What does ‘Brexit’ mean for the protection of our environment?

As society’s concerns mount over the trends in and consequences of climate change, we explore the potential impact of Brexit on the future of UK environmental policy and legislation. Brexit poses a threat even to those environmental protections that have been acquired over the past 40 years within the EU. While the government has published an Environment Bill and created an independent body to oversee its provisions, is it sufficiently robust and comprehensive or are additional structures needed?

Leadership for Oxford’s housing challenges

Challenges around Oxford’s housing situation are well-reported. A combination of unique and complex historical constraints, resulting planning protections, together with natural limitations of the floodplain area mean residential space is at an absolute premium. Add to this a student population of nearly 34,000, question marks over green belt development and a public perception that local government’s housing strategy is not clear and the picture is both complex and unclear

The long and winding road

If the GDPR was supposed to clarify companies’ data privacy compliance obligations, the recent fine levied by the CNIL against Google underscores how far we still have to go – writes Will Richmond-Coggan, director specialising in data privacy issues at Freeths LLP