part of a global community that believes business should be a force for good. We’ve always been committed to treating our people, our communities and the environment as they should be treated, and we have a responsibility to help other businesses to do the same. By joining this APPG, we have yet another opportunity to help create a more sustainable and inclusive economy and the many benefits this will bring.

“We’re staunch believers that development is a source of social mobility, and the ‘social’ or ‘S’ element of ESG is a real focus for us across all touchpoints of the business. By joining this APPG, we’re well placed to support the development of ESG at a national and policy level – helping to develop frameworks and other tools to shape legislative and Government thinking.”

Driving police forward

Alexander Stafford MP, founder and chair of the APPG on ECG, said: “The APPG is delighted to engage with businesses who are committed to driving forward ESG policy. Tyler Grange has shown they share our passion for ESG and is an innovator in this space. I look forward to working with Tyler Grange to continue to develop, assess and implement ESG reforms, and I am delighted to welcome them to the APPG.”

Tyler Grange is also a member of the Better Business Network and supports the Better Business Act – both of which promote a cleaner, greener, fairer future for all.

It has five other UK offices located in Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Exeter and Cirencester, in the Cotswolds. 

The picture shows Tyler Grange managing director Simon Ursell, technical director Julian Arthur, and ecology director Aaron Grainger outside the Houses of Parliament.

In a chilling twist of justice, six men who stabbed a teenager to death in a Bromley park in 2017 have finally been convicted.

A relentless pursuit of the truth – backed by CCTV footage and forensic evidence – sealed the fate of these individuals.

Despite charges being dropped in 2017, determined detectives from the Met Police refused to abandon their quest for justice on behalf of 17-year-old Michael Jonas and his bereaved family.

Charged

These men were all found guilty of murder following a trial at Southwark Crown Court and will be sentenced on November 20: Nyron Jean Baptiste (22) of Queen Adelaide Road, Penge; Divon Henry-Campbell (23) of Fayland Avenue, Streatham; Jason Smith (20)of Bow Avenue Lane, Dartford; Jamie Marshall (22) of Burham Close, Penge; Ryan Girense Brown (21) of Sydenham Road, Croydon and Sarraviho Smith (23) of Grove Hill Road, Camberwell.

Detective chief inspector Matt Webb, from the Met’s specialist crime command, said: “Michael was just 17 when he was fatally stabbed in a violent, pre-planned attack. His family remain devastated by his loss and will never come to terms with what happened that night.

“This has been a long and complex investigation but we were determined to keep fighting for justice and we are pleased these men will now be off the streets of London and unable to cause further harm.”

How it happened

On November 2, 2017, police were called to a report of a man injured in Betts Park, Bromley.

Officers attended alongside the London Ambulance Service and found Michael with multiple stab injuries. Despite their efforts, he died at the scene.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as stab wounds to the chest.

Detectives immediately began an investigation which including gathering a significant amount of CCTV from the park and surrounding areas.

This revealed that at 7pm, Michael had been approached by five of the group as he walked down nearby Anerley Road, before all walking into the park together.

At 7.12pm, John-Baptiste was captured arriving at the scene – phone analysis later showed he had been called to come to the area by Henry-Campbell.

120-second attack

Just three minutes later, all of the defendants were seen fleeing the park on bicycles. The fatal attack had taken no more than 120 seconds.

DNA from bloodstains at the scene was also found to be one billion times more likely to be from Jean-Baptiste than from an unknown and unrelated individual.

None of the group ever admitted responsibility or provided any reason for their actions however the court heard that they had believed Michael was a ‘snitch’ and so carried out their fatal attack.

By early December 2017, all six defendants had been arrested and charged.

The case was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) early the following year, but officers were determined to get justice for Michael and continued to gather further evidence.

In October 2022, CPS agreed to reinstate the original charges and the men were remanded until trial.

The latest figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) show that inheritance tax receipts increased to £3.2 billion in the five months from April 2023 to August 2023. 

This is a £300 million increase from the same period in the previous year, and continues the upwards trend over the last decade. 

One in every 25 estates pay inheritance tax, but the freeze on inheritance tax thresholds means decades of house price increases and high inflation are bringing more and more estates above the threshold.

Wealth Club calculations suggest the average bill could increase to just over £234,000 this 2023/24 tax year. This is a 11% increase from the £214,000 average paid just three years ago.  

Inheritance tax

Inheritance tax is typically paid at a rate of 40% over certain thresholds, although you can pass on money IHT free to your spouse or civil partner, who will then also inherit your allowance for when they pass away.

The main threshold is the nil-rate band and applies to the vast majority of people in the UK, enabling up to £325,000 of an estate to be passed on without having to pay any IHT. That has been unchanged since 2009.
However, there is also a Residence Nil Rate band worth £175,000 which allows most people to pass on a family home more tax efficiently to direct descendants, although this tapers for estates over £2 million and is not available at all for estates over £2.35 million.  

Nicholas Hyett, investment manager at Wealth Club said:  “While just 4% of estates pay inheritance tax at the moment, given the nil-rate and residence nil-rate bands have been frozen for years people with more regular incomes and average value homes will end up getting caught out by this most hated of taxes. The good news is that there are still lots of legitimate ways to pass on money free of inheritance tax.”

Give away money

Those concerned about inheritance tax should consider giving money away early. Gifts taken out of regular income, which are not deemed to affect the giver’s standard of living, are inheritance tax free on day one – as are certain smaller gifts.

Timing is key as you can give unlimited amounts away but typically these take seven years to be completely inheritance tax free. Of course, once you give away the money you’ve lost control. If you need it back for an emergency, that’s not an option. Investing in companies that qualify for Business Relief. These are typically inheritance tax free after two years. Investing in unquoted businesses can be risky, however, unlike giving the money away, you retain control.”