United Kingdom: Construction & Planning

The first reported decision on the 2018 reforms to Scotland's prescription rules has produced a surprising result for the construction industry and those dealing with latent defects claims.

The UK government has unveiled its comprehensive 10-year infrastructure strategy, setting out ambitious plans to transform the nation's critical infrastructure landscape. This strategic framework addresses key challenges in power supply, construction, and public-private partnerships, with particular focus on emerging sectors like data centres and modernising existing PFI contracts.

Matt Grimwood and John Howells from Newmark explore the explosive growth of the UK data centre sector, examining how power availability, grid capacity constraints...

The UK's new National Planning Policy Framework represents the most significant overhaul of planning policy in decades, introducing streamlined rules and stronger support for rural landowners seeking to modernise farms, diversify operations, or develop their land. From explicit presumptions in favour of agricultural development to enhanced protections for water infrastructure and expanded green belt permissions...

The UK commercial real estate sector faces mounting pressure to integrate sustainable practices as regulatory requirements tighten and market demand for energy-efficient buildings intensifies. With MEES standards requiring EPC B ratings by 2031 and institutional investors restricting capital to ESG-compliant assets, landlords and developers must navigate evolving compliance obligations while capitalizing on the financial advantages of green buildings. Legal guidance is becoming essential for structuring gre

Construction contracts form the foundation of every project, but they rarely tell the whole story. When disputes arise, parties often discover that some of their most powerful remedies lie not in the express terms they negotiated, but in broader principles of tort, equity, restitution, and statute that operate independently of—or alongside—the written agreement.

Farm and estate sales rarely involve a simple transfer of land. A rural property often includes multiple registered titles or unregistered land, private access arrangements, occupied cottages or barns...

A Technology and Construction Court ruling has found that payment clauses allowing the final date for payment to shift based on invoice submission timing violate the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996. The decision resulted in the Scheme for Construction Contracts replacing the contractual payment terms, shortening the payment period from 30 to 17 days and invalidating the employer's pay less notices.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has released the revised National Planning Policy Framework, marking a significant shift in planning policy with new commitments to housing delivery and economic growth. Following consultation on proposals from December 2025, the updated framework introduces several notable changes while maintaining core principles around accelerating decision-making and supporting development.