HM Land Registry have recently announced that they are simplifying their approach to the registration of personal covenants.

Concerns are regularly expressed about the state of the high street and the number of vacant shops in town centres. To address these concerns, Councils have acquired new powers to intervene where high street units have stood empty for too long.

The Spring Statement largely maintains the Government’s current course but brings a focus on the global uncertainties currently facing the UK.

Recent headlines from Stoke-on-Trent highlight a growing problem for schools and local authorities in disputes over the condition of assets (schools) and responsibilities upon handback, under expiring Project Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts. 

On 5 February 2025 the areas that were selected for the Devolution Priority Programme were announced.

Capsticks will be monitoring parliamentary progress and considering the effects of the proposed changes and our experienced Local Government team will be producing regular updates to keep you informed.

To recap, various methods of deepening devolution have been proposed by the government.

Various methods of deepening devolution are proposed by the government and represent matters which, subject to consultation, the government plans to incorporate within an English Devolution Bill, which is expected in 2025.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published The Devolution White Paper (the White Paper) today.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and how these should be applied. This insight will focus on some of the specific changes that would affect delivering affordable and social housing.

In the case of Ariyo v London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames Council [2024] the Court of Appeal addressed the nuances of interpreting planning permissions and the implications of noise management in a residential context.

Whilst Angela Rayner’s rousing speech at the end of the day caught most of the headlines, we set out some important key takeaways that you don’t want to miss.