The article reports on a Surrey landlord who says she was unable to regain possession of her home for an extended period after a tenant refused to leave, leaving her without rent for 10 months and forcing her to live with friends, family and then in a camper van. The property was eventually recovered with the help of bailiffs, and the case is presented alongside comments from MHCLG about possession grounds under the Renters Rights Act.
The article is a light news roundup covering several North West planning and regeneration stories, including a nature-access project in Greater Manchester, a public consultation event in Middleton, and a council-led parking scheme in Conwy that has raised flood concerns. It also notes local opposition to the Peak Cluster pipeline in Wirral, alongside a separate leisure venue opening in Liverpool.
Two construction firms have been fined a combined total of more than £1m after a worker died when an unsupported 3-metre trench collapsed at a demolition site in Banstead, Surrey. The Health and Safety Executive and Surrey Police found that basic excavation safety measures were not in place, including trench support and proper spoil placement.
United Utilities Water Limited has been fined after pleading guilty to five environmental permit offences linked to a major sewage spill along the Fylde Coast in Lancashire. The incident led to bathing restrictions, temporary shellfish bed closures and wider disruption to communities and businesses, including impacts on tourism in Blackpool and St Annes.
The Legal Services Board has escalated enforcement action against the Solicitors Regulation Authority, citing ongoing concerns about leadership, accountability and the regulator’s ability to respond quickly to risks affecting consumers and client money. The move follows further independent reviews linked to the collapses of PM Law Group and earlier failures at Axiom Ince and SSB Group, which together involved substantial losses of client funds.
New research cited by LexisNexis suggests AI use is now widespread across the legal profession, with most lawyers using it regularly and a minority relying on it heavily. The report also highlights persistent concerns around accuracy, fabricated outputs, confidentiality and over-reliance, alongside growing expectations that AI tools should be grounded in authoritative legal sources.
A builder has been jailed for 32 months after admitting multiple fraud offences linked to building and home improvement work across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire. The case involved abandoned projects, poor workmanship and unsafe conditions, with victims left to pay for remedial works and completion by other contractors.
The High Court has dismissed part of Svella Connect’s claim against Virgin Media, finding that the fibre network framework agreements did not create an implied duty of good faith or guarantee any minimum volume of work. The court held that Virgin Media was entitled to seek competing bids and allocate work as the contracts expressly allowed, although separate claims relating to a later exit and settlement agreement remain ongoing.
The article reports that Purplebricks has been ordered to pay £47,000 in relation to a discrimination case involving an employee who was on maternity leave when a restructuring took place. The extract indicates the issue arose during organisational change and relates to treatment of staff on maternity leave.
The Building Safety Regulator has approved the first phase of a 2,300-bed student accommodation scheme involving Unite and Manchester Metropolitan University. The scheme, designed by Cartwright Pickard, is expected to complete in time for the 2029/30 academic year.
