Property

Blogs from our legal experts:

• Building Safety Bill - Limitation extensions for the Defective Premises Act  
  As part of the response to the Grenfell fire tragedy, the Government has announced that the limitation period for bringing a claim under the Defective Premises Act (DPA) will be extended from 6 to 15 years. Read more...  
• Collateral warranties - can you adjudicate? 
  Collateral warranties are often provided in the construction industry. They give a party a contractual right where none would otherwise exist. So for instance, warranties can be given by contractors to funders and tenants, or by a sub-contractor to an employer. 
• Public Contract Regulations 2015 - updated list of Central Government Authorities - in force from 16 August 2021 
  A new schedule 1 to the Public Contract Regulations 2015 comes into force on 16 August 2021...
• What does UK Climate Change Policy mean for the Future of Electric Vehicles? 
  The UK’s Decarbonising Transport plan is ambitious, requiring all vehicles sold from 2035 to be 100% zero emission at the tailpipe (HGVs from 2040) along with the already widely publicised prohibition of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.  The future of UK transport looks set to rely largely on electric vehicles (EVs), with hybrid plug in vehicles likely to play a useful role in this transition. 
• Building Safety Levy - Consultation Launched 
  The consultation states that conversions, such as  a change from office to residential use, are intended to be caught by the levy, and it seems that student accommodation may also be caught. Read more...
• When does a solicitor's negligence cause actual damage? 
  Estates Gazette has recently published my article on the Court of Appeal’s judgment in Kelly Elliott v Hattens Solicitors (a firm) - when does a solicitor's negligence cause actual damage? 
• NEC4 - Facilities Management – more contracts
  In February this year Stuart Thompson posted  a couple of blogs on the launch of the NEC Facilities Management Contract. Read more...
• Cladding and fire safety – where are we now?
  It can be easy to lose track of the proposals and measures that have been issued regarding cladding and fire safety...
• Mapping the FutuRE - Planning for Retirement 
  Many have said that a lack of planning policy support for the delivery of retirement housing is one of the biggest hurdles which the sector faces – which seems odd, as an ageing population is one thing which can, with some certainty, be foreseen and therefore surely planned for.
• Brownfield webinar - maximising the value of brownfield assets through natural capital thinking and rewilding 
  Mills & Reeve and RSK are hosting their third webinar in a series for developers and investors in brownfield sites. The webinar will provide a fresh perspective on some of the key environmental challenges for the sector...
• Climate change litigation and the construction industry
  In recent years there has been an explosion in ESG litigation, particularly in relation to climate change. The UNEP Global Climate Litigation Report: 2020 Status Review estimates that the number of climate change cases globally increased from 884 in 24 countries in 2017 to 1,500 in 38 countries in 2020. This trend shows no sign of abating: in 2021 alone, there have already been a number of high profile and landmark cases, including...
• Mapping the FutuRE - The rise of net zero carbon buildings 
  As more landowners and developers commit to net zero targets, we are seeing increasing proposals for net zero buildings – buildings which balance any greenhouse gases produced during development and emitted during the running of the building with emissions taken out of the atmosphere.
• Updates for Building Safety Fund applicants and Waking Watch Fund reopens
  Last month the government published some updated guidance for applicants to the Building Safety Fund. Key changes include...
• Carbon Reduction Plans to be provided by bidders on major government contracts
  The government has introduced PPN 06/21, 'Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major government projects', to align with and support the government's aim of achieving net zero by 2050.
• Arceleration…  

  Pre-Covid (yes, such days did exist), the life sciences sector was already flourishing but the global pandemic has undoubtedly catapulted it into the national spotlight. During a year of lockdowns and various restrictions, all eyes were pinned on the sector to provide the route back to ‘normality’. It did so in record time and the Cambridge-Oxford Arc has played a pivotal role with the deployment of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Oxford’s life science experts also discovered through the large-scale RECOVERY trial, that dexamethasone could cut Covid-19 deaths by up to a third. The gradual return of our freedom is testament to the array of knowledge, skill and talent that permeates the sector and the Arc itself. Read more...

• In conversation – Euan Hall, The Land Trust
  The health and wellbeing aspects of the availability and use of green spaces have come to prominence in the past year. They have, of course, been an integral part of the planning of our cities, towns and villages for many years, and the emphasis on good quality open spaces in our new communities has been a focus for planning authorities in consenting new developments for some time. Read more...
• Fire Safety Update
  Following our article in February on the latest on cladding, click  Fire Safety Update for Kate Warren and my thoughts on the latest announcements regarding fire safety and cladding. Read more...
• The future of construction
  The UK Government has recently committed to cut emissions by 78% by 2035 as part of its overall target to reach net-zero by 2050, and as those who attended our recent Webinar on building net-zero will know (please find access to the recording here) the ability of the UK to meet these targets is going to largely rely on the development of new technologies (some of which are as yet unknown), and this applies as much to the UK construction sector as any other.
• Trends in the construction industry
  Last year I wrote about seven construction industry trends emerging during COVID-19. Nearly a year later, I have updated this article and added an eighth trend. Click here to read the updated article and discover what the eighth trend is.
• Mapping the FutuRE - an interactive map of the future
  Our Real estate team has launched ‘Mapping the FutuRE’, an interactive map giving a vision for the future of Real Estate.  From their broad experience working with clients across the sector, the team share views on trends evolving in a new and ever changing landscape. The map offers insights and predictions on a wide range of topics affecting the real estate industry...