Construction - Site Waste Management Plans

Construction Contractors, Developers and other construction professionals will need to be aware of new laws that came into force on 6th April 2008 in relation to the disposal of waste from a construction site.

The new regulations affect any construction project with an estimated cost greater than £300,000 and will require the preparation of a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) before work is permitted to commence. For construction projects worth over £500,000 additional information will need to be recorded in the SWMP.

Any company that neglects to submit a SWMP will be liable to prosecution in the Crown Court and could face an unlimited fine. The penalties also extend to individuals within companies as they too can be prosecuted if they are deemed to have been negligent........ Find out more

Companies Act 2006 – As the largest piece of legislation ever to be passed by Parliament, implementation of the Act is currently being brought into force on a piecemeal basis andwill not be completely in force until October 2009. The Act codifies Directors duties and requires all UK companies to review their processes and procedures and the changes expected to be implemented in October 2008 include the abolition of financial assistance problems for private companies and changes to constitutional documents and audit and accounting rules…. Find out more

Code for Leasing Business Premises – The Code aims to promote fairness in commercial leases, and recognises a need to increase awareness of property issues, especially among small businesses, ensuring that occupiers of business premises have the information necessary to negotiate the best deal available to them.... Find out more

Data protection - Even tougher data protection laws may be on the way following the House of Commons Justice Committee report on the Protection of Private Data (17 December 2007). Following a recent series of high-profile data fiascos, including the infamous loss of 25 million personal records by HM Revenue and Customs MPs the report makes recommendations for actions including “to make significant security breaches – where they are reckless or repeated – a criminal offence” …. Find out more

Lasting Powers of Attorney - LPA's – were introduced on 1 October 2007 as a result of reforms and updates to existing law under The Mental Capacity Act 2005. These changes were brought in to protect individuals’ rights and ensure that in the case of physical or mental incapacity decisions are made in their best interests....Find out more

Home Information Packs - HIPs – are now compulsory for all properties being sold in the UK. Put simply they are similar in concept to the logbook and service history you expect to find when purchasing a car. They aim to speed up the buying and selling process and reduce costs for buyers.  The whole process should be more transparent to all involved....Find out more

Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 – This allows for the court to make a forced marriage protection order upon the request of the person who is to be protected by it, or by a relevant third party.  Ministers are currently preparing a list of these third parties who would not need to obtain permission from the subject of the order and may include teachers, social workers, women’s rights groups and local councils.  The forced marriage protection order will come into force later in the year.