The High Court has dismissed a subcontractor’s claim for nearly £500,000 against Vale of Glamorgan Council arising from payments on a school extension project that was supposed to use a project bank account (PBA). The judge found the subcontractor had never become a named supplier under the PBA arrangements, and that the council was not in breach by paying ISG directly when no PBA had been established.
The article argues that while agentic AI can help with administrative tasks in conveyancing, it should not be trusted to make liability-bearing legal judgements without explicit, expert-authored rules and verified data. It describes Moverly's DiligenceEngine as a system designed to assess conveyancing risks using structured playbooks and provenance-tagged information, with an initial focus on auction property packs.
The Environment Agency has revoked the environmental permit of a Wolverhampton waste operator following sustained non-compliance and enforcement action. The site had been authorised to handle hazardous waste, including asbestos, batteries and WEEE, but is now unable to accept waste.
The Environment Agency has updated its Part B1 standard rules permit application form and related guidance for environmental permitting. The changes include new and revised standard rules, updated site plan and technical competence requirements, and structural changes to the form and navigation.
The University of East Anglia has started procurement for a contractor to deliver a £76m refurbishment of the Grade II*-listed Sainsbury Centre museum in Norwich. The project, expected to run from May 2027 to May 2029, will replace the external envelope and carry out extensive MEP works to address condition issues, improve energy efficiency and reduce future maintenance liabilities.
The Bank of England has issued a follow-up Green Notice on its consultation about discontinuing the collection and publication of Form BN data. After reviewing consultation feedback, it says the statistics cannot currently be recreated from other sources such as Form CC/CL because of practical challenges, so further next steps are being outlined.
The article argues that the Renters’ Rights Act is already producing unintended consequences, including upward pressure on rents, reduced flexibility for tenants without guarantors, and new risks for landlords trying to sell rental properties. It cites early market data and industry commentary suggesting the reforms are reshaping behaviour before their full effects are understood.
An agency briefing on the Renters Rights Act drew strong landlord attendance, reflecting heightened concern about the compliance burden introduced by the legislation. The article says landlords are particularly focused on regaining possession where issues arise and on using insurance to manage risks such as lost rent, court costs and delays.
The Environment Agency says a man in his 20s has been arrested in connection with alleged illegal waste activities at a site near Camborne, Cornwall. The investigation is ongoing and forms part of wider enforcement action involving Cornwall Council and Devon and Cornwall Police, with previous stop letters issued at the site.
Openmoove has launched a free material information service for agents and sellers, positioning compliance data collection as part of the normal valuation and viewing workflow. The company says the approach is intended to support the government’s wider homebuying reforms by front-loading information and reducing transaction friction.
The Property Franchise Group reported stronger first-half results, with lettings franchise revenue up 2% and overall group revenue up 7%. The group highlighted the resilience of its managed lettings portfolio and said it had supported franchisees through implementation of the Renters Rights Act.
The government is consulting on a possible new exemption that could mean some leasehold properties are not covered by the proposed ground rent cap. The article indicates this is a developing policy issue rather than a final change to the law.
