We are pleased to announce that Amy Jones joined our Disposals Team on 23rd July.  Amy is a fully qualified Licensed Conveyancer with more than 10 years experience of new build property sales and purchases.

Amy joins us from a large firm in Bromley where she acted on behalf of both buyer and sellers in relation to property transactions focusing mainly on new build, shared ownership and equity loan schemes.

Amy will be acting on behalf of RP clients in relation to shared ownership and private sales, resales and staircasing transactions.

Wheel clamping on private land is outlawed from 1 October 2012 under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.

Once the ban comes into force, it will be illegal to clamp, tow away or immobilise a vehicle without lawful authority to do so. Anyone who breaks the law will face criminal charges and a fine if convicted.

The only bodies with lawful authority to clamp and tow vehicles will be the police, local authorities, government agencies such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) – plus other bodies acting in accordance with statutory or other powers, such as railway stations and airports. Those bodies with lawful authority may continue to contract out clamping and towing to private companies.

It is widely known that the Mayor of London’s charging regime came into force on 1 April 2012. The charge varies between £20 and £50 per metre squared for all types of development, except those used for health or education.

However so far five other charging authorities have also adopted a CIL charging schedule and many more are anticipated to follow – these include Portsmouth City Council and the London Borough of Redbridge.

Where development commences in a London Borough that has its own charging schedule ( such as Redbridge) the Borough will collect the combined CIL in respect of its own charge and the Mayor of London’s charge.

Where there is an overlap with the Crossrail Levy, CIL is to be treated as a credit against Section 106 payments.

West Kent Housing Association (West Kent) completed their purchase of 46 homes in Kent from Southern Housing Group last week as part of SHG’s Stock Rationalisation Programme.  Sharratts were instructed by West Kent in connection with the purchase which was completed following a competitive tendering process.

From 1 October 2012 most developments over a certain size (likely to be 100 square meters) will require approval from a new SUDS (sustainable urban drainage system) approving body as well as requiring planning permission. The changes are being introduced with a view to reducing incidents of surface water flooding.

There will no longer be an automatic right to connect to the public sewer system and instead approval will be required from the SUDS approving body (County Council or Unitary Authority)  to schemes which will have to comply with national standards.  The national standards have yet to be formalised, but developers will need to be aware of the need to obtain approval from the SUDS approving authority in respect of surface water systems.

Yesterday Nicola Main, a dedicated and fit Legal Executive in our Sales Department,  completed the London to Brighton Bike Ride for the 3rd time.  Nicola , 4 friends and 27,995 other people completed the 54 mile bike ride in aid of The British Heart Foundation, raising nearly £600.

The ride took a total of 6 hours; however this would not have taken so long had it not taken almost 2 hours to ride the first 7 miles through London, stopping at every red light and trying to avoid the buses!

Thankfully the weather conditions were perfect as it was neither too hot nor too cold, not too windy, and it did not rain.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day and Nicola even managed to cycle all the way to the top of Ditchling Beacon without getting off her bike!

Although the Community Infrastructure Levy, a new planning charge, came into force on 6 April 2010, many local authorities have yet to adopt it.  Local authorities may do so shortly and as such purchasers should be aware of this possibility.  Consideration should be given to ensuring that any requirement to pay CIL is passed on to the Contractor (or an indemnity is given, as appropriate) and that, in contracts conditional upon planning,  an obligation to pay CIL entitles a purchaser to rescind the contract.

Affordable Home Ownership Awards 2012

We are pleased to announce that we are this years sponsor for the “Best Development Partnership” award.

This awards will be held on 27th September 2012 at the Lancaster Hotel, London.

Visit the Award website for more information: www.housingawards.co.uk

Solicitor/Legal Executive

Working in our established Sales Team – dealing with site set up and managing plot sales (shared ownership, private sale). Dealing with staircasing, resales and other related property matters.

Role with considerable client contact.

EXCELLENT PACKAGE AVAILABLE

Please send CV to mail@sharratts-London.co.uk

Sharratts LLP is an equal opportunities employer.

On 29 May 2012 the HCA issued revised guidance on the selling of vacant social housing homes covering revised procedures for obtaining consent.  In particular Social Housing Providers are now able to seek consent to a programme of disposals, rather than individual consent, which is intended to increase flexibility and reduce administration for RPs who can show a strategic approach to the management of their assets.

The new ability to obtain consent to an overall policy for disposals applies to disposal of vacant dwellings out of the sector and does not apply to the sale of tenanted dwellings within the sector, which do still require individual consent.