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

society

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 […]

Regulator and Landfill Operator told to Improve in Key Judgement

Campaigners, Stop the Stink, have won their High Court case against the Environment Agency (EA) and Walley Quarry Ltd in Silverdale near Newcastle-under-Lyme, proving it to be a source of noxious gases including hydrogen sulphide (H2S) that has directly harmed the local community.  The Judge, Mr Justice Fordham ruled that the gases had the potential […]

Planning reforms stall amid political manoeuvring

Just days before the ousting of the latest housing secretary Robert Jenrick, proposals to overhaul planning laws were quietly scrapped in what is thought to be a political move following Tory by-election losses to the Liberal Democrats in June. The proposals were part of the government’s “Project Speed”, which aimed to modernise and simplify the […]

Right to Build legislation being “subverted” by local councils, report finds

An independent report on custom and self-build housing conducted by MP Richard Bacon has found that some local councils have been “subverting” legislation that is designed to encourage self-built homes. The custom and self build housing report was initiated to examine the shortcomings of Right to Build legislation, including its failure to achieve its aim […]

SDLT – Too Hot To Handle?

This is the first a series of articles intended to highlight some of the SDLT issues facing practitioners involved in property transactions.  The series aims to enable practitioners to understand where apparently innocent transactions are more complicated than initially presented by clients so that they know what additional information they need to ask clients and […]

Building Safety Bill “does not got far enough” says Law Society

The proposed Building Safety Bill still leaves leaseholders bearing the brunt of the cladding crisis, the Law Society of England and Wales has warned. Introduced following the devastating Grenfell Tower fire and subsequent public inquiry, which exposed the widespread use of hazardous cladding on buildings across England and Wales, the Bill enters committee stage in […]

SQE: Landmark new route to qualifying as solicitor launches

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will today introduce the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), marking the beginning of the biggest change to how aspiring solicitors can enter the profession for almost 30 years.  Aspiring solicitors will now be required to take two sets of centralised assessments designed to evaluate competence for entry to the profession, as […]

Air pollution search launched for conveyancers and home movers

A new report aimed at educating home movers on air quality around their prospective new home has been launched.  This month, Air Pollution Services launched their AirChecker™️ which will make it easier for consumers and their property professionals to get the information they need to make the right decision. The Air Pollution Services’ (APS) report is […]

Leaseholders continue to wait for “levelling-up”

The lack of progress on leasehold reforms is leaving thousands of homeowners in a potentially costly waiting game and in danger of losing out. The Government announced long-awaited reforms to ‘level up’ the leasehold system at the start of the year, including scrapping ground rents and ensuring leaseholders can extend effectively forever. However, without a […]

Up to 3m homes powered by hydrogen within next ten years

The UK government wants up to 3m homes to be powered by hydrogen by 2030, as part of its strategy to move to the low carbon energy source. Its hydrogen strategy released today sets out how transport, business and construction will harness the green-friendly gas creating up to 9,000 new jobs and unlocking £4bn in […]