Announcements today show that government at both national and London level is moving beyond simply setting housing targets and is focusing on removing barriers to delivery. Emily Knowles, Gemma Duncan and Katie Millar explain what you need to know. The UK Government has announced close to £10bn in funding for 33 Strategic Partners: councils, housing... Read more
The Court of Appeal has dismissed Westminster City Council’s appeal in Westminster City Council v GEMS House Residences Chiltern Street Ltd and another [2026] EWCA Civ 937. Rebecca Stewart considers the implications of the recent decision. The case concerned 16 flats which had been secured as affordable housing under a section 106 agreement linked to planning... Read more
In this article, Rachel Murray-Smith, Conrad Turnock and Helen Arthur explain the significance of Crest Nicholson v Ardmore Ardmore [2026] EWHC 789 (TCC); [2026] EWHC 1069 (TCC), one of the first major decisions to consider the scope of building liability orders under the Building Safety Act 2022 and its impact on available routes to recovery.... Read more
In this article, Cat Bogoje and Lorraine Spurling, who between them have more than 25 years’ experience in procuring light touch services, take a look at some of the common questions we are asked about managing and modifying frameworks for light touch services under the Procurement Act 2023 (“PA23”). As yet, there have been no... Read more
In our joint webinar with Forvis Mazars, we explored how Building Liability Orders (BLOs) under the Building Safety Act 2022 can help social housing providers and local authorities pursue remediation costs where responsibility sits behind complex corporate structures. The session was hosted by Helen Knowles, Partner in Forvis Mazars. Guest experts were Rachel Murray-Smith, Partner... Read more
Laura Campbell, Senior Associate in our Construction team, attended the Warm and Safe Homes Summit hosted by Inside Housing, which brought together over 500 attendees from housing providers, local authorities and sector leaders. The agenda reflected continued sector priorities including safer and more energy-efficient homes while balancing building safety, decarbonisation and tenant wellbeing. As ever,... Read more
At Sharpe Pritchard, we are proud to see our colleagues contributing to the wider housing sector. Not just through the work we do with clients every day, but by helping to shape its future. We’re therefore delighted that Rachel Murray-Smith, Partner in our Construction team, has been invited to sit on the judging panel for... Read more
