Recent Posts
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When Housing Policies are Out of Date: Court of Appeal clarifies para 49 NPPF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
Irwin Mitchell
Can you be forced to work a Sunday?
The outcome of the vote yesterday on the proposed extension to Sunday trading hours was certainly very interesting. However, it is also a...
10/03/16
Nicola Gooch
Town Planning: The NHS's new weapon in the war on obesity
The NHS has taken its campaign to improve the health of the nation one step further with the announcement of its 'healthy towns'...
04/03/16
Nicola Gooch
High Court quashes £170,000 CIL demand as unlawful
In a judgment handed down on 3 March 2016, Mrs Justice Patterson overturned a CIL demand for £170,000, issued by Swindon Council, in...
04/03/16
Irwin Mitchell
Hope yet for lawyers?
The potential of IT tools to cut lawyers out of the equation (along with all other professionals if you believe some pundits, let alone...
01/03/16
Nicola Gooch
House of Commons publishes road map to future planning reform
Last week, the House of Commons Library published its briefing paper on the Government's proposals for planning reform. The briefing...
01/03/16
Irwin Mitchell
Clicks v Bricks - IT, Big Data and the retail revolution
There was no doubt that some retailers were slow off the mark when it came to online presence and online sales. Recent research by...
12/02/16
Nicola Gooch
Government to review whether there is a 'continuing need' for the HCA
Brandon Lewis has today announced a review of the Homes and Communities Agency, to see whether there is a continuing need for its...
10/02/16
Irwin Mitchell
Estate regeneration panel convenes
Following recent announcements about a push to regenerate council estates using institutional finance, Lord Heseltine has appointed the...
09/02/16
Nicola Gooch
Greg Clark announces consultation on increasing planning application fees
Buried in the text of Greg Clark's statement to parliament on local government finances is a rather interesting paragraph on planning...
09/02/16
Nicola Gooch
Grand Designs: Register of self build and custom house builders goes live on 1st April 2016
From 1 April 2016, it should be easier for those inspired by Kevin McCloud to find the land they need to build the home of their dreams. ...
08/02/16
Irwin Mitchell
US property giant buys UK affordable housing developer
Interesting news in the FT and Inside Housing today that US based "Related Companies" have brought discount market sale specialist...
03/02/16
Irwin Mitchell
Natural Capital - a new tool for evaluating environmental risks and benefits
An interesting development in real estate is how we now value environmental benefits and burdens, and what the true costs might be. With...
03/02/16
Nicola Gooch
Greenwich: Developers must make full viability assessments public
Greenwich Council has just announced plans to require residential developers to go public with their full, un-redacted, viability...
02/02/16
Irwin Mitchell
Don't work in Oil
Fickle commodity prices (and the small matter of a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico) has lead BP to cut thousands of jobs.
02/02/16