Covid-19 and the Implications for Planning Law - The Essential Guide

This book is part of our new series of essential guides for legal practitioners covering what you need to know about how various aspects of UK law have been affected by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. DESCRIPTION The impact of the Covid-19 virus has left us living in uncertain times. For many life has changed and will never be the same again. The question that is now uppermost is how we will react to the changes that have been forced upon us. It is not necessarily all doom and gloom as there will be opportunities as well as challenges going forward. Planning cannot exist in isolation as all of the actions that are taken will have an impact on how we look at planning in the future. A lot of employees will be wondering why they should continue to endure the daily commute whilst a lot of employers will be looking at potential cost savings in relation to expensive bricks and mortar. Homeowners will be asking themselves whether the lack of garden or other amenities is something they are prepared to endure. All of that will impact on how we plan for the future. This book looks forward at some of the planning issues that we will have to confront as a society. We consider the short, medium and long-term implications of the impact of virus on what planning will have to do to meet the new challenges. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Bob Mc Geady has been involved in the Planning and Local Government field for over 30 years. He initially spent 17 years working for various local authorities. In that time he has dealt with a multitude of planning matters ranging from large-scale retail and housing developments to discrete one off proposals. He moved to Private Practice in 2000 and was a partner and Head of Planning and Commercial Property in Kester Cunningham John, leading a team that deals with all aspects of commercial development. He continues to act for local authorities as well as private clients and objectors, and regularly provides training sessions for officers and members of various local authorities as well as speaking at events organised by such bodies as the Local Government Group and the Royal Town Planning Institute and MBL Seminars. Bob was an Independent Board Member of a large regional housing association and chaired a regional homelessness charity. He retains his association with Kester Cunningham John (now Ashton KCJ) as a consultant. In the Legal 500 and Chambers Directory he is rated as a leading individual for planning in East Anglia. Clients also say that he ‘has a valuable insight into the attitudes and even the politics of planners’ Chambers and Partners Directory said of Meyric Lewis that "What Meyric Lewis doesn’t know about planning law isn’t worth knowing". He is listed as a Leader at the Bar in Chambers Directory and as a Leading Junior in the Legal 500. He specialises in all aspects of planning and compulsory purchase both at inquiries and in the courts at all appellate levels. Clients range from substantial developers to public authorities and individual developers or objectors.