A High Court judge has granted permission for a planning judicial review challenge in part over an alleged breach of the public sector equality duty, Landmark Chambers has reported.

The London Boroughs Legal Alliance (LBLA) has named 26 barristers’ chambers to a specialist advocacy and related legal services framework worth an estimated £55m over four years.

West Berkshire Council is considering whether to invest the £37.5m remaining in its property budget in further properties after new guidance and increased borrowing costs put a question mark over continuing to use the money in this way.

Oxfordshire County Council has said it is willing to take over preparation of the local plan of one of its districts after the government threatened rare use of powers that allow this.

Lucy Sowden and Shabab Rizvi analyse how the promotion of contact differs whether proceedings are in relation to private law or public law.

Christopher Cant looks at the key considerations when attempts are made to have open spaces listed as Assets of Community Value (ACV).

Michael Brotherton looks at the action schools should take when considering banning parents from their premises.

A recent decision is a useful reminder of the distinction between public law decisions and best interests decisions (the Court of Protection having jurisdiction over the former but not the latter) and the way in which, in practice, public law decisions may limit significantly the best interests decisions that can sensibly be made, writes the CoP team at 39 Essex Chambers.

Local authorities face potential claims for damages where young people have been placed in unregulated accommodation and suffered exploitation. Cynthia Watts sets out how they can minimise the risk.

Francesca O’Neill looks at the lessons to be learned from two recent cases where defective service of the Claim Form or the Particulars of Claim led to a judge striking out the claims.

The High Court recently upheld the Secretary of State for Transport’s decision that expansion proposals for London Stansted Airport should not be treated as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. Charles Banner QC explains why.