- Home
- Areas of Work
- ADR / Mediation
- Arbitration & Adjudication Law
- Aviation Law
- Burials, Cemeteries, Churchyards & Ecclesiastical Law
- Chancery
- Civil Law
- Commercial Law
- Coroners' Inquests
- Criminal Law
- Direct Access
- Education Law
- Employment Law
- Environmental Law, Built Environment & Planning
- Equine Law
- European Union Law
- Family Law
- Housing Law
- Immigration Law
- Insolvency Law
- Land Law
- Landlord & Tenant Law
- Liquor Licensing, Betting & Gaming Law
- Local Government Law
- Personal Injury Law
- Prison Disciplinary Hearings
- Probate, Inheritance & Trusts
- Professional Negligence
- Sports Law
- Technology & Construction Law
- Barristers
- Administration
- Recruitment
- Contact
- Links
- News
- Blog
- Site Map
AREAS OF WORK
Local Government Law
The Local Government team at New Walk Chambers provides a comprehensive service in all aspects of local government law. The team includes a former Head of Law & Admin who has worked for several local councils, while other member of the team have considerable experience in this field of work.
The main areas of local government work undertaken include:
- General
-
Structure & powers of local authorities.
Election law, boundaries & electoral arrangements, registration.
Councillors - conduct, standards, offences in public office, civil liability.
Committee meetings - access to information, freedom of information; members of chambers are available to act as "clerk & legal advisor" at committee meetings on an ad hoc or standing basis.
Staffing - contracts, disciplinary & grievance procedures, Transfer of Undertakings; available to carry out disciplinary investigations.
Contracts - drafting of major contracts (especially CCT-type contracts, PFI, other externalisation), contract disputes & litigation.
Land & Property - disposal & acquisition, rights over land, leases, litigation, control of parks & open spaces, leisure centres, travellers, market rights.
Local government finance - including Council Tax & sundry debt litigation, Best Value.
Emergency Planning - esp. litigation arising from disasters, advice on new law.
Data Protection.
Local Government Ombudsman & complaints.
Judicial review.
- Housing Benefit & Council Tax Benefit
-
Prosecutions.
Review of policies.
- Housing
-
All public sector housing work - see separate entry: Housing
- Planning & Building Control
-
Development Plans (old & new).
Development control & planning agreements (s.106 & s.278).
Advertisement control.
Preservation of trees.
Untidy Sites.
Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas.
Compulsory Purchase.
Enforcement.
Planning Appeals & Inquiries.
Building Control.
- Consumer Protection
-
Trading Standards prosecutions & advice.
- Environmental Health
-
Noise & nuisance, esp. injunctions & prosecutions.
Food safety.
Public Health.
Drains & sewers.
Control of pollution.
Litter control & waste management.
Grant schemes.
- Licensing
-
All areas of licensing work - see separate entry: Liquor Licensing, Betting & Gaming
- Education & Libraries
-
All areas of education law covered - see separate entry: Education
- Burials & Cemeteries
-
See separate entry: Burial, Cemeteries, Churchyards & Ecclesiastical Law
- Highways
-
Creation of highways & rights of way.
Stopping up and diversion.
Highway repairs and improvements.
"Slips, trips & falls" & other highway litigation.
Traffic management.
- Social Services
-
All public law Children Act proceedings - including interim & final care orders, emergency protection orders, finding of fact hearings, contact with children in care.
Adoption.
Children's Homes.
Guardianship.
Other social services work - including nursing home debts, registration & control of residential care homes.
Community Care.
The members of the group are:
