The FCA has set out its intended approach to taking over anti-money laundering supervision from the SRA and other supervisors, with a phased transition expected to begin in late 2028 and complete by 2030. It says it will use a risk-based, intelligence-led model and aims to reduce duplication for compliant firms while focusing enforcement on those enabling financial crime.
The article argues that, despite uncertainty ahead of the Budget, buyers and sellers can reduce transaction delays by preparing early. It highlights the importance of organising financial evidence for AML checks, reviewing title documents in advance, and starting leasehold information requests early to keep conveyancing moving.
The Home Builders Federation says English local councils received an average of almost £600,000 each over the past three years from Planning Performance Agreement fees, based on Freedom of Information responses. The report argues that growing use of PPAs and Extensions of Time can obscure true planning delays and reflects wider capacity shortages in local planning authorities.
The Law Society is urging government, regulators and local authorities to provide stronger support for small law firms and sole practitioners, citing recruitment difficulties, rising costs and regulatory burdens. Its research suggests smaller firms are under particular pressure from professional indemnity insurance, wage inflation and compliance demands, and may struggle to keep pace with larger firms investing in technology and AI.
The article argues that residential conveyancing firms are facing a capacity shortage rather than a simple recruitment shortage, with practitioner numbers falling while transaction volumes recover. It says rising compliance and administrative burdens are leaving fee earners overstretched, and that firms need to improve support structures, technology and caseload management to retain staff and maintain service levels.
The government has introduced amendments to the Building Safety Act through the Remediation of Unsafe Cladding Bill, aiming to speed up remediation of buildings with unsafe cladding in England. The bill proposes stronger enforcement powers, including criminal liabilities, financial penalties, a new register for medium-rise residential buildings, and clearer routes for leaseholders and third parties to drive or complete remediation.
LEASE’s latest Shared Ownership Insight Report identifies recurring problems reported by shared owners, including poor communication, landlord non-compliance with lease terms, and difficulties with repairs, service charges and resale or staircasing processes. The report also highlights concerns around building insurance costs, redress routes and uncertainty linked to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
The article examines how the Law Society’s draft Conveyancing Protocol would affect AI-generated additional enquiries in conveyancing. It argues that the real control on machine-written enquiries is not the AI clause itself, but the protocol’s rules on whether an enquiry is specific, necessary, and not already answerable from publicly available or supplied information.
The article reports on debate at the Law Society AGM over proposed Rule 8.4 changes affecting who may act as COLP and COFA in firms with unilateral management authority. It also highlights wider concerns about regulatory accountability, consultation quality and the profession’s ability to influence decisions made by representative and regulatory bodies.
HM Land Registry reports a substantial reduction in avoidable requisitions between 2022 and 2025, with the number of error points falling from 839,000 to 439,000. The agency attributes the improvement to better data use, stronger pre-submission checks and more targeted training, while the Council for Licensed Conveyancers says post-completion accuracy remains under close scrutiny.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has paused its proposal to separate COLP and COFA roles from owner-managers and other decision-makers, avoiding an immediate vote of no confidence at the Law Society AGM. However, the debate remains unresolved, with the SME and Boutique Law Firm Alliance continuing to press for evidence-based regulation, greater transparency and a formal challenge to the SRA’s leadership.
Landmark’s Q3 2026 market overview says the housing market in England and Wales remains subdued but steady, with healthy stock levels and asking-price reductions not translating into stronger buyer activity. Rising borrowing costs, wider uncertainty and speculation ahead of the Autumn Budget are contributing to lower SSTC volumes, weaker search orders and fewer completions year-on-year.
