Two jailed for Grenfell Tower-related fraud – Metropolitan Police

Posted March 6th, 2020 in accidents, fire, fraud, housing, imprisonment, local government, news, sentencing by sally

‘A couple who claimed to be living in the flat of a deceased Grenfell Tower resident at the time of the fire have been convicted of fraud.’

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Metropolitan Police, 5th March 2020

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Parties praised after first trial in capped costs pilot – Litigation Futures

Posted March 4th, 2020 in costs, leases, local government, news, pilot schemes by sally

‘The first case under the capped costs pilot reached trial last week, with the judge commending the parties for their “significant degree of collaboration” to make it work.’

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Litigation Futures, 2nd March 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Report into Welsh council highlights monitoring officer also being its sole qualified childcare lawyer as example of risk of ‘all hands to the pumps’ approach – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 4th, 2020 in children, legal services, local government, news, solicitors, Wales by sally

‘A rapid assessment carried out by the Improvement and Assurance Board set up at Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has highlighted a situation where the authority’s monitoring officer is also its sole qualified childcare lawyer and has additional responsibilities as an example of why it has significant concerns about the ability of the council to deal with ongoing practical issues.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Anti-slavery tsar calls for councils to take on child trafficking cases – The Guardian

‘The UK’s independent anti-slavery commissioner has called for decision-making on child trafficking cases to be taken away from the Home Office.’

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The Guardian, 2nd March 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Court of Appeal rejects appeal by council over ruling reuniting mother and child in different residential unit – Local Government Lawyer

‘A local authority has failed in an appeal over a judge’s decision that a mother and child should be reunited in a different residential unit.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 28th February 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Appellant fails in challenge to closure order barring him from accessing his flat – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 26th, 2020 in appeals, drug offences, drug trafficking, housing, local government, news by sally

‘An appellant has lost his appeal over a closure order under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 that meant he was barred from accessing his flat.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th February 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Claimant fails in judicial review challenge over Qualified One-Way Costs-Shifting and discrimination claims – Local Government Lawyer

‘A High Court judge has rejected a judicial review challenge over an asserted decision of the Lord Chancellor not to extend Qualified One-Way Costs-Shifting (QOCS) to discrimination claims in the County Court and/or the failure to extend QOCS to such claims.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th February 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Call for English councils to be given powers to regulate Airbnb – The Guardian

Posted February 24th, 2020 in holidays, hotels, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news by sally

‘Local councils in England must be given powers to regulate Airbnb and other short-term letting sites in order to alleviate the “intolerable” pressure they put on the availability of local housing, the Green party MP, Caroline Lucas, has said.’

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The Guardian, 21st February 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court grants permission for planning judicial review challenge over alleged Equality Act breach – Local Government Lawyer

‘A High Court judge has granted permission for a planning judicial review challenge in part over an alleged breach of the public sector equality duty, Landmark Chambers has reported.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st February 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Onus of Proof in Business Rates Complaints – 33 Bedford Row

Posted February 21st, 2020 in burden of proof, chambers articles, complaints, local government, news, rates by sally

‘Where a Local Authority (the ‘Billing Authority) applies by way of complaint to the Magistrates Court for a liability order against an alleged ratepayer, for allegedly due but unpaid, national non-domestic rates (‘Business Rates’), the Magistrates Court will issue a summons requiring the alleged ratepayer to attend the Magistrates Court to answer the complaint (the ‘Complaint’).’

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33 Bedford Row, 16th February 2020

Source: www.33bedfordrow.co.uk

Council-owned company defends unfair dismissal claim from ADHD sufferer – Local Government Lawyer

‘A refuse collector has lost his claim for disability discrimination against Bristol Waste, a wholly-owned operation of Bristol City Council.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 20th February 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council overturns allotment change-of-use ban at CoA – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court ruling that Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council must keep an allotment site in use, in a ruling that Lord Justice Lewison called “very strange”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 19th February 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ombudsman threatens council with legal action over lack of co-operation – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 20th, 2020 in homelessness, local government, news by sally

‘Folkestone and Hythe Council was threatened with a court summons by the Local Government Ombudsman over its handling of a complaint about its treatment of a homeless family.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 20th February 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court of Appeal provides guidance on “borough-wide” injunctions – No. 5 Chambers

‘Bromley LBC had secured a without notice interim injunction in the High Court which prohibited encampment and entry/occupation in relation to all accessible public spaces in the Borough except cemeteries and highways. These amounted to 139 parks, recreation grounds or open spaces, and 32 public car parks. Although the injunction was against “persons unknown”, it was widely understood that the injunction was aimed at the Gypsy and Traveller community.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 12th February 2020

Source: www.no5.com

Planning Appeal Decision: Top 5 Lessons – No. 5 Chambers

Posted February 19th, 2020 in appeals, chambers articles, local government, news, planning by sally

‘The statistics are against allowed appeals at the moment. Positive decisions from PINS on housing appeals are down. Appeals are failing in particular on heritage related matters. It is therefore critical in my view to neutralise as many issues as early as possible. And to be clear about the real focus from the outset. This appeal had ‘a full house’ when it came to an array of concerns, and some were heard through a round-table forum, making it hard to test assertions, particularly from members of the public.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 17th February 2020

Source: www.no5.com

EAT Applies Jhuti Principles to Uddin v London Borough of Ealing – Old Square Chambers

‘Do the principles set down by the Supreme Court decision in the landmark decision in Royal Mail Group Ltd v Jhuti (in which Simon Gorton QC and Jack Mitchell acted for the Royal Mail) apply to the assessment of whether an employer acted reasonably in dismissing an employee for the purposes of s.98(4) Employment Rights Act 1996?’

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Old Square Chambers, 17th February 2020

Source: www.oldsquare.co.uk

Luton Council pursues judicial review of neighbouring council’s link road approval – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 19th, 2020 in judicial review, local government, news, planning, roads by sally

‘Luton Council is to bring a judicial review of Central Bedfordshire Council’s decision to approve an application for a new link road after it says local plan examination inspectors’ letters calling the plan into question were not properly considered.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th February 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council to review decision on admission of summer-born child after criticism from LGO – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 19th, 2020 in children, delay, education, families, local government, news, ombudsmen, school children by sally

‘Warwickshire County Council has said it will review its decisions in two cases in which it denied parents’ requests for deferred summer-born children to start school in reception class rather than year one after receiving criticism from the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO).’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th February 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Actual Use, Lawful Use and Ancillary Use – when designating Assets of Community Value – Exchange Chambers

‘Towards the end of last year, the General Regulatory Chamber of the First-Tier Tribunal (‘FTT’) determined an appeal by the owner of a 46-acre greenfield site against the decision of the local authority, Winchester City Council, to list the land as an Asset of Community Value (‘ACV’).’

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Exchange Chambers, 12th February 2020

Source: www.exchangechambers.co.uk

Green Belt (again) – the Supreme Court has ruled further on the interpretation of Green Belt policy – Exchange Chambers

‘Inappropriate development is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in very special circumstances (NPPF paragraph 143).’

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Exchange Chambers, 12th February 2020

Source: www.exchangechambers.co.uk