Research Briefing: New-build housing: construction defects – issues and solutions (England) – House of Commons Library

Posted January 18th, 2022 in building law, construction industry, consumer protection, housing, news by tracey

‘New-build housing: construction defects – issues and solutions (England).’

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House of Commons Library, 17th January 2022

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Building safety regulations give industry clarity ahead of new legislation – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 22nd, 2021 in bills, building law, construction industry, health & safety, housing, news, regulations by sally

‘The UK government has published several draft regulations designed to give parliamentarians a better idea of how the Building Safety Bill will be implemented.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 21st October 2021

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Court blocks removal of Serpentine boathouse – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 23rd, 2021 in building law, contracts, news, parks by tracey

‘A High Court judge has backed the Royal Parks in its battle to stop the removal of a boathouse on the north bank of the Serpentine lake in London’s Hyde Park. The ruling hinged on the question of whether a wooden structure erected by the operator of rowing and pedal boats forms part of Hyde Park and therefore belongs to the Crown.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 23rd August 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘We’re being gaslighted’: Leaseholders given huge bills despite government claim their flats are safe – The Independent

Posted August 23rd, 2021 in building law, fire, health & safety, housing, leases, news, repairs by tracey

‘Homeowners in low-rise apartment blocks are being told they must hand over life-changing sums because their flats could go up in flames, even though the government has claimed the buildings pose “no systemic risk” and don’t need to be fixed.’

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The Independent, 22nd August 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

“A question of liability” – Sir Robert Akenhead and David Johnson for Building Magazine – Atkin Chambers

Posted August 10th, 2021 in building law, contracts, exclusion clauses, news by sally

‘The recent decision in Mott vs Trant suggests the courts are unwilling to overrule clauses that exclude or limit liability, writes Sir Robert Akenhead, with assistance from David Johnson.’

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Atkin Chambers, 4th August 2021

Source: www.atkinchambers.com

Building Safety Bill – Commons Library Research Briefing

‘Second Reading of the Building Safety Bill (Bill 132 of 2021-22) is expected to take place on Wednesday 21 July.’

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House of Commons Library, 16th July 2021

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Proposed changes to the Defective Premises Act – Practical Law: Construction Blog

Posted July 14th, 2021 in bills, building law, compensation, construction industry, housing, news, time limits by tracey

‘Many changes have been introduced since Grenfell to address the cladding crisis including the establishment of various loans, funds, plans for new regulators, new taxes, levies and new rules to govern building safety throughout the lifetime of a building.’

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Practical Law: Construction Blog, 13th July 2021

Source: constructionblog.practicallaw.com

Volume of laws makes it impossible for local authorities to enforce them, warn private landlords – Local Government Lawyer

‘Private landlords have complained that there will be 168 pieces of legislation governing their relations with tenants once the new Building Safety Bill passes through Parliament.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th July 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Grenfell bereaved and survivors bring multimillion pound case to high court – The Guardian

‘More than 800 bereaved and survivors from Grenfell Tower and 102 firefighters are seeking up to tens of millions of pounds in compensation from organisations involved in the disastrous refurbishment in a case that reaches the high court on Wednesday.’

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The Guardian, 6th July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Building Safety Bill – Nearly Legal

‘This is, so we have been repeatedly told, the vehicle through which the government will save leaseholders from having to pay life-changing sums to remediate the fire safety defects which are so prevalent at blocks of flats across the country. The headline is that it does not do that (nor does it contain the details of the much delayed loan scheme). To the contrary, this Bill creates a bespoke process by which landlords of “higher-risk” buildings can recover their building safety costs even if their leases do not let them do so.’

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Nearly Legal, 5th July 2021

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Grenfell prompts creation of building safety regulator – BBC News

Posted July 5th, 2021 in bills, building law, fire, health & safety, news by tracey

‘A new regulator will be set up with the power to prosecute property developers that do not meet safety standards, the government has announced.’

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BBC News, 5th July 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Leasehold high-rise flats: who pays for fire safety work? – House of Commons Library

Posted June 21st, 2021 in building law, fire, health & safety, housing, landlord & tenant, news by tracey

‘This briefing paper considers the debate about who is responsible for paying for fire safety works on blocks of flats in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.’

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House of Commons Library, 20th June 2021

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Fully cladding your Particulars of Claim is key – Mills & Reeve

‘Beware the pitfalls of bringing a claim at the last possible opportunity, and the prohibition against pleading new causes of action in the Reply to Defence … Martlett Homes Limited v. Mulalley & Co. Limited [2021] EWHC 296 (TCC).’

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Mills & Reeve, 8th June 2021

Source: www.mills-reeve.com

Grenfell survivors condemn ‘grave injustice’ as leaseholders left facing huge bills to remove cladding – The Independent

Posted April 30th, 2021 in accidents, bills, building law, fire, government departments, housing, leases, loans, news, victims by tracey

‘Survivors and bereaved relatives from the Grenfell Tower fire disaster say they are furious after parliament voted for measures that will leave householders facing huge bills for removing dangerous cladding from homes.’

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The Independent, 29th April 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Grenfell: Government defeated on fire safety costs bill – BBC News

‘The government has been defeated for a fourth time on its Fire Safety Bill as the House of Lords voted to shield residents from fire safety work costs.’

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BBC News, 27th April 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Unlimited fines for those who breach fire safety regulations – Home Office

‘Building owners could face unlimited fines following new measures being brought in to strengthen fire safety, the Home Office has announced today.’

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Home Office, 17th March 2021

Source: www.gov.uk

Jail for builder Rob Hayel who ‘left homes at risk of collapse’ – BBC News

Posted August 7th, 2020 in building law, construction industry, fraud, imprisonment, news, sentencing by sally

‘An “immoral” builder who left homes at risk of “catastrophic structural collapse” has been jailed.’

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BBC News, 6th August 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hastings Borough Council v Turner [2020] UKUT 184 (LC) – Tanfield Chambers

‘A property which was converted into flats before the Building Regulations 1991 came into force, which otherwise falls within the meaning of an HMO set out in Section 254(1)(e) of the Housing Act 2004, will be an HMO unless those regulations are now complied with. When appealing the issue of an HMO license in the FTT, the burden of proof is on the applicant to establish that the property is now compliant with the Buildings Regulations 1991.’

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Tanfield Chambers, 30th June 2020

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Supreme Court hands down key ruling on listed buildings – Local Government Lawyer

‘Planning inspectors should reconsider whether two lead urns that were placed on top of limestone piers at a historic house were “buildings” or not, the Supreme Court has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st May 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

“What next for the Construction Act?” – Rupert Choat for Building Magazine – Atkin Chambers

‘The latest consultation on the Construction Act reached its second stage last month, with the government’s long overdue publication of responses to its consultation on the legislation. When the 1996 act was amended in 2011, the government proposed reviewing it after three years. However, it was six years before consultation with the industry even began. A summary of the responses to that consultation was due two years ago but, presumably owing to Brexit, was not published until this February.’

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Atkin Chambers, 12th May 2020

Source: www.atkinchambers.com