New regualtions state that as at 9th January 2013 it will be a legal requirement to provide the EPC rating for the property being marketed within any advertising.

All that is required is the given band in text format, e.g. “EPC=C”.

For more information please contact Sarah Jarvis

Intending to bid under the Build to Rent Fund?

The initial bid receipt deadline is 4 February 2013.

Can we help in compiling your bid?  If so please contact us

Important changes to the requirements for making applications for Reserved matters approval come into force on 31 January 2013, by way of an amendment to the Town and Country Planning ( Development Management Procedure ) Order 2010. The changes to the regulations provide even more flexibity to the applicant to agree the specific detail of reserved matters at a later stage. The key points are set out as follows :-

• The existing regulations set out the procedure for outline planning applications and allows for specific details of the application to be reserved for subsequent approval by the local planning authority at a later stage (reserved matters).
• Currently, where layout is a reserved matter, the outline application must state the approximate location of buildings, routes and open spaces. Where scale is a reserved matter, the outline application must state the upper and lower limit for the height, width and length of each building.
• However for applications made on or after 31 January 2013, where layout and scale are reserved matters, the Order removes the requirement to provide these details in the outline application.

The partners and staff at Sharratts would like to wish all of our clients and colleagues a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2013.

Please note that our offices will close at 5pm on Friday 21st December and reopen at 9am on 2nd January 2013.

We are pleased to announce that Paul Skelton has joined us as a Senior Solicitor in our Development Department. Paul will be dealing with all aspects of site development on behalf of our clients.

Paul is a development specialist with many years experience in acting for Registered Providers.  We hope that you will join us in welcoming him to the team.

The claimant had given inaccurate answers in its Premier Guarantee proposal form. The court was asked to consider whether, in these circumstances, the defendant insurer was liable to the claimant under the policy for losses caused from the insolvency of a builder. Akenhead J held that the insurer was not liable, as the basis of the contract clause included in the proposal form, required answers to be true to the best of the claimant’s knowledge or belief. On the facts before the judge, the error of the claimant in identifying the wrong builder was innocent, but the claimant knew or ought to have known that the wrong builder had been identified. (Genesis Housing Association Ltd v Liberty Syndicate Management Ltd and others [2012] EWHC 3105.)

The Growth And Infrastructure Bill receives its second reading in the Commons today.

One of the less discussed provisions is to allow landowners to deposit statements bringing to an end any period of user as of right by third parties which might otherwise support a claim to Town or Village Green status.

Provisions are also contained in the Bill to terminate the right to apply for land to be so registered after a “ trigger event” has occurred, including the first publication of an application for planning permission in respect of the land.

We were delighted to recently attend a reception to launch the 50th Anniversary Year of Mount Green Housing Association. The reception took place in the fantastic setting of the Library at Wotton House and was attended by a variety of consultants and other partners working in the Affordable Housing Sector.

Mount Green has provided a valuable service in providing and managing Affordable Housing in the South East for the last 50 years, including servicing the needs of those in rural locations.  We hope and expect that it will continue to prosper in the same way for the next 50 years!

The awards ceremony took place on Thursday 27th September and we were proud to sponsor the Best Development Partnership Award.

The award was presented to Triathlon Homes for East Village, Stratford.  Congratulations to all involved in this development project.

We look forward to next year’s awards!

The Trades Union Congress will campaign to end the right to buy after delegates at its annual conference approved a motion on housing.

The policy put forward also called for the general council of congress to push for a ‘massive increase’ in social house building.

It also wants the government to implement new rules requiring companies to train apprentices on social housing sites, and scrap the affordable homes programme, which allows landlords to charge up to 80 per cent of market rent for homes.