PLANNING LAW UPDATES

New regulations require the recipient of certain contractual rights over registered land to provide additional information at various stages during the contract to the Land Registry. The intention is to increase transparency over who has control over registered land even if they do not have legal ownership of it. These regulations do not apply to unregistered land.

Affordable housing provisions can be a complex part of a Section 106 Agreement, and getting the detail right matters. From tenure and unit mix to delivery triggers, Registered Provider arrangements and viability provisions, there’s plenty to check before an agreement reaches engrossment.

Partner, Nigel Hewitson featured in CoStar News. In this piece Nigel comments on the government's proposed crackdown on the growth of vape shops, betting shops and similar high street uses, examining the practical planning law challenges of delivering those reforms.

Planning partners, Chrisa Tsompani and Nigel Hewitson recently featured in Local Government Lawyer cover the new National Delegation Scheme.

Major shifts across the real estate market are reshaping decisions and creating new challenges for owners, investors and developers alike. With ever‑changing regulatory and legislative reforms – from the Building Safety Act to the proposed bans on upwards‑only rent reviews – commercial uncertainty is increasing, generating a growing need for specialist legal support to guide you through decisions with confidence.

By Chrisa Tsompani , Partner, Davitt Jones Bould From 1 April 2026, changes introduced under the Town and Country Planning (Appeals) (Written Representations Procedure) (England) (Amendment and Saving Provision) Regulations 2026 and new guidance from the Planning Inspectorate will see around 95% of planning appeals determined under an expanded expedited written representations procedure. The Government says this will create a “faster, more efficient planning appeals process”

Since its introduction in 2012, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has been revised no fewer than six times, with each iteration attempting to refine the balance between growth, sustainability, and local autonomy.

While the appellant will feel vindicated that an appropriate assessment was riled not to be required in relation to effects on a Ramsar site, the Court also ruled that, where Habitats Regulations do apply, an appropriate assessment and measures to ensure nutrient neutrality can be required at discharge-of-conditions stage. The latter part of the decision sits at odds with the government’s objective to beat the blockers and deliver 1.5 million new homes.

The accommodation of asylum seekers continues to raise challenges for both those working to fulfil the need for such accommodation and local authorities. In this article, we examine the recent judgment of Mr. Justice Mould in the case of Epping Forest District Council v Somani Hotels Ltd EWHC 2937 (KB), delivered on 13–15 October 2025.