Law firm nets £1m planning enforcement services deal with council

Under the deal Ivy Legal will provide a lifecycle planning enforcement service for outhouses, including:

• logging and investigation of alleged breaches of planning control,
• undertaking site investigations,
• writing reports and preparing formal notices,
• making recommendations for case closure or no further action,
• compliance visits,
• preparing witness statements and associated documentation for court prosecutions,
• acting as advocate and expert witness in planning enforcement appeals,
• appearing in court for warrant applications and executing entry warrants.

The council also said that there may be a requirement in the future for Ivy Legal to provide advocacy services in planning enforcement appeals for mainstream work, where capacity allows.

The contract, worth £1.02m, was awarded on the basis of quality (weighting: 70) and price (weighting: 30).

In 2015 Ealing and Ivy Legal’s Outhouse Project won the Enforcement Award at the Planning Awards.