Tom Etherton

Jan 22, 2024 | lesteraldridge.com | Estelle Boullet |Tom Etherton |Matt Gilks |Sarah Mullin

BREEAM is generally recognised as the world’s first and foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for the built environment. Launched in 1990, there are now globally over 600,000 buildings with certified BREEAM assessment ratings and more than two million registered for assessment. What is BREEAM?

Jan 8, 2024 | lesteraldridge.com | Tom Etherton |Matt Gilks |Sarah Mullin |Estelle Boullet

To celebrate the new year, our construction team is pleased to announce the launch of LA’s A-Z Construction. Every two weeks, the team will share their thoughts on various topics relevant to the construction industry in a blog. We hope that those unfamiliar with certain legal terms will use this A-Z as a reference to better understand construction contract negotiation and dispute resolution. Our first instalment looks at assignment. Definition – What is an assignment?

Dec 21, 2023 | lesteraldridge.com | Tom Etherton |Matt Gilks |Lesley Fereti

The long awaited updated National Planning Policy Framework has finally dropped, and just in time for Christmas. The Government released substantive changes on 19th December 2023 then a further minor amendment to paragraph 14b on 20 December 2023. The full version can be accessed here: . Before outlining some of the key changes, it’s worth taking a brief glance at the ministerial statement made by Michael Gove to understand how the changes fit in with the Government’s long-term plan for housing.

Oct 27, 2023 | lesteraldridge.com | Tom Etherton |Matt Gilks |Lesley Fereti

The era of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill is over, and we now have the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (“Act”). The Act contains what are potentially wide-ranging reforms to the planning system as we know it. Some of the key provisions are:Environmental impact assessments: replaced by environmental outcome reports. Replacing the EU-derived Strategic Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment processes with a streamlined system.

Sep 1, 2023 | lesteraldridge.com | Matt Gilks |Tessa Vincent |Lesley Fereti |Tom Etherton

The Government is set to scrap “legacy EU laws on nutrient neutrality” that are “blocking the delivery of new homes”. In the latest statement by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove has pledged to further amend the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (”LURB”) to “do away with this red tape and allow for the delivery of more than 100,000 new homes desperately needed by local communities”.