News
Features
Changes to the written representations procedure process for appeals
Gary Soloman and Connor Maunder set out significant changes to the written representations procedure process for planning appeals that came into effect this month.
Planning committees and delegation
The government’s proposed reforms to planning committees and delegation could herald a new councillor–officer dynamic, writes Nagla Stevens.
Injunctions to restrain breaches of planning control
Mark O’Brien O’Reilly reports on a council’s successful application for a final injunction with both mandatory and restraining elements following unauthorised development in the Green Belt.
Features
Care leavers and redaction of records
Is redaction of records necessary for privacy, or a cause of harm and frustration? Peter Garsden of the Access to Care Records Campaign Group explores the issues.
Substituted decision notices and contempt of court
A council was recently held in contempt for non-compliance with a First-Tier Tribunal decision following an environmental information request about fixed bollards. John Goss looks at the lessons from the judgment.
Councillors in an increasingly digital age
Geoff Wild looks at some of the issues raised by councillors’ use of social media, electronic communication, personal email addresses and devices, and sets out ways in which members and monitoring officers can protect themselves and their authorities.
Preparing for June 2026: A guide to local authority data protection complaint processes
From June 2026, local authorities will have to have a process to deal with data protection complaints, under one of the changes coming in under the Data Use and Access Act 2025. Vicki Bowles looks at what is required, and what might be helpful based on her experience of dealing with complaints in various contexts.
Webinars
Data Protection Essentials
The Hugh James team provide a guide of need-to-know information about the field of Data Protection law.
SPONSORED
AI and Lawtech solutions to the age-old problem of sourcing Counsel at short notice: A Management perspective
Kye Herbert, Barrister with Litigation Rights and senior manager in local government, shares his insights into how Clerked might assist busy in-house legal teams to claw back precious admin time.
Navigating Local Government Reorganisation
How Blake Morgan supports local authorities through the reorganisation process.
Case study: using enforcement powers for the remediation of buildings
The Government has made funding available, up to £100,000 per building, for local authorities to obtain legal advice on pursuing those responsible for remediating buildings – the Remediation Enforcement Support Fund. (The closing date for local authorities to apply for funding is fast approaching and is currently set for midnight on 28 February 2026.) But how does a local authority effectively…
How Finders International Supports Council Officers
Councils across the UK face a growing number of complex cases involving deceased individuals with no known next of kin, unclaimed estates, and long-term empty properties. These situations demand not only legal precision but also sensitivity, efficiency, and resourcefulness.
Webinars
Leaving care provisions demystified!
Ann Osbourne and Alison Pryor discuss local authority duties under the Children Act 1989 and the Care Act 2014 – when the duties arise, what they encompass, human rights assessments, and the interface with the issues of immigration and homelessness.
More Features
Self-grants of planning permission, functional separation and demolition avoidance
The High Court recently found a breach but declined to quash the City of London’s grant of planning permission to demolish parts of the Barbican Estate. Estelle Dehon KC and Riccardo Calzavara analyse the ruling.
The lawfulness of emailing licensing decision notices
The High Court has dismissed a claim that a revocation decision was not validly served because it went to spam. Gary Grant and Armin Solimani set out points of good practice following the ruling.
Intervention: the Monitoring Officer’s view
The views of Monitoring Officers must be considered when finding lessons we can learn from intervention, writes Dr Paul Feild.
Jobs
Jobs
Principal Lawyer - Community Services Team
£51,356 - £54,495 per annum (plus market forces supplement of £8,000)
Senior Lawyer - Community Services
£47,181 - £50,269 per annum (plus market forces supplement of £5,500)
Trainee Solicitor
£25,242 - £26,703 per annum
Lawyer / Senior Lawyer
£39,152 - £46,142 per annum
Locums
Locum roles
Directory
Events
Events
Events
CCTV, Drones and Body Worn Cameras: Ensuring Data Protection Compliance - Act Now
10-04-2026 10:00 am
Online (live)
Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation: beyond planning - Landmark Chambers
13-04-2026
Online (live)
The General Data Protection Regulation - Act Now 
HMPL Building Blocks: A Housing Officer’s Guide to Court Proceedings - Devonshires
14-04-2026
Online (live)
Local Authorities Invited to Specialist Training on Judicial Review Risks in Planning Decisions - 4-5 Gray's Inn Square 
Lessons learned in 2025 - a public law update - 42BR 
Certified Data Protection Officer Training (CDPO) - The Training Centre
20-04-2026 9:00 am
Online (live)
Getting it right first time: Making lawful decisions (Webinar Series) - Public Law Project
21-04-2026
Online (live)
Rating Nuts and Bolts webinar series: Occupied, unoccupied and rates mitigation - Landmark Chambers
21-04-2026
Online (live)
Family Law 'Know How' Talk Series: Molly Mifsud Discussing Police Disclosure Orders- College Chambers
22-04-2026
Online (live)
39 Essex Chambers Half-Day Construction Conference in Leeds - 39 Essex Chambers
22-04-2026
North-east
What’s a fair grade? Academic assessment and the duty to make reasonable adjustments - 3PB
22-04-2026 11:00 am
Online (live)
Introduction to Judicial Review - DWF 
Public Sector Insights: Managing risk in construction contracts - Blake Morgan
23-04-2026
Online (live)
AI and Information Governance: Bridging Innovation and Compliance - Act Now
23-04-2026 10:00 am
Online (live)
Webinar: Assessing/Recording of Fluctuating capacity - Spire Barristers
23-04-2026 4:00 pm
Online (live)
Planning injunctions - Ivy Legal 
Drafting Policies for Local Plans - Kings Chambers 
Construction Forum: Defects Claims and the Role of an Independent Expert - Sharpe Pritchard
28-04-2026
Online (live)
The ERA – Dismissal and Redundancy - Sharpe Pritchard Directory
