Professional Comment and Legal Views – Page 8
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Professional
The private sector can aid councils
A summer of discontent for local planning authorities (LPAs) saw officers at Portsmouth and Bournemouth councils self-imposing ‘lockdowns’ to tackle planning application backlogs.
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Professional
Let’s look to the next generation
‘The future of the industry is in good hands’ has become the standard response from the judging panel for the Women in Property National Student Awards.
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Professional
What role can planning play in the delivery of net zero carbon?
For those of us who have studied the Brundtland Report 1987, we know that the heart of sustainable development is real estate and the planning system.
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Professional
How can property industry best achieve decarbonisation of heat?
Following the launch of the UK’s Net Zero Strategy, it has been a busy year for consultants in this space, with more than 3,500 companies now signed up to the Science-Based Targets initiative.
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Professional
Energy costs and rental markets
Residential rents, currently at record-high levels, are predicted to increase.
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Professional
What do latest judgements mean for the recovery of Covid rent arrears?
Property lawyers and landlords alike have been following the cases of Bank of New York Mellon (International) v Cine-UK and London Trocadero (2015) v Picturehouse Cinemas with trepidation over recent months.
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Professional
How can companies best meet data protection requirements?
Far too few real estate companies take data protection seriously – and when they do, it is often with a pinch of salt.
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Professional
Plan now for net zero deadlines
The government has committed to a 78% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, with stringent new domestic and commercial energy efficiency standards introduced to meet those targets.
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Professional
Politics is delaying development
The greatest obstacle on the road from land promotion to development is politics.
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Professional
Could flexible working solve property’s gender pay gap?
By making flexible working the norm, employers can help to attract and retain women across the board.
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Professional
The pros and cons of restructuring
On 22 July, the High Court sanctioned the part 26A restructuring plan (RP) of Houst, a property management services business for short-term and holiday lets.
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Professional
Consulting on building safety
After the Building Safety Act (BSA) gained royal assent at the end of April, the government commenced consultations regarding the swathe of secondary legislation that is required to complete the detail of the new regime.
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Professional
Meeting the myriad needs of a neurodiverse workforce
As employers and colleagues, it is our duty to be more informed and offer better support where it is needed.
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Professional
No change on cladding post-Gove
Michael Gove’s strategy to tackle the cladding crisis proved deeply unpopular with the housebuilding industry.
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Professional
More affordable housing is needed
In its latest study into the UK’s ‘broken’ housing system, charity Shelter announced the worrying news that despite huge demand, only 6,644 social rent homes were delivered in 2019-20 – a decrease of more than 83% since 2010.
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Professional
Will the new levelling-up bill reverse the fortunes of UK high streets?
The Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill has been the subject of much commentary since its debut on 11 May.
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Professional
What is the commercial case for improving building standards?
The Building Safety Bill received Royal Assent in late April and will change how residential buildings are constructed and maintained.
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Professional
An easy fix for the UK’s planning woes
It has repeatedly been said that the UK’s planning system is not fit for purpose. Some have even suggested it is ‘broken’. I would go further and say it is actively counterproductive to its purpose. But I believe the problem could be easily fixed.
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Professional
The case for foundation reuse
Prior to the 20th century, it was common practice to reuse foundations. We have now come full circle and are once again seeing a push towards reuse. This time, the pressure to change approach is being driven by the climate emergency.
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Professional
What factors have been driving the leap in company insolvencies?
The UK is set to reach pre-pandemic levels of corporate insolvencies this year. April figures for England and Wales showed that company insolvencies had more than doubled year on year.