04/19/2017

Developer John Fisher says the requirement for affordable homes on small developments could threaten the viability - and therefore deliverability - of those schemes. Mr Fisher, managing director of Thames Valley housebuilder T A Fisher, says small developers seeking to maintain a high threshold of quality could find it difficult to incorporate both affordable houses and developer infrastructure contributions on smaller projects. Government changes to national planning policy have sought to

04/06/2017

Rebecca Thomas, Partner - Professional Support at law firm BrookStreet des Roches, explains recent clarification on whether business rates are due while a building is under refurbishment. The question of whether business rates are payable while a property is being redeveloped has been determined by the Supreme Court in a decision which will be welcomed by owners and developers. Overturning the Court of Appeal decision in Newbigin (Valuation Officer) v SJ & J Monk, it was held that where a

03/29/2017

Following a recent judgement, a rent concession on a property could now be in very different legal territory. Martin Billings and Rosie Gibb, partners in the Real Estate department at BrookStreet des Roches, explain the full implications. It is not unusual for a rent concession to be documented in a side letter, keeping the arrangement both confidential and personal to the tenant. It is also common for a side letter to contain provisions which allow the arrangement to be terminated if the

03/08/2017

Vail Williams partner Stephen Hill explains some of the effects so far of the controversial rates revaluation. The Valuation Office Agency has now finalised its revaluation of rateable values. The resultant changes in rate liability will come into force on April 1, 2017 and the new assessments will be used to calculate rate charges for at least the next five years. The arrival of rate demands over the next few days showing these new assessments will be in a number of instances a surprise

11/16/2016

Rebecca Thomas, Partner - Professional Support at law firm BrookStreet Des Roches, explains a significant change in the way Business Rates are calculated for occupiers who use more than one floor. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) recently announced a change to the way in which commercial property will be valued for business rates purposes where a business is in occupation of two or more separate spaces within a building. This change is likely to result in a business rates increase for affected

06/13/2017

Annette Smith has been promoted to sector director for transport planning at Systra. Annette had originally joined the London office in 2005 but now works from the transport planning consultancy’s Reading office where she heads the planning team. She has over 20 years' consultancy experience and has led the delivery of a number of sustainable transport solutions for both public and private sector clients. Richard Stacey, business director - south (commercial) who heads the Reading office,

06/12/2017

Italian-owned art materials supplier Daler-Rowney has signed a 20-year lease on a 78,000 sq ft warehouse building in Bracknell. Vail Williams and Strutt & Parker advised Legal & General Investment Management Real Assets on the deal for the building at Lovelace Park. The building, which was practically completed in January, was speculatively developed by Legal & General. The lease cements Daler-Rowney’s strong presence in the Thames Valley area. It currently operates from Peacock Lane and will

06/12/2017

A major extension is on the cards for Whitchurch Primary School in Hampshire to increase numbers from 420 to 525. Hampshire County Council (HCC) has applied to Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council to make a series of additions and improvements at the school in Daniel Road, Whitchurch. It includes a four-classroom teaching block, additional dining hall and studio teaching space, new landscaping and recladding and reroofing of the existing building. A football pitch on the school playing field