Building Safety Bill receives royal assent
The Building Safety Bill which started its passage through parliament last July received royal assent on Friday. Among the changes, which are now law, is the creation of a new building safety regulator for buildings higher than 18 metres as well as “waterfall” protections introduced to ensure leaseholders avoid footing the bill for remediation costs. […]
National Leasehold Campaign welcomes CMA success on onerous ground rents
The National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) welcomes the announcement from the CMA detailing that, as part of their ongoing work into leasehold mis-selling, they have reached agreement with 15 freeholders that bought leases with onerous ground rent terms from Countryside. NLC founder and spokeswoman Katie Kendrick, a children’s nurse from Ellesmere Port said: “Today’s announcement demonstrates […]
Gove issues response to industry proposal on building safety
Michael Gove has issued a response letter to the Home Builders Federation on proposals to pay for building safety. In the letter to the Home Builders Federation on their proposals to pay for building safety, dated 7th March, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, stated that while the commitment that […]
New forms to drive better up front information
Conveyancing trade and industry bodies The Conveyancing Association, The Law Society, CILEX, and the Society of Licenced Conveyancers have thrown their weight behind new versions of LPE1, LPE2 and FME1 forms which are to be launched from 11th January 2022 14 trade and representative bodies, from across the legal, surveying, estate agency and property management […]
SRA consults on changes to fining powers
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has launched a consultation on its approach to financial penalties for law firms and solicitors with the aim of resolving cases more quickly and reducing the need to refer to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) The consultation will review how the SRA can create more consistency across its regulated entities […]
New EPC Regulations expected in 2025
Further changes to minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) for commercial properties are expected across the UK. Changes to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings are the first in a number of new initiatives by the Government to improve energy efficiency across commercial lettings. Since 2018 a minimum EPC rating of E has been in place for […]
Gove pauses Leaseholder Cladding Loans Scheme
Leaseholders of flats below 18m who do not fall under the current government support schemes have been given a boost by Housing Secretary Michael Gove. Mr Gove appeared before the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee to answer questions on the government’s response to the tens of thousands of pounds leaseholders are having to pay for […]
5 providers sign up to “ID Trust Scheme” pilot
Five identity service providers have committed to the new MyIdentity trust scheme to make home buying and selling in the UK a safe digital process. The five identity service providers are: Digidentity, Nuggets, OBiD, Thirdfort, and Yoti. Their involvement assures consumers will have fully inclusive choices to prove their identity. The hub service provider is […]
AML update – the focus on AML is going nowhere anytime soon!
Our latest quarterly update webinar started with a view of the current anti-money laundering landscape including: The release of the Pandora papers, which have shown even more the extent to which the mega-rich employ different ways in which to hide their money and avoid paying tax on it; of particular concern to authorities is the […]
Financial Conduct Authority issues warning over remote working
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued new guidance to companies operating a remote or hybrid working model asking them to provide evidence that any lack of centralised location or remote working does not or is unlikely to affect the company’s ability to meet the threshold for the regulated activities it undertakes. The guidance states […]
£58m to put “beautiful homes on brownfield sites” and regenerate local areas
Following the Prime Minster’s conference pledge to put “beautiful homes on brownfield sites in places where homes make sense” the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have announced that thousands of new homes will be built on underused and derelict land. 53 councils across England and Wales have been allocated £58 million from […]
SLC urges Government to act on cladding
The Society of Licensed Conveyancers has urged the government to take urgent action to protect all those affected by the cladding scandal in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster. Board Member and former Chairman John Clay has written an open letter to the Secretary of State Michael Gove urging immediate action to support all […]
Failure to introduce “proper risk assessments” number one AML failure
A review completed by the Solicitors Regulations Authority into law firm anti-money laundering failures has identified a 40% increase in the number of potential AML breaches reported to the SRA, with the number one area of non-compliance is not having a proper risk assessment in place for AML matters. The SRA has published its first […]
Creating or Challenging Easements – A new webinar from Stewart Title
Easements can be a benefit or a burden for landowners literally as well as legally, so Conveyancers need to know how to prove or challenge the existence of an easement. The recent decision from the Upper Tribunal in the case of Hughes v Benefice of Frampton on Severn showing the current judicial thinking on this area of law is […]
Positive response ahead of new solicitor exam’s first sitting
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) today announced that more than a thousand people have signed up to take the first ever Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) assessment in November. The new single rigorous examination means that all aspiring solicitors will have to meet consistent, high standards at point of entry into the profession. Bookings for the […]
Will leaseholders see property ‘levelling up’ now Gove’s in charge?
In September housebuilder Countryside Properties became the latest big developer to pledge an end to ground rents on leasehold properties. For thousands of leaseholders who bought homes from them it means they will no longer be subjected to the unfair rent system that doubles rates every 10 to 15 years. For many homeowners, entering into […]
Future of Legal Ombudsman hangs in balance
Meetings between the Government and regulators are set to discuss potential changes to the current redress structure, if the performance of Legal Ombudsman services does not improve. The LSB will hear initial feedback on whether the failing Legal Ombudsman has made efforts to improve its performance next month. This comes following a 13% budget increase […]
£167,000 technology investment to address regional inequalities in access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has won a further grant from the latest round of Regulators Pioneer Fund (RPF) to help connect those using new legal technologies with those who need their services. The award of £167,856 from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will be used to create a new network […]
“Fix cladding scandal” Gove told
The newly appointed Secretary of State for the newly created Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, has been tasked with solving the cladding scandal, latest reports suggest. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked Gove, who replaced Robert Jenrick in a cabinet reshuffle on 15 September, to bring the cladding scandal to a […]
Data protection breaches have resulted in 1580% ICO fine increase
A report conducted by law firm RPC has revealed that fines for data protection breaches issued by The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the latest financial year have increased by 1580% compared to the previous year. The record £42 million in fines in the year 2020/21 represent those issued for data protection breaches and were mainly comprised […]
