04/24/2018

Vail Williams partner, Geoff Fallon, looks at the changing nature of the value employers place on their workforce. More than ever, people are a company’s most important asset. How they are treated will shape the future of the modern organisation. Today’s working world is evolving rapidly and in a time of heightened expectancy, employers need to provide a productive, engaging and enjoyable workplace experience if they are to attract and retain the best talent. This is especially important on

03/28/2018

Both the working day and the working environment are ever evolving concepts. Vail Williams partner David Thomas discusses where work is going. The working day has changed considerably in the last 30 years. From getting into your Ford Escort to travel to work for your 9-5 job, surrounded by rows of typing pools and telex machines in your naturally ventilated office, to travelling to work in cars that have more technology than the average computer had 20 years ago! Nowadays, our agile,

03/13/2018

There are just days left before the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) start to come into effect. Vail Williams partner, David Castle, explains how this affects the interested parties in a property, from landlord to tenant - and even some of those less directly involved. If you haven’t already heard about MEES here's some information about what they are, what to do to prepare for them, and by when.   The new standards will directly affect tenants, landlords, investors and developers, as

03/07/2018

Nigel Hewitson, planning partner at BrookStreet des Roches, weighs up whether prime minister Theresa May's comments about developers during her March 5 speech on the planning reforms were entirely justified. We are regularly told that, as a country, we are not building enough homes. There is widespread acceptance that, to meet demand, the UK needs to build about 300,000 new homes a year. Yet for years we have built, at best, half that number. The result is ever higher property prices which

03/06/2018

Steve Head, business space partner at Hicks Baker, describes deals which have defied the trend for Permitted Development.   Despite recent changes in the tax regime, designed to dampen aspects of the buy-to-let residential market, there has been no tailing off of demand for the conversion of existing office buildings to residential under Permitted Development (PD) Rights. However, as a number of recent deals transacted by Hicks Baker illustrate, the change of use to residential is not

04/25/2018

Plans for a new leisure centre in Grove, Oxfordshire have been submitted to Vale of White Horse District Council. The authority is putting the centre in place in Mably Way ahead of the development of thousands more new homes in the district by 2031. Along with a colourful climbing area, the centre will include a sports hall, 25-metre, six-lane swimming pool, learner pool, ‘confidence water’, health and fitness suite, three studios, cafe and a floodlit pitch. There will also be 250 parking

04/24/2018

Co-working provider Central Working has taken 16,700 sq ft at The Future Works development in Slough. The building, 100,000 sq ft of Grade A space developed by U+I, is the first of three phasesand Central Working, which have the ground and first floors, is its first tenant. It will provide space for 350 people when it opens in June. Grant Powell, chief executive of Central Working, said: “Central Working exists to help ambitious businesses thrive and we provide our membership with unrivalled

04/24/2018

Vail Williams partner, Geoff Fallon, looks at the changing nature of the value employers place on their workforce. More than ever, people are a company’s most important asset. How they are treated will shape the future of the modern organisation. Today’s working world is evolving rapidly and in a time of heightened expectancy, employers need to provide a productive, engaging and enjoyable workplace experience if they are to attract and retain the best talent. This is especially important on