Recent Posts
Nicola Gooch
Planning: A New Era of Government Intervention?
The 2010 election of the coalition government was, in hindsight, a significant moment for the planning system. Over the parliament that...
13/06/16
Irwin Mitchell
Ignoring polite notices counts as force under English law
In a reassuring vindication of British values the Court of Appeal has confirmed that ignoring a clearly worded, clearly visible sign is...
08/06/16
Nicola Gooch
CIL Review Panel Report likely to be published after the referendum
There is little point in hiding the fact that I have 'robust' views about the Community Infrastructure Levy. Having spent the last few...
08/06/16
Nicola Gooch
Housing and Planning Act 2016 - implications for planning
The Housing and Planning Act gained royal assent on 12 May 2016. Once it is fully in force, the Act will give DCLG extensive new powers...
25/05/16
Nicola Gooch
National Planning Guidance on Small Sites exemption is officially re-instated
DCLG has now reinstated the Planning Practice Guidance that gives effect to the Small Sites exemption; which was declared lawful by the...
20/05/16
Nicola Gooch
Government confirms that a permitted development right to demolish offices and rebuild as residential is still on the agenda
Given its reputation, Friday the 13th is an unusual date on which to release news. It is, however, the date on which DCLG chose to...
19/05/16
Nicola Gooch
Housing & Planning Bill to receive Royal Assent Today
Yesterday the House of Commons and the House of Lords managed to agree on the final text of the Housing & Planning Bill, with the Lords...
12/05/16
Nicola Gooch
Court of Appeal declares Small Sites Exemption Lawful
The Court of Appeal has just ruled that the Small Sites Exemption, introduced by Ministers in November 2014, is lawful. In so doing, they...
11/05/16
Nicola Gooch
The Battle of the Houses: Government to oppose House of Lords' amendments to Housing & Planning Bill
The Housing and Planning Bill looks set to enter its most contentious phase of passage yet, with Greg Clark signalling that the House of...
04/05/16
Irwin Mitchell
Five points for Investment Managers and Corporate Property Advisers from the EMI Case
It is not often in property law that we are told that things are “void” without there being either some element of moral or financial...
27/04/16
Nicola Gooch
House of Lords make yet more amendments to Housing and Planning Bill
Whilst the Housing and Planning Bill made it through the House of Commons almost unscathed, its time in the House of Lords has been...
27/04/16
Nicola Gooch
Cheshire East seeks Supreme Court review of 'Policies for the Supply of Housing' Judgment
Cheshire East Council is seeking permission from the Supreme Court to appeal the Court of Appeal's Judgment in Suffolk Coastal District...
19/04/16
Nicola Gooch
House of Lords amend key starter homes provisions in Housing & Planning Bill
Yesterday was not a good day for the Department of Communities and Local Government, as they suffered two key defeats over the Housing...
12/04/16
Irwin Mitchell
Charities and Social Investment
At last, charities have had their powers extended to clarify what was an ambiguous area, allowing them, subject to safeguards, to make...
11/04/16
Nicola Gooch
Railway Stations to become new hubs for housing led regeneration
On Sunday, DCLG announced a new initiative to redevelop land surrounding railway stations to provide up to 10,000 new homes, as well as...
11/04/16
Nicola Gooch
The 21 Authorities most at risk of local plan intervention
Planning Magazine has listed the 21 local authorities most at risk of intervention in the local plan process, if the Housing and Planning...
08/04/16
Nicola Gooch
Specific Appeal Rights for unviable Affordable Housing to end on 30 April
DCLG has recently decided that the specific rights to appeal affordable housing requirements on stalled sites will come to an end on 30...
05/04/16
Irwin Mitchell
Academies "Land Grab"
Many people will be aware of the Government's plans for all UK schools to become academies, but where does this leave the ownership of...
05/04/16
Irwin Mitchell
Land Registry facing privatisation
The Government has issued a consultation paper for the privatisation of the Land Registry. This forms part of its wider aim of £5...
01/04/16
Nicola Gooch
Detail of Starter Homes Proposals out for Consultation
It has long been a pet theory of mine that the more important a planning related consultation is, the duller its title will be. This...
29/03/16
Nicola Gooch
Permitted Development: Office to Residential demolition and re-build rights are still a possibility
Planning Resource Magazine has just published an article indicating that the proposal to include rights to demolish and replace buildings...
23/03/16
Irwin Mitchell
They take but they still want - or Dealing with Governments
Who to believe in Government? A question that is asked often and with good reason (along with can you believe in government at all!)....
18/03/16
Nicola Gooch
When Housing Policies are Out of Date: Court of Appeal clarifies para 49 NPPF
Earlier today the Court of Appeal issued a judgment clarifying the proper interpretation of Paragraph 49 of the NPPF. Paragraph 49...
17/03/16
Irwin Mitchell
Budget 2016
Although it takes some time to pick through the detail in the Budget each year, and longer to wait for and digest the legislation...
16/03/16
Irwin Mitchell
No Build to Rent exemption from new SDLT rules
The Government have announced in Budget 2016, and added more detail in the linked consultation response, that they will not be taking...
16/03/16
Irwin Mitchell
Infrastructure, pooling and property problems for Local Government pension funds
There has been a lot written recently on the way the UK government has forced Local Government pension funds into pooled vehicles so that...
16/03/16
Nicola Gooch
Garden Cities downgraded to Garden Villages
Today's budget contained a lot of new proposals, and a few familiar faces returning to the policy agenda. The proposal for the...
16/03/16
Nicola Gooch
Permitted Development - 11th Hour Reprieve for Office to Residential and other changes
Last November DCLG announced a number of proposed changes to the Permitted Development regime, including a proposal to make Office to...
14/03/16
Nicola Gooch
Report recommends London exemption from NPPF and new devolution deal to tackle Housing Crisis
The London Housing Commission has published its report on how best to tackle the housing crisis in the capital. The report's conclusions...
14/03/16
Nicola Gooch
Planning Appeal fails because landowner did not sign s.106 Agreement
A developer in Leicestershire has missed out on planning permission at Appeal for 33 dwellings because he failed to ensure that the s.106...
14/03/16