We act for developers and public bodies on many and varied regeneration schemes around the UK including housing regeneration projects, town centre redevelopment schemes, and investment in infrastructure. Our multi-disciplinary team draws on expertise in property, commercial, procurement, construction and public law (including state aid). We keep up to date with developments in the sector and regularly host or participate in discussion forums.
We appreciate the challenges facing local authorities in particular, as well as the opportunities rapidly emerging for them to act as enablers and developers in their own right. We regularly give advice on procurement options and the setting up of wholly owned delivery vehicles, as well as funding arrangements.
Supporting a major, city scale, district heating scheme to cover the Lee Valley regeneration area. A key development for London, the scheme aims to become the first city-scale heat network in London, providing heating and hot water to thousands of homes & businesses in the Lee Valley .
Advising Ealing Council on the Development Agreement between Ealing Council and Affinity Sutton, under which around 280 new homes for rent and home ownership will be provided. The scheme will create a sustainable neighbourhood with new affordable and private homes. We advised on development agreement and key project specific issues, including phasing and viability test thresholds.
Acting for a local housing association on its dealings with a London council in relation to the provision of affordable housing. This project is an example of our work with housing associations and the emerging breadth of solutions being developed to address the housing shortages.
Acting for a local authority on a major transport development around the existing railway and bus station. Our role involves advising on and negotiating agreements with all the key parties, providing procurement and state aid advice alongside the support being given from our property and construction specialists.
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.
With aims to level up the UK, and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to flourish, public and private partnerships will be critical success factor. In this article, we look at the role that private finance can play in the performance of a local area and how it might link to regeneration. We also consider the role of central government and regional mayors.
The Building Safety Act 2022 received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022 (“Act”). The government has described the reforms introduced by the Act as “the biggest changes to building safety regulation in a generation”. For once the hype is justified.
As the Grenfell Inquiry continues, how have the Phase 1 recommendations changed the fire safety and building safety landscape?
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.
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.
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.
