Planning issues for insolvency practitioners

Insolvency practitioners (IPs) may be appointed over land (either directly, eg in the case of a fixed charge receivership or over a company which owns land, eg in administration) that is affected by planning law. Land that is burdened by planning issues may create the following issues for an IP:

  1. the costs of an insolvency process may be increased, for example, in the process of securing planning permissions, meeting planning obligations or paying fines for non-compliance, some of which may be payable as super-priority costs out of the estate, and

  2. the value of the land affected by planning obligations or subject to potential enforcement action or the subject of potential compulsory purchase may be reduced

Planning issues may arise in relation to land over which an IP is appointed in the following situations:

  1. the land may have been previously developed and is therefore likely to be burdened by planning issues

  2. the

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High Court gives guidance on the new duty to ‘seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty’ of AONB for planning authorities (CPRE Kent v SSHCLG)

Planning analysis: Section 85(A1) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRWA 2000) came into effect on 26 December 2023 following amendments to that Act made by section 245 of the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA 2023). The provision requires relevant authorities to ‘seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty’ of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (‘AONB’) when exercising functions affecting such land. This case concerned a challenge to the November 2024 decision of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (‘the Secretary of State’) to grant planning permission for the construction of 165 dwellings and associated works in the High Weald AONB. The grounds of challenge were that the Secretary of State had breached the CRWA 2000, s 85(A1) duty (Ground 1) or alternatively, had given inadequate reasons for concluding that the duty had been complied with (Ground 2). The main issue for the High Court was whether the words ‘seek to further’ contained in the amended section 85(A1) duty had altered the substance of the duty so as to require a decision-maker to refuse planning permission for development if it is found that the proposal would cause harm to an AONB by failing to conserve or enhance its natural beauty. In dismissing the claim and upholding the Secretary of State’s decision, the judge provided guidance on the requirements of the CRWA 2000, s 85(A1) duty in the context of planning decisions affecting AONBs. Written by Max Millington, barrister at Cornerstone Barristers.

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