Article by Editor Clair Peel

By now I am sure you will be aware that Property Law UK’s distinguished team of guest editors comprises experienced practitioners, trainers, and barristers but what you may be unaware of is that several of our guest editors are also published authors offering a selection of high-quality, practical publications on various legal subjects, created to support you in your professional practice. 

As our August break approaches for Property Law UK I thought I would draw to your attention some of the books written by our guest editors and not forgetting some of the texts written by Gary Webber who created Property Law UK in the first place, in the hope that you will find them as useful as others have.  

We will start by taking a look at the work of Guest Editor and Barrister Tom Graham, Tom has recently released his latest book Environment Act 2021: A Guide for Planners and Developers 

About the book 

The Environment Act received Royal Assent in December 2021. 

It is a landmark piece of legislation creating a new governance framework that will regulate how the nation manages biodiversity, water resources and air pollution to name just a few, and introducing conservation covenant agreements as an option for developers. This new regime will lean heavily on the planning system with environmental considerations, becoming a key factor in planning and development decision making. This means everyone involved in considering or advising on new developments needs to know how the new regime could impact on those plans. 

The Environment Act 2021: A Guide for Planners and Developers will be one of the first books available to provide a comprehensive overview of the Act specifically for the planning sector. Written by Tom Graham, a practising lawyer with many years of experience in environment and planning law, it answers the questions that planners and advisors will need to consider such as: 

• The interpretation of the Environment Act 
• Conservation biology and the planning system 
• What is Biodiversity Net Gain and how will it interact with the planning system? 

• What is the “precautionary principle” and how is this to be reflected in the planning process? 
• Can local planning authorities push a “green agenda”? 
• Section 106 agreements, conservation covenants, planning conditions and ecology 
• How will local planning committees get to grips with the complexities of the Act? 
• How will the act impact on developers? Is it a benefit or a problem? 

As well as practical commentary, the book includes the relevant sections of the Act, annotated by the author, so you will have the sources you need in one, handy volume.  

The long-awaited Environment Act 2021: A Guide for Planners and Developers is now available on the Bath publishing website, https://bathpublishing.com/products/the-environment-act-a-guide-for-planners-developers  

Tom has previously penned two other books which may also be of interest: 

A Practical Guide to Planning, Highways & Development: https://bathpublishing.com/products/a-practical-guide-to-planning-highways-development  

Contaminated Land: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Contaminated-Land-Tom-Graham/dp/0853082677  

Next, we look at the work by guest editors and co-authors Peta Dollar and Sarah Thompson- Copsey. Peta has over 25 years’ experience of practising property law and is now a full-time freelance lecturer, trainer, and writer while Sarah is a former property litigation partner. She is a now well-known freelance legal trainer & author. Sarah also works an independent auditor of legal practices. Together Peta and Sarah have penned two books with their most recent being Mixed Use and Residential Tenants’ Rights: The Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 and Leasehold Enfranchisement. 

About the Book 

Mixed Use and Residential Tenants’ Rights: The Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 and Leasehold Enfranchisement. 

This book provides everyone associated with mixed use buildings with clarity of information in understanding the key laws. It includes a detailed overview of tenants’ rights of first refusal under the 1987 act and tenants’ rights of collective enfranchisement under the Leasehold Reform. 

Their book is available to purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mixed-Residential-Tenants-Rights-Enfranchisement/dp/0728205718/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 

Moving on we look at our General Editor David Keighley, David is a retired solicitor with over thirty years’ experience. Since retiring from full time practice David spends his days working as a Trainer & Writer on residential property. David specialises in shared ownership.  

David is a contributing author for the Law Society Conveyancing Handbook (28th Edition) a trusted first port of call for thousands of practitioners for over 28 years.: https://bookshop.lawsociety.org.uk/p/conveyancing-handbook-epub-28th-edition-ebook/ 

Followed by Guest Editor Piers Harrison, Piers specialises in Enfranchisement and Right of First Refusal however his practice covers all areas of property law.  

He is the co-author of “Megarry’s Manual of the Law of Real Property” (Sweet & Maxwell, 9th edition) https://www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk/Product/Academic-Law/Megarrys-Manual-of-the-Law-of-Real-Property/Paperback-and-eBook-ProView/30800183, “Enfranchisement Law and Practice” (Wildy and Sons Ltd) https://www.wildy.com/isbn/9780854900657/leasehold-enfranchisement-law-and-practice-hardback-wildy-simmonds-and-hill-publishing and Service Charges Management (Sweet & Maxwell, 3rd edition) https://www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk/Product/Conveyancing/Service-Charges-and-Management/Hardback-and-eBook-ProView/42917247. 

Guest Editor Nigel Clayton has also written on his specialist subject, Nigel is a Barrister and a member of the Business & Property Group at Kings Chambers, Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham. He is a property lawyer specialising in mortgage law. 

Nigel is the author of Atkin’s Court Forms, Vol 28(1) Mortgages (2020) (Lexis Nexis) https://www.lexisnexis.co.uk/products/atkins-court-forms.html and Mortgage Possession Actions (Sweet & Maxwell) 

Guest Editor Sarah Dwight is a solicitor with over 30 years’ experience. For ten years, Sarah has been a member of the Law Society Conveyancing and Land Law Committee, heading the Residential Property subgroup. She is the joint author of the CQS Tool Kit https://bookshop.lawsociety.org.uk/p/conveyancing-quality-3rd-edition-paperback-cd/ 

Gary Webber was the founder and general editor of Property Law UK and for many years was on the editorial board of the White Book. Gary is a full-time mediator who has done over 500 mediations. He was a practising barrister for 22 years specialising in property law. He is an associate member of Tanfield Chambers and for 19 years sat as a Deputy District Judge. 

He is the co-author of Business Premises: Possession and Lease Renewal, 6ed (Sweet & Maxwell) https://www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk/Product/Landlord-and-Tenant/Business-Premises-Possession-and-Lease-Renewal/Paperback/30828884 and co-author of Residential Possession Proceedings, 10ed (Sweet & Maxwell) https://www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk/Product/Landlord-AND-Tenant/Residential-Possession-Proceedings/Paperback/30803429 

Hopefully, there is something in this list for everyone and that it helps you fill your time while we take our brief Summer break but just in case we have not hit the spot and also because we would not want you miss us too much, we want you to keep an eye on those mailboxes in August as we will be putting together a special complimentary edition designed specifically to introduce you to all our guest editors.