About the workshop
Barristers Alex Shattock and Harley Ronan (Landmark Chambers) joined Protect Our Places (POP) coalition members for a 3 June 2024 legal workshop on planning consultations and commercial leases. The pro-bono commercial lease workshop was co-organised by Latin Elephant and Public Interest Law Centre (PILC). The video recordings of each presentation/workshop section can be found below, or on Latin Elephant’s Youtube channel.
First, Alex (video 1) introduced consultation law and clarified the basis of leases, and shared important information about (1) the law on consultation and (2) the basics of leases and other rights of occupation. Following this, Harley (video 2) dove into the ‘nuts and bolts’ of leases in greater detail, and spoke about security of tenure under LTA 1954, re-negotiation, lease terms, lease breaches and remedies.
Following their detailed presentations, the speakers invited attendees to ask questions relating to the topics of their presentations. A recording of this Q&A can also be found below (video 3).
Please note: any information in these videos is accurate through 03/06/2024. It is subject to change with legislative changes.
Why this workshop?
Across our (POP) contexts, traders and community members struggle to access affordable or pro-bono commercial legal support. Latin Elephant, for example, has been trying to secure consistent commercial (speficially lease-related) legal support for traders for more than two years, and still struggles to do so. This has severe consequences, including that it reinforces the inequitable and uneven power relations between developers/landlords and traders/community members and facilitates trader displacement. It makes it very difficult for traders to contest unfair leases.
Latin Elephant (on behalf of POP) and PILC organised this workshop to begin addressing this ongoing challenge.
Email sarah@latinelephant.org with any questions or for more information about the pro-bono commercial lease workshop.
Workshop materials
Presentation Files (downloadable):
The law on consultation; and, leases and other rights of occupation (basic) – Alex Shattock
Leases nuts and bolts — Harley Ronan
Videos: