I read an article recently which told the story of an Oxford philosopher who spent a long evening with colleagues furiously debating the meaning of life. After eventually collapsing into bed, he awoke in the middle of the night with a brilliant thought. He scribbled it down on a pad beside the bed and went … Read more

Yesterday, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) published the Business and Planning Bill 2019-2020 and supporting guidance. This is not the fundamental reform to the planning system that we have been told to expect; rather the Bill contains largely temporary measures to “support the transition from immediate [Covid-19] crisis response and lockdown … Read more

In his introduction to the recent Policy Exchange publication “Planning Anew“, the Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP has stated that the government will “focus on creating beautiful, environmentally friendly places”. This reference to beauty appears to be another indication that at least some of the recommendations set out in the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission’s … Read more

On 28 February, we reported that, in a unanimous decision, the Court of Appeal held in R (on the application of Plan B Earth and others) v Secretary of State for Transport [2020] EWCA Civ 214 that government policy in relation to the expansion of Heathrow Airport was unlawful. This was on the ground that … Read more

COVID-19 has proved to be a catalyst for changes to the planning system designed to respond to the rapidly changing economic climate. The government this week published guidance on postponing payments of developer contributions such as planning obligations and CIL in order to alleviate one of the obvious obstacles to development coming forward. What kind … Read more

As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, more people are in need of urgent medical attention. This has put immense pressure on the NHS. The ExCeL exhibition centre, which normally plays host to lifestyle shows, expos and conferences, has already been converted into the temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital with space for up to 4,000 beds, … Read more

In light of the new measures put in place by the UK government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many projects are being assessed to determine whether they can continue or whether work should pause. Local authorities are putting in place appropriate measures for their areas to protect the health and safety of the public … Read more

This week, offices, schools and public places are being closed in response to COVID-19. Herbert Smith Freehills continues to provide a full client service, with our teams mostly working remotely but, as with all businesses, those involved in planning are trying to work out the best ways to continue with projects and what accommodations need … Read more