Law firm nets £1m planning enforcement services deal with council

Law firm Ivy Legal has secured a £1m contract to provide planning enforcement services to the London Borough of Ealing.

Under the deal Ivy Legal will provide a lifecycle planning enforcement service for outhouses, including:

  • logging and investigation of alleged breaches of planning control,
  • undertaking site investigations,
  • writing reports and preparing formal notices,
  • making recommendations for case closure or no further action,
  • compliance visits,
  • preparing witness statements and associated documentation for court prosecutions,
  • acting as advocate and expert witness in planning enforcement appeals,
  • appearing in court for warrant applications and executing entry warrants.

The council also said that there may be a requirement in the future for Ivy Legal to provide advocacy services in planning enforcement appeals for mainstream work, where capacity allows.

The contract, worth £1.02m, was awarded on the basis of quality (weighting: 70) and price (weighting: 30).

In 2015 Ealing and Ivy Legal’s Outhouse Project won the Enforcement Award at the Planning Awards.