A rarely used Whitehall intervention has seen all permit approvals for new waste incinerators halted until at least 24 May, including one that is the subject of a threatened judicial review by a council.
Homes England should have "even stronger relationships" with local government in order to boost housing delivery, a Government review of the non-departmental body has found.
Law firm Ashfords has been appointed to advise Somerset Council on the consenting, funding and development of a £4 billion battery gigafactory in Bridgwater by Agratas, Tata Group’s global battery business.
The Cabinet Office has published a first batch of guidance documents aimed at providing technical guidance on the Procurement Act 2023 and helping with interpretation and understanding of the new regime.
The East London Waste Authority (ELW) has appointed law firm Browne Jacobson to a £1.47m contract to provide legal services as the arrangements for delivering the authority's Integrated Wast Management Strategy (IWMS) near expiry.
A High Court judge has ruled that a legal challenge against Plymouth City Council’s controversial redevelopment plans, which saw the local authority fell more than a hundred trees, is academic.
There has been a "worrying lack of transparency" in the approach to awarding Levelling Up funding, and some councils missed out after rules were changed for the funding "as it went along", the Public Accounts Committee has said.
The Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, has set up a cross-authority working group including statutory officers from all five constituent authorities of the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) to consider and agree an action plan for implementation of the recommendations contained in the recent independent review of the Teesworks Joint Venture.
An internal investigation carried out by Torbay Council following the controversial removal of 40 palm trees from the Italian Gardens in Torquay has found that the works proceeded “without any formal governance and definition”.
We often hear the term ‘back-to-back’ contracting, but what does this mean, and what are the common themes to consider when faced with a construction project involving multiple parties? Rachel Murray-Smith and Sydney Rich look at the issues.
The Health and Safety Executive (“HSE”) has extended the deadline for the registration of Registered Building Inspectors (“RBIs”) to 6 July 2024 following industry concerns. Ewan Anthony and Rachel Murray-Smith explain why.
It has been a busy year in the construction industry, write David Owens, Rachel Murray-Smith and Helen Arthur, with some standout legislative changes, including in relation to the Building Safety Act 2022, and the Government issuing a significant paper in respect of behaviours relating to PFI contracts.
A recent ruling from the Technology and Construction Court has suggested that voluminous documents will rarely be a breach of natural justice in adjudication, write Arjen Xani and Sarah Wilson.
The High Court recently considered whether a party can refer a dispute to an adjudicator on both a ‘true value’ and ‘smash and grab’ basis. Michael Comba, Ewan Anthony and David Owens analyse the ruling.
Leading planning barrister Lord Charles Banner KC from Keating Chambers has been asked to lead a Government review into planning and delivery of national infrastructure projects.
Fenland District Council has voted to seek legal advice on a judicial review challenge to a decision by the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's to allow an incinerator to be built at Wisbech.
Essex County Council's Audit, Governance and Standards Committee will scrutinise a series of controversial contracts totalling £500,000 awarded to a freelance marketer to run a social media campaign.
Durham Council has ruled out pursuing a judicial review over the Government’s approach to awarding levelling up funding after estimating the cost of litigation would exceed £100,000.
An independent investigation is set to take place into Guildford Borough Council’s housing maintenance service after a report identifying “a number of serious areas of concern that require further investigation”, the council has said.
Professional bodies and lawyers have warned construction projects may be disrupted because too few building control inspectors will meet the 6 April deadline to re-register under a new Government approval scheme.
The London Borough of Croydon was due this week to agree to close its ill-fated housebuilding operation Brick By Brick (BBB), losses on which have contributed to its financial crisis.
Delivery of Government programmes is hampered by lack of co-ordination across Whitehall with departments operating in silos, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has found.
The Restoration & Renewal Delivery Authority, which is responsible for restoration work at the Palace of Westminster, has appointed law firm Sharpe Pritchard as its strategic legal services partner on a £4.25m contract.
Peterborough City Council and Serco have agreed to end a contract under which the company provided business support, customer services and shared transactional services such as revenue and benefits.
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority's reasoning for awarding an £11.6 million grant to a developer could be "significantly improved and articulated more clearly", the Competition and Markets Authority’s Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has said.
The Court of Appeal has rejected a campaign group’s judicial review challenge of the Government’s approval of the Sizewell C nuclear power plant in Suffolk.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has issued guidance for local authorities and towns on the establishment of the new breed of ‘Town Boards’ and development of their ‘Long-Term Plan’.
Durham County Council has called on the Government to repay the £1.2m costs of its five failed levelling up bids after claiming the rules were changed without its knowledge.
The s.151 officer for Cheshire East Council has warned that the financial impact of cancellation of the northern portion of High Speed 2 (HS2) has put the local authority at risk of issuing a section 114 notice.
Beleaguered Birmingham City Council faces the loss of a £2.7bn highways maintenance PFI contract after the Government stepped in to block its support funding.
Council projects funded by the Government's levelling up programme are behind where the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) expected them to be, and it appears unlikely councils will complete the projects by their deadlines, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club has lost a challenge to the London Borough of Haringey’s grant of planning permission to developer Landlease for a large scheme near its stadium.
The Ministry of Justice has awarded a £4m contract to international law firm Hogan Lovells for litigation legal services related to collapsed construction firm Carillion.
Peterborough City Council has put a local hotel project into administration in a move it said was intended to safeguard a £15m loan it has made to developer.
BCP Council is to close its regeneration company Future Places after a report from council leader Vikki Slade said a changed economic environment meant its operating model no longer worked.
Warwickshire County Council is set to drop its bid to join the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) after concluding it would be impossible to hold a public consultation in time for the Government to make orders before WMCA’s next mayoral election in May 2024.
Middlesbrough Council is to form an Independent Improvement Advisory Board - made up of external and experienced senior officers and politicians - after further concerns were raised by auditor EY, in particular about cultural transformation and financial recovery and resilience.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has said it has been warning of the risk posed by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) "since 2018”, after the Government announced that school buildings with the material should close immediately until safety work is undertaken.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published new guidance for local and combined authorities across England, to support them in making “better investment decisions that can advance equality of opportunity”.
Mark Roach, Sarah Davies and Dawn Gowland review a recent High Court case where a contractor sought to enforce an adjudicator’s decision against a Welsh council.
The deadline for the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) 2 scheme is approaching. Edward Reynolds, Sally Stone and Helen Feinson look at the key considerations for local transport authorities.
The Energy Act 2023 (the “Act”) received royal assent on 26 October 2023. Part 2 of Chapter 8 of the Act introduces powers for the Secretary of State to introduce a framework via regulations to establish ‘heat network zoning’ in England.
Round 3 of the Levelling Up Fund is to be launched in November 2023. Jonathan Branton and Alexander Rose look at the lessons learned so far and provide tips on how to secure a grant.
On 1 October 2023, the government announced 55 towns in the UK will each receive £20m to invest in local regeneration priorities over a 10 year term. Jonathan Branton and Alexander Rose answer the main questions about this latest regeneration initiative.
Melanie Blake and Sophie Drysdale examine the common reasons for disputes in construction projects and how Parties can use the NEC suite to avoid them.
Earlier this summer the Competition Appeal Tribunal (the “CAT”) handed down its first judgment under the new subsidy control regime. Oliver Slater and Shyann Sheehy analyse the outcome.
Termination notices can be fraught with risk. One misstep and terminating parties can find themselves at risk of repudiating a contract themselves, even where the other party is in breach of contract, write Michael Comba and Tiah Weekes.
The Government has launched an inquiry into the use of historic building material RAAC in schools. Colin Jones looks at the key considerations for educational institutions.