News & insights
Thames Water Property Searches: Dedicated to training
My inbox is groaning with invitations to ‘free’ events. And like you, I have given up several mornings/days attending talks which, although mildly informative, do not compensate for the avalanche of work awaiting me when I return to my desk.
The last Thames Water Property Searches Commercial Property Event, held in
September, proved to be a welcome exception to the usual experience.
The first speaker was Paul Addison from DevAssist. The title of his talk
was How to Avoid Being Sued for £2 Million, a reference to Bird &
Bird who were required to pay Rebecca Chow £2 million after she purchased a
large London property for £25 million, only to discover planning permission had
been granted for a nearby six-storey academy school for 1,400 pupils.
Stephanie
Kerr from Argyll Environment spoke next about finding the right environment
report for your client. Due to climate change, flooding is becoming an
increasing concern for landlords and tenants. Ms Kerr emphasised that
even if land is not near a river, there remains a risk of surface-water and
groundwater flooding.
Following on was the strikingly energetic and knowledgeable Ben Raywood from
Savills Commercial Research who gave an overview of the Central London office
market, followed by Bryan Parry, who talked about Thames Water Property Searches and the vast range of property searches and discounted
search packs available.
Speaking to an attendee at lunch, I found out that she comes to all the Thames
Water Property Searches events as she finds them invaluable for keeping
up-to-date. Another told me the events are “great for refreshing
knowledge. I get so caught up in day to day work, coming here today has
given me a chance to learn new information and network with other commercial
property solicitors”.
After lunch, Hannah Mackinlay, Solicitor and Consultant at propertylaw.guru
provided a wealth of valuable information on regulatory and case law updates on
topics such as adverse possession, ‘genuine’ intentions to redevelop a
property, rent review, lease drafting errors, implied terms, and the new lease
code. One delegate commented that Ms Mackinlay’s talk alone made coming to
the event well worth the time. And it wasn’t just Solicitors that found
the sessions valuable, a property professional working in the local government
sector said she would be returning for future talks and “had learned lots from
the lectures”.
One aspect that particularly struck me was the warmth and friendliness of the
room. The staff present were relaxed and approachable, and this greatly
added to the positive atmosphere in the room. The day was well-organised,
with every convenience catered for.
Would I attend another Thames Water Property Searches event? Yes, without
a doubt. In a market full of sales pitches disguised as informative
lectures, Thames Water Property Searches stands out in terms of atmosphere,
organisation, and a desire to provide genuine value to its customers.
Being dedicated to training, Thames Water Property Searches are delighted to
offer its customers free CPD training sessions. We provide whole day sessions
with a varied array of subjects and speakers or we visit our customers offices
and deliver specific CPDs on a number of different subjects such as “Changing
Drainage and Water Legislation”.