United Kingdom: Construction & Planning

A contractor sought to enforce an adjudicator's decision on liquidated damages, while the employer argued that email correspondence had created a binding agreement to revise completion dates outside the contractual extension of time mechanism. The court examined whether informal email exchanges using the language of agreement could override formal contract procedures, and whether the employer's agent possessed the authority to enter such agreements.

The UK Living sector attracted £4.4 billion in investment during the first half of 2026, yet rising costs, regulatory complexity, and economic uncertainty are creating barriers between institutional capital and housing delivery. While investor appetite remains strong, particularly for Single Family Rental assets, the challenge lies in deploying capital efficiently at the scale required to address the UK's accommodation shortage.

The UK spends approximately £2.8 billion annually on temporary accommodation for over 134,000 households, including 176,000 children.

When a Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) is executed before a main construction contract, what happens to obligations and liabilities from the PCSA once the main contract takes effect?

FIDIC's Gold Book offers a distinctive approach to infrastructure procurement by combining design, construction and long-term operation into a single contract framework. While the model promises better alignment between construction quality and operational performance, its limited market adoption raises questions about whether employers are willing to pay for extended risk transfer and whether contractors can confidently price obligations extending 20 years or more. This analysis examines why the Gold Book

Gatehouse Chambers' Summer 2026 property newsletter explores upcoming reforms to cohabitation law in England and Wales, examines the new digital resolution procedure for possession cases, and provides insights into recent property litigation developments. The newsletter features analysis of government proposals to overhaul property rights after relationship breakdowns and guidance on fitness for human habitation standards.

The UK government has fundamentally transformed how large-scale data centres receive planning approval by designating them as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects...

Cities face mounting pressure to deliver infrastructure that is resilient, sustainable and economically viable. A new collaborative report examines how transport infrastructure can serve as a catalyst for urban regeneration, exploring the critical integration needed between policy, planning and delivery to unlock long-term growth in complex urban environments.

Urban development faces mounting challenges from housing shortages, aging infrastructure, and fragmented planning systems. A new report from the London Transport Museum's Interchange programme examines how transport-enabled development can unlock housing delivery, support economic growth, and create healthier, more connected cities through integrated approaches to planning and delivery.