• Swindon & Wiltshire Professional services
• Thursday February 1 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Law firm Thrings discusses development landscape at packed Bristol seminar

Overcoming the obstacles in the world of development whilst taking advantage of the opportunities were the topics of conversation at Thrings’ latest seminar in Bristol.

Around 100 professionals from across the planning, development, property and construction sectors came together for the event at the Watershed on Tuesday, January 30 for an array of talks from experts, with free advice being provided to help projects avoid the pitfalls on the way to success.

Opening the event was keynote speaker Professor Chris Willmore (pictured), South Gloucestershire Council’s cabinet member for planning, regeneration and infrastructure, who discussed the process and thinking behind constructing the council’s new Local Plan.

Sustainability and affordable housing a priority

In her talk Prof Willmore, who is also a barrister and academic at the University of Bristol, covered an array of factors that have fed into the process – including the need to keep aware of the political and policy changes at both national and local levels and the importance of addressing the social, economic and transport issues that communities face by prioritising the likes of sustainability and affordable housing.

This was followed by a presentation from Natalia Sokolov, partner in the Thrings Construction team, on how to make sure construction contracts are effective – examining all stages in setting up robust, flexible contracts.

The latest changes in planning – such as the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, Biodiversity Net Gain, and the new National Planning Policy Framework – and their impacts on development were then showcased in a presentation by Lorraine Neve, senior associate in the Thrings planning and environment team.

A series of recent case studies on the legal obstacles faced on development sites was discussed by Michael Tatters and Simon McIlroy, partner and legal director in the Thrings property litigation team.

The event closed with Thrings legal director Rebecca Dixon providing a brief yet detailed guide to overage, with practical tips on how to interpret agreements and on managing the various triggers to overage.

Following the event, Ros Trotman, Thrings’ head of development of land, said: “It was fantastic to have such an excellent turnout today of development sector professionals from across the South West, all of whom came ready to engage.

“We are very grateful to Professor Willmore for joining us today and found her talk to be very insightful, offering a unique perspective into the topic at hand from a Local Government perspective.

“Keeping on top of the changing landscape of development can prove quite a challenge for those in the sector, with new policies being introduced and laws amended at regular intervals. It is important for colleagues in the sector to be aware of the moving parts and we hope today’s seminar has been a helpful update for those in attendance.”