Law firm secures £7.5m contract to provide planning law advice on Parliamentary estate

September 11, 2019

Boutique law firm Town Legal has secured a £7.5m contract to support the Strategic Estates team at Parliament with planning law advice.

The Strategic Estates team was established in June 2016 and delivers capital investment in the Parliamentary Estate.

Comprising more than 30 buildings, 70% of the Parliamentary Estate is listed and two buildings are Grade I listed: the Palace of Westminster; and Norman Shaw North.

Town Legal will provide planning law support in “the delivery of a significant programme of capital investment which includes but which is not limited to the Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme and the Northern Estate Programme”.

It will help the Strategic Estates team in securing the necessary planning and related consents for both capital investment projects and major capital maintenance projects (as required).

Strategic Estates said it was envisaged that the legal services would be ‘estate wide’ and “promote a joined up, holistic approach to this specific area of law”.

The services will include but not be limited to legal issues in relation to:

town and planning procedures;
highways procedures (including procedures for stopping up of highways and traffic regulation orders);
heritage issues including conservation areas, listed buildings and world heritage site issues;
environmental impact assessment including screening and scoping;
community infrastructure levy;
compulsory purchase and compensation;
planning appeals and call-in;
judicial review and other legal challenges;
development plan representations;
neighbourhood planning;
access to information including application of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 in liaison with and with the approval of the Office of Speaker’s Counsel and the Counsel to the Chairman of Committees and other strategic advice as may be required by the authority.

The procurement was led by The Corporate Officer of the House of Lords and The Corporate Officer of the House of Commons.