Blogs
New powers for councils could deliver “tens of thousands of new homes”
Important new powers granted to local authorities could enable them to deliver “tens of thousands of new homes” in the near future, the Government has said. The comments come after Housing Minister Dominic Raab unveiled a series of new powers for councils, which will enable them to apply to s....
Mediation – what it can achieve, and how to approach it
If you’re separating, going through a divorce or dissolving a civil partnership or even you’ve been separated for a while, you may need help in sorting out arrangements with your partner. It’s at this point that working with a neutral third party, an independent professionally-qualified mediat....
NPPF should not impose ‘undeliverable’ housing targets on councils
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) must not impose ‘undeliverable’ housing targets on local councils, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. In a letter in response to the Government’s NPPF consultation penned in recent days, the LGA has voiced concerns over the NPPF....
Calls for new authority to oversee fire safety risk of HRRBs
A new joint competent authority (JCA) should be set up to oversee the fire safety and other risks associated with buildings more than 10 storeys in height, it has been said. The comments feature in Dame Judith Hackitt’s final report into fire safety for high-risk residential buildings (HRRBs), ....
“Vital” changes needed to NPPF, groups claim
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires a number of “vital” improvements in order to be to truly fit for purpose, a number of organisations have said. In a joint letter penned to the Government, planning professionals, transport authorities, charities and various other groups h....
Access to transport suffers as only half of new homes are built near to a train station
Only half of the new homes being built in England’s fastest growing cities are sited within 2km of a train station. That is according to a recently published report. The Royal Town Planning Institute’s (RTPI) study looks at the locations for new homes in cities such as Leeds, Newcastle and Br....
Equal Pay – what SME employers need to know
Nearly five decades after the debate on equal pay began in the UK, the discussion continues. The Equal Pay Act 1970 was a landmark piece of legislation. It stated that equal pay was due where work was broadly the same and equal in value in terms of effort and skill. Fast-forwarding to 2018 shows ....
Mediation – helping to forge family-centred solutions
In the first of a series of posts about mediation, we’ll start by looking at what it is and what it seeks to achieve, and the part a mediator can play in helping couples deal with important practical issues surrounding separation, enabling them to go their separate ways and move on with their live....
Concerns that permitted development rules are producing ‘poor quality’ residential homes
In recent days, fresh concerns have been raised that permitted development rules are having a negative effect on Britain’s housing market by encouraging too many ‘poor quality’ office-to-residential conversions which are not properly overseen by planners. Under the rules governing permitted....
Top 10 mistakes clients make about wills, and how we can put them right
Of course, one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make is dying without a Will, and it’s a sad fact of modern life that more than two-thirds of people in the UK don’t have one. However, even where there’s a Will in place, mistakes or oversights can be made, and it’s more important than ever ....
“Fresh thinking” needed on Green Belt policy
A briefing document published by the Landscape Institute in recent days has called for “fresh thinking” on the UK’s Green Belt policy, amid concerns that existing laws are too vague and fail to address a number of important environmental issues. Towards the end of April, the Institute laid ....
Ashes to ashes… and where you can scatter them
While many of us grew up thinking of burial as the way in which we say farewell to the deceased, statistics from the Cremation Society of Great Britain show that around 75 per cent of people are now choosing cremation rather than burial. Deciding what to do with the ashes In the 1970s, onl....
