Cost: from £205 + VAT

This course gives attendees a basic grasp of key aspects of planning law, policy and practice that are relevant to property transactions. It is suitable for anyone who needs to understand the key aspects of how planning issues affect land transactions including lawyers, surveyors, committee officers and local members.

The course begins with a general introduction to the planning system and the key legislation. It includes an overview of the legal context for planning decisions, explains what the local plan is and why it matters in property development, and identifies key points to look out for when doing due diligence on a new development.

It goes on to look at planning, land acquisition and development in more detail including an overview of the decision-making process, and wider governance issues such as dealing with heritage, the environment, human rights, and the public sector equality duty.

There is a detailed examination of what a 106 agreement is, how it fits into the development process and its interrelationship with planning conditions.

The final section is a brief overview of the use of planning compulsory purchase powers to bring development forward, and the use of enforcement powers to stop developments going ahead.

The course will include a summary of key changes coming up including the Environment Bill, the Building Safety Bill, and the digitisation of the system.

About the speaker:

 Dr Sue Chadwick

Strategic Planning Advisor, Pinsent Masons LLP

Sue's experience of planning law began when she was working as a trainee legal executive with Broxbourne Borough Council in 1984 and most of her professional practice since has been in this area. She has worked in both the public and private sector as well as in academia and her experience includes project management of the Grand Arcade retail regeneration of Cambridge city centre, nine years as a professional support lawyer at Herbert Smith Freehills and a year as assistant monitoring officer at Essex County Council. She lectures at Brighton University and has a doctorate on the meaning and interpretation of sustainable development in the Planning Framework.