Public matters - September 2023

Wales Infrastructure Bill: Unified process for significant infrastructure projects?

The Infrastructure (Wales) Bill was laid in the Senedd on 12 June 2023. The Bill reforms how infrastructure is consented in Wales. It establishes Infrastructure Consent, a unified process for specific types of significant infrastructure projects. Significant infrastructure projects include energy, transport, waste, water and gas projects both on land and within the Welsh marine area.

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Defending equal pay claims: Equal pay for equal work?

Equal pay claims can be costly and time consuming to defend. Their complicated nature means that the Employment Tribunal has a modified set of rules for dealing with proceedings that involve claims that work is of equal value. We take a look in more detail at equal pay claims brought under the EA 2010.

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Are councils failing to tackle anti-social behaviour?

The BBC have published an interesting article about councils failing to tackle anti-social behaviour. Watchdog confirmed that out of 63 cases it investigated in the last year 51 were upheld.

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PPN 08/23: Using Standard Contracts

On 1st August 2023, the Cabinet Office published a Procurement Policy Note (PPN 08/23) in replacement of PPN 04/12 and PPN 06/14 relating to the use of standard contracts.

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Fixed recoverable costs regime – are you ready?

From 1 October 2023, the fixed recoverable costs (FRC) regime will be extended across the fast track and in a new intermediate track for simpler cases valued up to £100,000. As the new regime introduces significant changes, parties need to make sure that they understand and are ready for them.

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Local authorities contracting out enforcement of debts

The question for the Technology and Construction Court and Administrative Court in Dukes Bailiffs Limited v Breckland Council [2023] EWHC 1569 was whether a local authority contracting out enforcement of its debts is governed by the Public Contract Regulations 2015 or the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016, or alternatively, whether the local authorities decisions in this regard are open to judicial review.

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Review of a subsidy control decision: The Durham Company Ltd v Durham County Council, 27 July 2023

The Durham Company Limited (t/a Max Recycle) v Durham County Council, 27 July 2023 is the first application for a review of a subsidy control decision under s.70 of the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (Act) to come before the Competition Appeal Tribunal and has been awaited with some anticipation by those advising local authorities on subsidy control, because of its potential implications for local authority ‘commercial’ operations.

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Browne Jacobson grows Cardiff team with two new appointments

Law firm Browne Jacobson has grown its recently opened office in Cardiff with the appointments of senior associate Bill Cordingley into its public law team and legal assistant Phillip Brettell into its Criminal Compliance & Regulatory team.

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