Alterations – landlord’s consent – not to be unreasonably withheld – whether fear of a future enfranchisement claim to deprive landlord of the freehold a reasonable ground to withhold consent

Mount Eden Land Ltd v Bolsover Investments Ltd (Not yet reported) (Chancery Division – Mr Stuart Isaacs QC – 20 June 2014)

We summarise this decision in brief because it is topical in that last year the government amended the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 to allow certain buildings to be converted from B1 office use to C3 residential use without the need for an express grant of planning permission. The relaxation, however, is a temporary one. Developers looking to take advantage of it must ensure that the residential user begins before 30 may 2016.