High Court judge rules inspector erred in law over scope of power to require removal of operational development – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 11th, 2023 in appeals, enforcement notices, housing, local government, news, planning by tracey

‘The High Court has decided that a planning inspector erred in law over a dispute about an enforcement notice served by Buckinghamshire Council.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Transport Secretary wins Supreme Court appeal over determinations on certificates of appropriate alternative development -Local Government Lawyer

‘The Supreme Court has allowed an appeal by the Secretary of State for Transport over the way in which compensation is calculated for land compulsory purchased for Birmingham’s Curzon Street HS2 station.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ffos-y-Fran: Campaigners go to courts to stop mine digging for coal – BBC News

‘Climate campaigners are taking legal action to try and force the closure of the UK’s largest opencast coalmine.’

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BBC News, 10th August 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Public bodies named and shamed over Freedom of Information request failings – The Independent

Posted August 11th, 2023 in delay, freedom of information, government departments, local government, news by tracey

‘Five public bodies have been named and shamed for failures to meet expected standards in responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOI) requests.’

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The Independent, 10th August 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Bibby Stockholm: Ministers face legal action over barge planning permissions – BBC News

Posted August 10th, 2023 in asylum, housing, local government, news, planning, ships by tracey

‘Ministers are facing legal action from the Mayor of Portland over the Bibby Stockholm migrant accommodation barge.’

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BBC News, 10th August 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Council to pay nearly £13k after delayed disability adaptations forced resident to install his own – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 10th, 2023 in compensation, delay, disabled persons, local government, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘Waverley Borough Council has been told to pay nearly £13,000 after a Housing Ombudsman investigation found the council’s “unreasonable delays” in providing disability adaptations forced a resident to install his own.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Developer wins partial award of costs following council’s “unreasonable behaviour” – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 10th, 2023 in appeals, costs, local government, news, planning by tracey

‘Property developer Berkeley Homes has won an appeal to demolish old offices in Sevenoaks and construct a new flatted development for 69 residential units.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

First joint Ombudsman investigation finds vulnerable tenant not supported properly when faced with anti-social behaviour – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Housing Ombudsman have jointly criticised Nottingham City Council and Nottingham City Homes (NCH) for the way they dealt with a woman’s antisocial behaviour complaints and subsequent requests to move house.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court of Appeal rules on “hot potato” issue of decision between care order, supervision order or no order when child placed at home – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal by a mother and made supervision orders in place of care orders for all three of her children, who are placed at home.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council “failed to act appropriately” under Equality Act during Anti-Social Behaviour case, finds Ombudsman – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 8th, 2023 in compensation, housing, local government, mental health, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘The Housing Ombudsman has told Sandwell Council to review its Reasonable Adjustments policy after the local authority “failed to act appropriately” under the Equality Act 2010 during an anti-social behaviour (ASB) case.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Buildings Safety Act 2022: Different statutory regimes do not operate in isolation (Various leaseholders of Priory Heights v Central Beds Council) – Tanfield Chambers

‘Priory Heights, a former tax office, is over 29 metres high, was converted from commercial to residential use between 2003 and 2008, and contains 64 flats. It contains two staircases one of which is external and covered in combustible HPL cladding. It is indisputable that the cladding must be removed and replaced. The necessary remediation measures also include compartmentation and fire stopping work in the building’s common parts.’

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Tanfield Chambers, 20th July 2023

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

‘As easy as 123’ – Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972 considered in R (Cilldara) v West Northamptonshire Council [2023] EWHC 1675 (Admin) – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 4th, 2023 in judicial review, land registration, local government, news, valuation by tracey

‘Colin Ricciardello and Jonathan Blunden analyse the increasing number of challenges to councils’ use of s123 of the Local Government Act 1972 (the “1972 Act”).’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

The power to regulate proceedings and place restrictions on councillor voting – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 4th, 2023 in appeals, local government, news by tracey

‘Philip McCourt looks at a recent Court of Appeal case and what that means for committee members who aren’t present for a full item of business but may still wish to vote.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council defeats Court of Appeal challenge over rule in constitution on councillor voting and deferred planning applications – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 3rd, 2023 in local government, London, news, planning, ultra vires by sally

‘The London Borough of Tower Hamlets was entitled to make a rule that only councillors who had been present when a planning application had previously been considered could vote on deferred applications, the Court of Appeal has found.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court upholds order for possession leaving disabled 62-year-old woman homeless – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 3rd, 2023 in disabled persons, equality, housing, local government, news, repossession by sally

‘Reading Borough Council has defeated an appeal against eviction by a disabled resident with a long history of anti-social behaviour.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Children’s Commissioner for England asks for views on adding care experience to list of ‘protected characteristics’ – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 2nd, 2023 in adoption, care homes, children, equality, fostering, local government, news by sally

The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, is to ask care-experienced people for their views on whether care experience should be a ‘protected characteristic’ under the Equality Act 2010 – “like age, disability or religion currently are”.

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Local Government Lawyer, 1st August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Intentional homelessness – what counts as accommodation? – Nearly Legal

Posted August 1st, 2023 in appeals, homelessness, housing, local government, news by sally

‘A second appeal to the Court of Appeal on Folkestone’s decision that Ms Hodge was intentionally homeless because she had left a room in a hostel run by a charity that she was occupying under licence.’

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Nearly Legal, 31st July 2023

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Council told to pay £6,000 after condition of property forced family to share one bedroom – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 1st, 2023 in compensation, housing, local government, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘The Housing Ombudsman has called on Barking and Dagenham Council to pay £6,000 to a resident after leaving her and her family of six in damp and mould for more than two-and-a-half years, in which they were eventually all forced to share one bedroom.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 31st July 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Suitability appeal – don’t ignore evidence of need – Nearly Legal

‘Our grateful thanks to Daniel Grütters of One Pump Court for the following note and copy of the judgment in a section 204 appeal on the suitability of temporary accommodation.’

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Nearly Legal, 28th July 2023

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Borough council not vicariously liable for abuse suffered by claimant, High Court rules – Local Government Lawyer

‘Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is not vicariously liable for sexual abuse inflicted on claimant DJ by an uncle who was a de facto foster parent, the High Court has found.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th July 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk