We pride ourselves on protecting and growing our clients' businesses through pragmatic advice and market expertise. On paper we’re a full-service law firm, but we offer so much more than that. Expertise, commerciality and relationships are at the very heart of what we do.

Background

In 2021, Rutland County Council engaged our legal planning team as their new outsourced legal planning service provider. This partnership aimed to address the council’s growing legal planning needs by providing comprehensive support and expert advice.

Challenges Faced

The primary challenges included:

• Navigating complex statutory and judicial processes.
• Managing a high volume of planning legal instructions with limited in-house capacity.
• Ensuring compliance with new and emerging legislation and national policy such as the introduction of First Homes and Biodiversity Net Gain.
• Reducing complaints from applicants, developers and Members by progressing matters promptly.

Our Role

Our role encompassed a wide range of legal services to support Rutland County Council:

• Representing the authority in a S.288 statutory challenge and judicial review proceedings.
• Advocating for the authority at an appeal hearing.
• Drafting and advising on S.106 agreements, unilateral undertakings, deeds of variation, and securing First Homes alongside other affordable housing tenures.
• Drafting and advising on S.38/S.278 agreements, highways licences, and stopping up orders.
• Advising on and enforcing Biodiversity Net Gain.
• Serving as legal advisors at Committee meetings.
• Providing general planning and governance advice to the senior leadership team.

Outcome

By outsourcing their legal planning needs to us, Rutland County Council experienced numerous benefits:

• Efficiently progressing legal matters, reducing complaints from applicants,developers and Members.
• Alleviating the workload of local authority officers without additional costs to the council.
• Successfully navigating statutory challenges, judicial reviews, and appeal hearings.
• Ensuring compliance with national policy initiatives, particularly the integration of First Homes.
• Providing reliable and expert legal advice, solidifying our role as the council’s planning legal advisors.

This partnership has allowed Rutland County Council to effectively manage its legal planning needs, ensuring smoother operations and enhanced service delivery.

Background

We continue to act for Everards Brewery Limited in the ambitious development of Everards Meadows in Leicestershire. This mixed-use commercial development includes a café, cycle centre, brewery, brewery head office, tap room building, substantial green infrastructure, offices, and a hotel.

Challenges Faced

Everards Brewery faced several challenges during this project:

• Securing planning permission for the multi-phase development.
• Addressing potential enforcement actions by the local planning authority (LPA) regarding temporary uses and structures on the site.
• Managing and obtaining approvals for the Reserved Matters associated with the Phase 2 development, particularly for the hotel.

Our Role

Our role has been integral to the progression of Everards Meadows:

• Successfully secured planning permission in November 2022 for Phase 2, which includes the development of office spaces and a hotel.
• Provided ongoing legal advice on various matters related to the site, ensuring compliance with planning regulations and addressing any potential enforcement actions by the LPA.
• Advised the brewery on the Reserved Matters for the hotel component of the Phase 2 development, facilitating smooth planning and approval processes.

Outcome

Our continued support and legal expertise have enabled Everards Brewery to advance their development plans for Everards Meadows with confidence:

• The successful planning permission for Phase 2 has paved the way for the construction of new offices and a hotel, contributing to the overall mixed-use vision for the site.
• Proactive legal advice has helped mitigate potential enforcement issues, ensuring uninterrupted progress on the development.
• Expert guidance on Reserved Matters has streamlined the planning process, helping Everards Brewery stay on track with their project timelines.

Through our comprehensive legal support, Everards Brewery Limited is well-positioned to transform Everards Meadows into a vibrant and diverse commercial hub, benefiting both the local community and the brewery’s long-term growth.