In an era of booming demand for homes, local authorities are under a duty to make long-term plans for delivery of housing land and to ensure that such targets are met. In one case, a
A landlord who takes on responsibility for repairing and maintaining premises is not obliged to improve them – or even to ensure that they are safe. The Court of Appeal so ruled in a guideline
Local authorities are under an obligation to set aside sufficient land to meet demand for new homes in their areas and one High Court case has underlined that those who fail to do so are
Conditions attached to planning permissions often impose substantial burdens on developers which must be met regardless of market conditions. In one case which illustrated that point, a company took on the task of paying for
In an important decision which addressed the balance to be struck between green belt and housing land allocation policies, the Court of Appeal backed plans for a substantial mixed-use development, including 200 new homes, on
The pressing need for more housing in many parts of the country has in some ways eased the path of would-be developers. In one case, a company’s persistence paid off when its hopes of constructing
Flooding risks are an increasingly important consideration for planners and have proved the nemesis of many a development proposal. However, a High Court case which opened the way for construction of homes on a site
In a cautionary tale for property vendors which underlined the need for absolute honesty in replying to pre-contract inquiries, an office block owner who failed to disclose the existence of service charges arrears to prospective
In a case which served as a salutary warning to property developers, a company’s plans for a prime plot of urban land were hamstrung by restrictions on the use of the site which had been
In a striking example of the heat which planning disputes can generate, residential developers who viewed themselves as ‘luckless victims’ of an over-zealous local authority managed to fight off a High Court bid for an
