Regina (Coll) v Secretary of State for Justice – WLR Daily

Regina (Coll) v Secretary of State for Justice [2015] EWCA Civ 328; [2015] WLR (D) 157

‘In providing approved premises for women released from prison on licence, the Secretary of State for Justice had not discriminated directly under section 13 of the Equality Act 2010 or indirectly under section 19.’

WLR Daily, 31st March 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Nzolameso v Westminster City Council (Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and another intervening) – WLR Daily

Nzolameso v Westminster City Council (Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and another intervening) [2015] UKSC 22; [2015] WLR (D) 165

‘A local housing authority, in carrying out its duties under the Housing Act 1996, was obliged to accommodate a homeless person in suitable accommodation within its district if it was reasonably practicable to do so. The authority was to determine the suitability of the proposed accommodation by reference to the needs of the individual homeless person and each member of her household and to its location. Where accommodation was offered outside the authority’s district, the placement was to be as close as possible to where the members of the household had previously lived. In reaching its decision, the authority was required to take account of the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2012 (SI 2012/2601) and the guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. It was also required, by section 11(2) of the Children Act 2004, to have regard to the need to safeguard and to promote the welfare of the children concerned.’

WLR Daily, 2nd April 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

No duty of care in allocation decisions – Nearly Legal

Posted April 7th, 2015 in duty of care, health, housing, news, striking out by sally

‘Can a council’s failure to carry out its responsibilities under its allocation scheme be the subject of a claim in breach of duty of care? This was the hearing of the Defendant’s application to strike out a claim on exactly that issue.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 4th April 2015

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Supreme Court gives reasons for quashing offer of housing 50 miles away – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 7th, 2015 in appeals, children, housing, local government, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Supreme Court has today given its reasons why it unanimously upheld a homeless mother of five’s appeal over a London borough’s offer of accommodation 50 miles away.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 2nd April 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

On the Road Again – Nearly Legal

‘With remarkable speed, the Supreme Court has handed down its judgement in Nzolameso v Westminster City Council , having announced immediately after the hearing on 17/3/2015 that the appeal would be allowed, with reasons to follow.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 3rd April 2015

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Care orders and accommodation pending appeal – Nearly Legal

Posted April 7th, 2015 in appeals, care orders, homelessness, housing, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘Our post on Nzolameso v City of Westminster [2015] UKSC 22 is here, but behind the headlines of the judgment (and it is a good judgment) is a whole history, even between the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court hearings.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 3rd April 2015

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Tenant wins battle to stop Westminster council moving her out of London – The Guardian

Posted April 7th, 2015 in appeals, homelessness, housing, local government, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘A single mother of five children has won a protracted legal battle and prevented Westminster council from removing her family to Milton Keynes.’

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 – legislation.gov.uk

Posted April 2nd, 2015 in construction industry, housing, legislation by sally

Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 published

Full text of Act

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

High Court finds council policy on disability living allowance and DHPs “unlawful” – Local Government Lawyer

‘ local authority’s policy of taking into account the care component of disability living allowance when assessing the amount of a discretionary house payment (DHPs) was unlawful, a High Court judge has ruled.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 31st March 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

New PD rights and deemed discharge of planning conditions to be introduced in April – OUT-LAW.com

‘Several new types of existing buildings will be able to be converted into homes without full planning permission from 15 April under UK planning reforms that will also introduce the “deemed discharge” of certain planning conditions.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 31st March 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Discretionary Housing Payments – the trouble with DLA – Nearly Legal

‘Oh, we have been waiting for this one. According to DWP survey evidence, some 75% of Councils take Disability Living Allowance into account as income when deciding on an award of Discretionary Housing Payments. This judicial review concerned Sandwell Council’s policy of doing just that. The implications are clearly of significance for other councils, and will potentially impact many disabled people faced with the bedroom tax.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 30th March 2015

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Disability discrimination goes to full trial – Nearly Legal

