All Ask the expert articles – Page 8
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ProfessionalDoes the Building Better report try to cover too many subjects?
The Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission (BBBBC) tries too hard to cover all bases in its final report.
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Professional
How is ‘openness’ assessed in green-belt developments?
Development that is classed by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) as ‘inappropriate’ in the green belt should not be approved except where it has shown very special circumstances to overcome the substantial weight given to green-belt protection. A decision-maker first asks: is the development appropriate or inappropriate?
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Professional
Can the government harness tech start-ups to fix the housing crisis?
Launched in May 2018, the GovTech Catalyst is a £20m fund set up to help private sector innovators and start-ups tackle public sector problems.
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Professional
Should all boundary disputes be settled by surveyors?
Believe it or not, lawyers do not love boundary disputes.
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Professional
What are the pitfalls for investors as student accommodation booms?
Student accommodation, once an ‘alternative’ or ‘specialist’ asset class, is evolving into a mainstream investment, attracting a variety of global institutional investors. More data and the sheer volume of deals paint a similar picture of real estate investors’ growing desire to gain exposure to student accommodation strategies and capabilities.
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Professional
How do criminals use commercial property to launder money?
When it comes to money laundering, London and residential property take the lion’s share of headlines, but making dirty money clean is an activity that is widespread across the UK, with prosecutions associated with commercial property common.
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Professional
Could senior living schemes play a key role in reviving high streets?
Following L G’s recent plans to convert a former Bath Homebase store into retirement living housing, there has been much discussion on whether senior housing could form part of the mix to revive UK high streets.
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Professional
Will corporate disclosure rules affect the battle to retain talent?
New UK legislation coming into force soon will require more disclosure of beneficial ownership, which is going to make it much more straightforward to identify the individuals behind corporations.
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Professional
Will regulation help the industry to meet net-zero-carbon target?
Decarbonising our built environment is vital to reaching the UK’s net-zero ambition.
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Professional
What are three key elements of the proposed Environment Bill?
The government published its Environment Bill in October, which it says will grapple with the biggest challenges of the modern era.
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Professional
How would post-Grenfell sprinkler proposals affect project costs?
We now have the response to the consultation on fire safety post Grenfell, with news that all new blocks of flats extending six storeys or higher could require sprinkler systems under proposed government plans.
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Professional
Are we set to enter age of the instant electronic property deal?
The Law Commission report on the ‘electronic execution of documents’, published in September, provides welcome clarity to practitioners as to the legal status of electronically executed documents. In a nutshell, it says that unless there is a legal bar to executing a document electronically, then such execution is fine.
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Professional
Will debate over the London Plan lead to a review of the green belt?
You will no doubt have seen the headlines about reduced housing targets, increased demand for industrial land and the need for a green-belt review in the inspectors’ response to the London Plan.
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Professional
Do CVAs create an unfair market for solvent retail tenants?
CVAs have certainly generated mixed feelings on the high street. In the past few weeks, high street landlord British Land has rapidly settled a challenge to Monsoon Accessorize’s CVA, allowing the struggling retailer to cut its rents by 25% to 65% across half of its stores.
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Professional
How will Quality of Life Foundation help the UK to build better homes?
The built environment plays a huge role in shaping people’s lives and how they feel, as well as having an impact on the wider environment.
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Professional
Can co-living schemes fit into property’s existing legal regime?
The rise of co-living is a revolutionary development in rental markets, offering a number of perks without the drawbacks of renting. Rather than just offering a place to live, it is a social movement based on a sense of community and collaboration.
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Professional
What can be done to boost supply of housing in outer London?
London is facing a housing crisis. The population is growing but the capital cannot deliver enough homes – especially affordable.
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Professional
How can landowners protect themselves against trespassers?
Earlier this year, the government announced draft measures to increase police powers to deal with unauthorised encampments and launched a review into making trespass a criminal offence – both proposals undoubtedly welcomed by the property industry.
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Professional
How can procurement mitigate the risks of office development?
According to the latest Deloitte crane survey, activity in the office sector continues apace, with 3.5m sq ft started in London alone over the six months to May – a 38% increase on the previous survey last autumn.
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Professional
Is there still value in keep-open covenants for retail landlords?
The fragility of the retail sector poses a real difficulty for landlords in protecting the value of their assets. Many retail leases include keep-open covenants but enforcement can be problematic with only limited options available: seeking an injunction, claiming damages or forfeiting the lease.
