The Government has joined forces with private enterprise to encourage budding entrepreneurs to set up new businesses. The ‘Business in You’ campaign highlights the support available for people wishing to start a new business or develop an existing one. A statement from the Department for Business Innovation & Skills says: “Small businesses are the lifeblood
Court orders to evict tenants rose by 11% in 2011 as landlords took a firmer stance against late payers. Figures released by the specialist receivers, Templeton LPA, also show that the number of tenants in “severe arrears” of more than two months rose by 18% last year to 78,970. That’s the highest level since the
Businesses can suffer irreparable damage when directors disagree over company policy. This is particularly true for new or small businesses. For example, if two directors have equal shares in a joint venture, settling disputes can become very difficult. At that point, just like many married couples, both sides may wish they had a business ‘pre-nup’
Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to “kill off the health and safety culture” which he says has become “an albatross around the neck of British businesses”. He says he wants to address “the fear from businesses of being sued for trivial or excessive claims”. The Government is now planning to change the law on
A court has ruled that a commercial tenant’s break clause notice was invalid because it had not paid the interest that had accrued as a result of late payments. The fact that the landlord had not sent a demand for payment made no difference. The case involved a tenant that had taken out a ten-year
Employees wanting to bring tribunal claims will have to pay fees ranging from £150 to £1,750 under new proposals announced by the Government. Ministers say the move will relieve pressure on businesses and reduce the £84m annual cost to the taxpayer. The Ministry of Justice has now begun a public consultation on the proposals, which
Three councils have lost their appeal for a judicial review of the Coalition Government’s decision to scrap the need for planning permission when converting single dwellings into houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). The need for planning permission was introduced in April 2010 by the last Labour Government after it had conducted a consultation with interested
A development firm must pay more than it bargained for to a local authority after selling on land at below market price to a group company. The developers bought the land from the authority with a view to creating a business park. The authority retained a share in the open market value of the land,
Investors buying properties consisting of two or more flats could be spending far more than necessary if they don’t take advantage of a Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) relief introduced in the Finance Act 2011. The change rectified the situation whereby if an investor bought a property containing several flats from the same seller, the
A firm of architects has won a dispute over fees after the High Court ruled that a letter it had sent to its client did amount to a written contract. The case arose after the architects agreed to carry out consultancy services for a local authority under a framework agreement. The work was to be