‘When the Court of Appeal held that a disability discrimination defence to possession under Equality Act 2010 had to face the same ‘seriously arguable’ summary test as an Article 8 defence, we were surprised, and very unimpressed. It seems the Supreme Court felt similarly (and unanimously), although sadly it did not help the tenant in this case.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 29th March 2015

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Council to bring judicial review action over DCLG direction on newspaper frequency – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 25th, 2015 in advertising, budgets, employment, housing, judicial review, local government, media, news by sally

‘The Royal Borough of Greenwich is to bring judicial review proceedings after the Communities Secretary earlier this month served the authority with a direction requiring it to cut publication of its weekly newspaper.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 24th March 2015

Source: www.localgovernment.co.uk

Not So Alarming – Nearly Legal

‘There are new provisions requiring smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in residential properties.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 24th March 2015

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Supreme Court splits the baby over the benefit cap – Mike Spencer – UK Human Rights Blog

‘R(on the application of SG and others (previously JS and others)) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2015] UKSC 16. The Supreme Court was sharply divided yesterday over whether the benefit cap breaches the Human Rights Act.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 19th March 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Supreme Court quashes council decision over offer of housing 50 miles away – Local government Lawyer

Posted March 20th, 2015 in appeals, benefits, homelessness, housing, local government, news, Supreme Court by tracey

‘The Supreme Court has unanimously upheld an appeal by a homeless mother of five over a London borough’s offer of accommodation 50 miles away near Milton Keynes.
The Court heard oral submissions in Nzolameso v City of Westminster earlier this month (17 March). It has now quashed Westminster City Council’s decision that it had properly discharged its duty to secure accommodation available for occupation by the appellant.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 19th March 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

All proportionality defences are equal, but some are more equal than others – Zenith Chambers

‘The Supreme Court, in the case of Akerman-Livingstone v Aster Communities Ltd [2015] UKSC 15, have provided some much needed and helpful clarification of the practicalities of raising and potentially defeating a defence based on discrimination on a summary basis. In the event, events overtook the appeal, and Mr Akerman-Livingstone’s appeal was dismissed, but had it not been for a suitable offer of accommodation and the superior landlord serving notice to quit on the Housing Association and requiring vacant possession from them, the result would have been different.’

Full story (PDF)

Zenith Chambers, 12th March 2015

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Top 10 Planning and Environmental Cases of 2014-2015 – Thirty Nine Essex Street

Posted March 19th, 2015 in appeals, enforcement, environmental protection, housing, news, planning by sally

‘This paper is intended to provide a focused update in relation to the most significant cases within the last twelve months of interest to those practicing in the area of environmental and planning law. In relation to each of the cases, the paper sets out asummary of the pertinent facts, the key issues decided by the case, together with some reflections on the legal and practical implications of the decisions.’

Full story (PDF)

Thirty Nine Essex Street, February 2015

Source: www.39essex.com

Supreme court to decide whether UK benefits cap is unlawful – The Guardian

‘The Supreme court will decide on Wednesday if a cornerstone of the coalition government’s benefits policy is unlawful.’

Full story

The Guardian, 18th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Trying to make sense of a mansion tax – Falcon Chambers

Posted March 17th, 2015 in housing, news, taxation by sally

‘The 2015 election campaign will not be the first in which all parties will be promising to outstrip their rivals in their support for the NHS. At the Labour Party Conference last year Ed Miliband announced that a next Labour Government would introduce a tax– a so-called mansion tax – on high value homes worth more than £2million. In an article in the Hampstead and Highgate Express (October 23 2014), designed to calm jittery voters where Labour’s majority is the smallest in the country, Ed Balls stated that the tax will be charged at £250 a month on properties worth between £2 and £3 million, but above £3 million it is apparently to be charged at 1% of capital value. The revenue from the tax, it is said, will contribute to a Time to Care Fund to help the NHS. He estimates that the mansion tax alone will put £1.2 billion into the Fund.’

Full story (PDF)

Falcon Chambers, February 2015

Source: www.falcon-chambers.co.uk