The Supreme Court has given judgment in the case of Telereal Trillium v Hewitt (VO) [2019] UKSC 23. The latest in a long line of rating cases to be considered by the Supreme Court in recent years, this case indicates that even the most unattractive, seemingly impossible to let, empty property is likely to be … Read more
On 14 May 2019, the Planning Inspectorate published its Inquiries Review Action Plan to explain how it intends to implement the recommendations of Bridget Rosewell CBE’s Independent Review of Planning Appeal Inquiries. This blog considers what progress has been made and what are the main challenges to full implementation. The Rosewell Review The PINS Action Plan … Read more
The suspension or termination of construction contracts can have significant commercial implications for developers. No doubt, developers will already be aware that the right to suspend and, in particular, terminate, a construction contract should be used sparingly. But what are the potential pitfalls to be mindful of if it becomes necessary to suspend or terminate … Read more
Campaigners trying to block the expansion of Heathrow Airport have failed in their bid to persuade the High Court that the Government’s decision to designate the Airports National Policy Statement (“ANPS”), including the process which led to the designation, was flawed by legal error. The ANPS is a policy document which sets out the Government’s … Read more
The emergence of renewable energy such as wind and solar has brought about the need to store the electricity that is generated when it is not needed. Technological advancements mean that it is becoming increasingly feasible to store large quantities of energy in small-scale facilities. Electricity storage therefore provides vital flexibility to the UK’s energy … Read more
For developers bringing forward any residential development, the affordable housing package will be one of the most important elements of ensuring a scheme actually gets consent – particularly in the current political and policy environment. But while it is easy to focus only on those crucial headlines – number of units, tenure, and size – … Read more
Last week, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (“SoS”), James Brokenshire MP, published a written statement in which he announced that he would no longer give reasons for calling-in or declining to call-in planning applications. This comes just short of six months after the Court of Appeal ruling in SAVE Britain’s … Read more
To ensure that projects remain viable and achievable, the power to vary the terms of, or the scope of works under, construction contracts can be essential for developers, particularly in times of political and economic uncertainty. But what is the difference between variations to and variations under a construction contract? Although the two concepts are easily … Read more
