Local government real estate

Legal Update

Investment Zones - getting the country working, building and growing

Investment zones have been introduced by the Conservative party to get the United Kingdom (UK) ‘working, building and growing’. They are to be designated sites which provide time-limited tax incentives, streamlined planning rules and wider support for local growth to encourage investment and accelerate the development of housing and infrastructure that the UK needs to drive economic growth. Processes and requirements that slow down development will be stripped back with the intention of attracting new investment.

Legal Update

The reality of the future of devolution arrangements in England

Devolution is the transfer of powers in areas like transport, housing and skills in England and since the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 has been a much-discussed topic.

Published Article

The role of Legal Project Management in public sector projects

The concept of Legal Project Management (“LPM”) is increasingly relevant to the delivery of legal services, both in-house functions and private practice law. This is unsurprising, LPM is crucial if lawyers are to add value by controlling budgets, communicate pro-actively on risk mitigation and costs, and manage time by resourcing to deal with pinch points in the project.

Legal Update

Regeneration funding: Securing Compulsory Purchase Orders in the face of escalating building costs

The focus on the Levelling Up agenda and the availability of grant funding, means there are numerous important regeneration schemes actively being pursued across the country. With ever-escalating project and building costs, in many cases, applications that were made for grant funding were based on costs contingencies that have already been exceeded.

Legal Update

The impending termination of PFI contracts and what should be done now

By the time PFI really got into its stride in the early 2000s, standard form contracts had pretty much nailed down the terms and anticipated anything that might happen, good or bad, during the course of the 25 years it covered.

Legal Update

Conservation Covenants – what are they and how will they affect you?

Opinion

Homes England partners with local authorities to boost the levelling up agenda

Homes England, the government’s housing accelerator, has partnered with two local authorities, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Association of South Essex Local Authorities, in a new Strategic Place Partnership (SPP) which is designed to align with the government’s levelling up agenda by delivering new homes in the regions.

Legal Update

Construction: Gold Standard Framework – seven months on

We have created a summary of the recommendations and consistent themes which we are now starting to see becoming more embedded in public sector procurement practices.

Published Article

Sustainability in construction

The climate emergency has reached a point where real and substantial damage is being caused to both the planet and society. There has been a shift from planning and theorising the most effective solutions, to a phase where practical, efficient, and sustainable solutions are required at speed.

Opinion

Responding to Grenfell – Slow progress is better than none

As the Grenfell Inquiry continues, how have the Phase 1 recommendations changed the fire safety and building safety landscape?

Legal Update

Balancing homelessness duties and housing stock: all change?

On 4 May 2022, the Court of Appeal handed down judgment in the joint case of R (Elkundi and others) -v- Birmingham City Council and R (Imam) -v- London Borough of Croydon [2022] EWCA Civ 601.

Published Article

Queen’s speech: planning reforms to be tackled via Levelling up Bill

Legal Update

Is this the end of Section 106?

The Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill was introduced to Parliament on 11 May 2022. In this Bill, and in accordance with earlier reports, the government intends to replace section 106 agreements and the existing Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) with a new Infrastructure Levy.

Opinion

Update: building safety repairs pledge signed by over 35 major housing developers

On 14 February 2022, Secretary of State of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, announced proposals designed to pressure building developers and materials manufacturers to fund the remediation of unsafe properties.

Legal Update

Modernising the planning system

Improvement to the planning system has arrived in the form of new digital tools which will make it easier for the general public to have their say on shaping and regenerating their communities.

Published Article

The Levelling Up White Paper: who has the real power?

Devolution & reorganisation are key themes, but will it empower local governments to have a real say in the future of their communities?