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Energy performance certificates (EPCs)—what are they and when are they required?

Coronavirus (COVID-19): The requirements to obtain an EPC before a property is sold or let can be difficult to satisfy when social distancing measures

Permitted development in England

Coronavirus (COVID-19): This Practice Note contains guidance on subjects potentially impacted by the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak

Planning obligations—key points

This Practice Note should be read in conjunction with Practice Notes: The statutory test for section 106 agreements and interaction with Community

Highways—ownership and creation

Meaning of ‘highway’In the broadest sense, a highway is a way (ie a defined route, such as a road, bridleway or footpath) over which the public have

Practice notes

Compulsory purchase—compensation

Coronavirus (COVID-19): This Practice Note contains guidance on subjects potentially impacted by the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak...

Produced in partnership with Stephen Morgan of Landmark Chambers 20th Oct

Practice notes

Applying for planning permission—procedure

Coronavirus (COVID-19): This Practice Note contains guidance on subjects potentially impacted by the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak...

15th Oct

Practice notes

Compulsory purchase—procedure

STOP PRESS: On 13 October 2020, the Welsh Government announced changes to the Planning Policy Wales and updated Circular guidance pursuant to...

15th Oct

Practice notes

Amending a planning permission, retrospective planning permission and revocation of planning permission

Coronavirus (COVID-19): This Practice Note contains guidance on subjects potentially impacted by the government’s response to the coronavirus...

13th Oct

Practice notes

Implementing planning permission

Coronavirus (COVID-19): This Practice Note contains guidance on subjects potentially impacted by the government’s response to the coronavirus...

2nd Oct

Practice notes

Public rights of way

Public rights of way (PROW) are highways that allow the public a legal right of passage. They have the same status and protection in law as highways...

29th Sep

Practice notes

Overriding easements and other rights

IntroductionSection 203 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 (HPA 2016) confers powers to override easements and other rights benefitting adjoining...

26th Sep

Practice notes

Operation of the Use Classes Order in Wales

The making of 'any material change in the use of any buildings or other land’ is ‘development’ for the purposes of section 55 of the Town and Country...

26th Sep

Practice notes

Determining planning applications—procedure

Coronavirus (COVID-19): This Practice Note contains guidance on subjects potentially impacted by the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak...

26th Sep

Practice notes

Planning—enforcement

Coronavirus (COVID-19): This Practice Note contains guidance on subjects potentially impacted by the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak...

26th Sep

Practice notes

Operational development

Control of developmentPursuant to section 57 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA 1990), planning permission is required for ‘the carrying...

25th Sep

Practice notes

Powers to stop up and divert highways and footpaths

PurposeHighways can be stopped up if the area of highway is no longer needed, or when the land is needed for a development to take place. When a road...

25th Sep

Practice notes

Material change of use

Control of developmentPursuant to section 57 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA 1990), planning permission is required for ‘the carrying...

25th Sep

Practice notes

Works to trees, tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas

Works to treesGenerally, work to trees does not constitute development under section 55 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA 1990) so that...

25th Sep

Practice notes

Highways—adoption agreements

Powers to adoptThe Highways Act 1980 (HiA 1980) gives highway authorities the power to adopt new highways by agreement, places a duty on highway...

25th Sep

Practice notes

Types of planning enforcement

Where it appears to a local planning authority (LPA) that a breach of planning control has occurred, it has discretion to take enforcement action...

25th Sep

Most recent Housing content

Practice notes

Affordable housing

Affordable housing is housing provided to those who are struggling with their housing costs and whose housing needs are not met by the market....

25th Sep

Practice notes

Starter homes policy and the Housing and Planning Act 2016

Starter homes policy2014 starter homes consultationIn December 2014 the government first announced its intention to launch a new starter homes scheme,...

25th Sep

Practice notes

Build to Rent schemes—key features

This Practice Note:•discusses the development of the large scale private rented sector (PRS)•considers the Government’s incentive package for Build to...

25th Sep

In-house

Practice notes

Objectively assessed need and housing land supply in the NPPF

The policy backgroundIn 2012, the original version of the National Planning Policy Framework (2012 NPPF) came into force in England. It required inter...

25th Sep

Practice notes

Vacant building credit

What is the vacant building credit?Under national planning policy in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), to support the re-use of...

25th Sep

Practice notes

Objectively assessed need and housing land supply in the 2012 NPPF [Archived]

This archived Practice Note discusses the requirement in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) as first published in 2012 (the 2012 NPPF) for...

26th Sep

Practice notes

2012 NPPF and housing assessment [Archived]

IntroductionThis archived Practice Note discusses the requirement in the National Planning Policy Framework as first published in 2012 (the 2012 NPPF)...

26th Sep

Practice notes

Housing—Optional Technical Standards

What are the optional technical housing standards?In March 2015, following consultation on accessible design standards, the government issued policy...

26th Sep

Practice notes

Self-build and custom housebuilding

Self-build and custom housebuilding (SCH) is an important element of the government's planning strategy for housing. The purpose of the Self-build and...

26th Sep

Q&As

If a planning application refers to the development of some social housing within a scheme, but the approval does not include a planning obligation condition requiring the provision of social housing, can a developer implement the permission for the private market?

The planning application making reference to the development of some social housing within the scheme does not mean that the council is obliged to...

Produced in partnership with Abigail Pritchard-Hooper of Lanyon Bowdler 28th Sep

Q&As

The definition of ‘affordable housing’ set out in Annex 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework states that affordable housing includes discounted market sales housing, which is housing ‘sold at a discount of at least 20% below local market value’. What is the meaning of ‘local market value’ in this context?

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) defines discounted market sales housing as housing ‘sold at a discount of at least 20% below local...

Produced in partnership with Emily Knowles and Sarah Rhodes of Sharpe Pritchard LLP 28th Sep

Q&As

Are new permitted development rights proposed to be introduced in 2017, in particular in relation to Use Class C3 (dwelling houses)?

There are currently several new permitted development rights which are currently being considered by the Government for implementation.The response to...

Produced in partnership with Rosalind Andrews of Harrison Clark Rickerbys 29th Sep

Practice notes