The Government’s legislative programme for 2022-23 was set out in the Queen’s Speech on 11 May. The number of Bills which relate to our specialist practice areas and which affect our public sector clients is greater than usual – and the government have got straight off the starting blocks by publishing some of them already. Each Bill is outlined in
Finding ways to decarbonise the construction sector represents a huge challenge for policymakers and stakeholders.
Even as buildings become more energy-efficient to maintain and power, vast amounts of carbon are usually emitted during the manufacture of components and the construction of new buildings.
These emissions – known in the industry as ‘embodied carbon’ – occur before a building is even
The purchase of goods and services by public authorities spans industries and sectors across the UK, and a Government report this year concluded that public spending represented 52.5% of GDP in 2020/21[1]. Meanwhile, there is a drive not just by Government but by society at large, to take urgent action against climate change.
This article considers how public
Before we explore how we can assist our clients with legal obstacles and concerns, we want to go back to basics and look at the legal duty to achieve net zero placed upon the UK. Please see below some Questions and Answers about the Climate Change Act and the relevance of the Paris Agreement to the UK’s Net Zero goals.
Under the Habitats Regulations 2017, if a local planning authority is required to carry out a habitats “appropriate assessment” for a development, it can only grant planning permission for the development where there is no likelihood of a significant adverse effect on any European designated nature conservation site (unless certain circumstances apply). High levels of nitrates in various areas of
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”), a public authority can refuse an entire request if it would cost too much or would take too much staff time to deal with the request. Currently, the cost limit for complying with a request or a linked series of requests from the same person or group is set at £600 for
