Site acquisition and vacant possession

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FORTHCOMING CHANGE: The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. For guidance regarding the Act’s impact on residential tenancies in England, see Practice Note: Renters' Rights Act 2025—key provisions.

The viability and success of a development site depends on obtaining satisfactory answers to a range of legal and practical questions. While attention tends to focus on the headline commercial terms of a deal, and on major issues such as planning permission, highways agreements and environmental investigations, it is essential not to overlook issues that may cause significant delay, or even preclude successful development.

Access

Direct access to the highway can be fundamental to the viability of a development. In Gooden v Northamptonshire County Council [2001] All ER (D) 283 (Nov), local authority (LA) replies to enquiries indicated (wrongly) that a footway providing access to the land was part of the highway and maintainable at public expense. Relying on that reply, the developer acquired the site and obtained planning permission for residential development. The LA subsequently informed the developer that the footway had not been adopted. The developer sued

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CIC responds to Chancellor's Autumn Budget infrastructure and planning measures

The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has published its response to the Chancellor's Autumn Budget delivered on 26 November 2025. The budget confirmed continued investment in major infrastructure projects including Sizewell C and the Lower Thames Crossing, alongside regional regeneration initiatives. Key measures include funding to recruit 350 additional planners in England to address planning bottlenecks and accelerate social housing delivery, and £13bn devolved to local mayors for skills development and infrastructure projects. From April 2026, the minimum wage for apprentices will increase by 6%. The government also confirmed landfill tax reform and ruled out further increases in National Insurance. The CIC noted the absence of incentives for first-time buyers and highlighted concerns about construction workforce capacity, citing research indicating the construction workforce has fallen to its lowest proportion of total UK employment in over 100 years.

Property weekly highlights—27 November 2025

This week's edition of Property weekly highlights includes: Budget 2025 and cases on the sale of a mortgaged property by a receiver, residential service charge, houses in multiple occupation and stamp duty land tax on mixed use properties.

Budget 2025—key Construction announcements

In the Autumn Budget 2025, delivered on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, set out a programme of investment aimed at ‘rebuilding Britain’ through the delivery of new homes, modern infrastructure and clean energy. The Budget reinforced the government’s ambitions on housing supply, planning reform, economic growth and regional regeneration.

Budget 2025—key Property announcements

In the Budget 2025, on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, set out a number of measures impacting the property industry, though not all of those that some commentators predicted. Chrisa Tsompani, Partner at Davitt Jones Bould, provides further commentary below on the Chancellor’s plan.

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