News

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Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is a cheaper alternative to standard concrete and was mostly used in flat roofing. It is aerated and less durable than standard concrete, and can be susceptible to structural failure when exposed to moisture It is suggested that between 5-10% of all public buildings, which would include social housing, built […]

The secondary legislation under the Building Safety Act 2022 will come into force on 1 October 2023 and this is also the deadline for registering existing Higher Risk Buildings (i.e. residential buildings which are at least 18m high or have at least seven storeys and contain two or more dwellings) with the Building Safety Regulator. […]

On 17 May 2023, the Government introduced the long-awaited Renters (Reform) Bill to the Commons to “bring in a better deal for renters” in the rented sector  and make significant changes to the Housing Act 1988 (HA1988). The Bill is making its way through Parliament  and is now unlikely to receive Royal Assent until the […]

Introduction:- Under the Building Safety Act 2022 some leaseholders in qualifying buildings are protected from some costs associated with building safety defects. On 6 April and 21 April 2023 there were updates to Government guidance, the second update in particular was a full admission that their lawyers made an error in the way that the Building […]

Homes England updated the Capital Funding Guide on 29/07/2022 in respect of “Key Information Documents” (“KIDs”). From the 15 September 2022, RPs will need to provide the Key Information Documents for Shared Ownership homes provided through the SOAHP 2016 to 2021 funding programme (as well as those funded under SOAP 2021-2026)c and all Section 106 […]

We are delighted to announce our appointment to the Housing Associations’ Legal Alliance (HALA) framework to provide legal services for property development (including acquisitions and sales) from 1 September 2022. HALA currently comprises more than 35 Registered Providers and more details can be found at www.hala.org.uk. This is in addition to our previous appointment to […]

Wealden Council wins landmark CIL case against Stonewater that has potential far reaching implications for housing delivery Stonewater, a registered provider of social housing, is facing a community infrastructure levy (CIL) bill in excess of £3 million over a 169-home consent in Hailsham, East Sussex, following a High Court judge agreeing with Wealden’s District Council’s […]

The long-awaited new form Shared Ownership model lease has finally been released via the updated Capital Funding Guide.  Not only are there changes to the Lease but the CFG has also been updated to reflect these and some minor changes to affordability and sustainability. The CFG Affordability changes…. These are all minor and seek to […]

Its not often that legal updates can genuinely claim to be interesting, but in the case of the issue of ground rents, readers will be aware of the somewhat seismic shift in the leasehold landscape currently being played out. The new news? The Government has introduced the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill (Bill) into the […]