Local Government
Ashfords have a wide reaching local government practice, advising local and regional government bodies on all legal issues that affect them ranging from Freedom of Information to procurement, projects & PFI. Many of our solicitors have previously worked in-house in local government and therefore have a first hand understanding of the issues which are of importance to democratically elected organisations.
Our local government practice is a national one. For a number of years we have undertaken all non-routine litigation for the London Borough of Wandsworth, and we are one of the four partner firms appointed to what is probably the largest local government partnering initiative, the forty five member East Midlands Law Share Consortium. We are the main external solicitors for North Yorkshire County Council. We are also a panel law firm for authorities such as the London Boroughs of Southwark and Ealing as well as one of the panel firms for the South West of England Regional Development Agency, the London Development Agency and the National Assembly for Wales.
- standards complaints and investigations;
- monitoring officer support;
- attendance at committees;
- judicial review;
- social housing;
- homelessness;
- education law;
- planning;
- section 106 agreements;
- highways;
- rights of way;
- traffic regulation orders;
- compulsory purchase;
- regeneration;
- construction;
- child care;
- contracts;
- state aid;
- projects and PFI;
- partnering and joint working;
- procurement;
- commercial property;
- charities;
- private bills;
- town and village green applications;
- licensing;
- environmental health;
- employment;
- debt recovery;
- training for elected members and officers;
- prosecutions; and
- data protection and freedom of information.
Recent work undertaken includes:
- advice to the County Council on a planning agreement to provide new schools, highways infrastructure, children centre facilities, new library, railway station, bus subsidies and youth service provision in respect of a new settlement east of Exeter;
- partnering issues for regeneration of central Taunton; procurement of a development partner through the competitive dialogue; land assembly and compulsory purchase;
- all non-routine litigation for the London Borough of Wandsworth;
- prosecuting offences in relation to the misuse of the disabled persons blue badge scheme on behalf of a London authority which is pre-eminent in this area of parking enforcement; and
- collective agreement on single status and related equal pay issues for a County Council - significant support was given to the Council during its time critical negotiations with Trade Unions. We were involved in drafting revisions to the agreement, advising on negotiating strategy, and the handling of Equal Pay grievances.
