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When the charge for single-use plastic carrier bags was introduced in England on 5th October 2015, Tesco reported a 78% drop in number of single-use carrier bags taken from its stores in England in the first month.

According to a panel of environmental experts, if the government are to meet their targets for Sustainable Planning and Development, a similar initiative could be the key to addressing some of the barriers.

This suggestion was put forward at a Sustainable Planning and Development roundtable event we hosted; featuring a range of guest speakers including:
• Stephen Sykes, UKELA Chairman & Sykes Environmental LLP
• Jon Lovell, Founding Director of Hillbreak
• Chris Taylor, Product Development Director at GeoSmart

It is hard to penalise a developer if an issue arises after they’ve finished a site

As it currently stands, issuing penalties for failings around Sustainable Planning and Development is a challenge, especially as once a developer has built something, they leave the site and it is hard to put them “on the hook”.

Further issues include over-complicated laws and regulations, which make it challenging for even large businesses with extensive legal resources to make sense of and adhere to, as well as difficulty in receiving planning permission.

Passing the cost onto the consumer could be key in driving real change

Given the additional cost of implementing some of these initiatives, and with minimal risk of incurring a fine, it is no surprise that many developers are choosing to overlook Sustainable Planning and Development methods. 

One possible solution however is to pass the cost onto the consumer, in a similar way to charging for single-use plastic carrier bags. Internalising the cost of the impact like this could help to bring the issue into the demand phase of house building – as oppose to outsourcing the negative impact onto others.

In essence, if consumers are faced with higher living costs for living on non-sustainable developments, then demand for sustainable buildings could go up; and investors would be far more likely to adhere to regulations.

Coupled with tax breaks for developers for using environmentally friendly technologies, this could result in a win-win situation and mark a positive step forward for Sustainable Development.

A number of sustainable solutions are already available

There is no doubt that enforcing Sustainable Planning and Development is a complicated issue to address, but steps must be taken if we are to reduce the impact of flooding and land contamination, as well as ensure that our planet’s resources are available for future generations.

The good news is that conversations about various initiatives are already taking place, and a number of solutions are on the market to help support Sustainable Planning and Development.

Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) for example, replicate the natural drainage from the site before development and reduce run-off and flood risk through detention basins, permeable pavement, and water butts.

Since April 2015, SuDS have been a requirement for major developments in all cases unless demonstrated to be ‘inappropriate’; meaning that a high level SuDS feasibility report is necessary for property professionals at the initial master planning stage to identify drainage options and risks.

Such reports are now available for conveyancing solicitors to order. For example, GeoSmart’s SuDS feasibility report, is currently available as a first-to-market product for users of tmconvey.

According to a BBC news report, seven homes have been evacuated after a large sinkhole opened up behind a row of houses in Ripon, North Yorkshire.

Affected residents are facing the unpleasant reality that their homes are structurally unsafe and inhabitable, and that they might even be officially homeless over the Christmas period.

Ripon lies in one of the most susceptible areas for sinkholes

While one of the affected residents has described their situation as “quite traumatic”, The British Geological Survey reported that Ripon lies in one of the most susceptible areas of the UK for sinkholes because of its "Permian gypsum deposits".

This disparity suggests that this sinkhole was not a surprise to those “in the know”, and that solicitors working in the local area are likely advising home buyers of the need to carry out land stability assessments ahead of their purchase – advice which is quite possibly being ignored.

Many home buyers see property searches as “just another cost”

Unfortunately, many home buyers still see property searches as “just another cost”, and in some cases are neither reading nor requesting necessary information from their solicitor.

Yet as the Ripon case highlights, there are very real risks attached to the land beneath a property, which home buyers should have a firm grasp of before gambling with their life savings.

Ground stability and mining information is readily available to home buyers

Although it is too late for the affected residents of Ripon, there is a range of information available which can help to protect future buyers from a similar fate; which can be accessed by any solicitor whose client expresses concern about their intended purchase.

These resources extend from thorough reports, such as the Groundsure Ground Stability report, which reveal the types of mining the property is at risk from, through to mining searches that can identify other risk areas.

There are also basic environmental reports from Groundsure and Landmark, which include a ground stability risk assessment.

Horror stories such as these show that the information presented in property searches can have very real implications for the people who go on to buy an affected home.

Fortunately, solicitors have good knowledge of their local area and will be able to advise their clients as to whether mining and land stability searches are necessary. The onus is then on the consumer to request the relevant information and protect themselves from a poor investment.

Hopefully cases like this bring a very real issue to the forefront of people’s minds, particularly in areas where there are known issues. 

Megan Jones, Marketing Communications Executive at tmgroup

Photo credit: Nicolas Henderson

We are on the lookout for a new Digital Marketing Manager to join our team in Swindon.

In a nutshell: We need someone sociable and hard-working, with experience of CRM and campaign marketing, who’ll be able to hit the ground running in our fast growing, ambitious business.

Think this could be you?

The right candidate will have 3+ years’ experience in a marketing role; with a minimum of 2 years’ hands on experience managing B2B digital marketing activity.

The role will suit someone sociable who is prepared to embrace our welcoming, open plan office environment as an opportunity to build strong, positive working relationships.

To thrive in this role, you will need:
• Specific experience of CRM, email and campaign marketing, website and social media management.
• Experience working with lead generation and sales teams to incubate and nurture customers and prospects.
• Strong research and analytical abilities; data management, interpretation, reporting and insight.
• Marketing qualification or Business degree (preferred).
• Experience of professional services, software, technology or property related industries (preferred).

Why work for tmgroup?

We are Investors in People accredited and offer a multitude of company benefits, ranging from our employee wellness programme and private healthcare, through to free fruit and cereal in the breakout room.

Over 10% of our 130 staff have enjoyed working with tmgroup for more than 10 years, which is a testament to the positive culture we work hard to maintain.

For more information or to apply for the role, please get in touch with Verdi Taylor-Bishop on Verdi.Taylor-Bishop@tmgroup.co.uk

We've released a short, introductory video showing how tmgroup helps to streamline the property transaction; supporting conveyancers time after time in delivering successful completions for their clients.

The video also highlights the variety of tools available to our users, including the LR Extract tool and Quote Conversion Tool; both designed to significantly reduce estimated workload.

You can watch the video here:

As you are all probably aware, October has marked National Cyber Security Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about cyber security.

With the month now coming to a close, here are some of the initiatives different organisations have had in place, and some things we think you should all be aware of.

BLG Bulletin includes scam emails “doing the rounds”

Notifications about fraudulent emails circulating in the legal sector have been featured in the BLG Bulletin; ranging from specific details of scam emails “doing the rounds”, to SRA Alerts about emails misusing the names of individual law firms.
 
Today’s Conveyancer have also exposed the risk of email fraud in a recent article, referencing an October episode of BBC’s Rip Off Britain which covered two cases of large sums of money relating to property transactions being lost through email scams.

You can read the full article and link through the BBC recording here

More solicitors are adding cyber security messages to their email signatures

Solicitors are taking steps to protect themselves however, and we’re seeing an increasing number adding cyber security messages to their email signatures.

For example:

CYBERCRIME WARNING: We do not notify changes to our bank account details by email. If you receive any communication purporting to be from us, suggesting that the firm's bank account details have changed, you should contact us via the number on our website or headed notepaper.

While surprisingly simple, such a warning on all employees’ signatures can alert clients that they need to be on their guard. It can also act as a visual cue if it is missing from any correspondence your clients receive, prompting them to alert you of suspicious activity.

For example, we recently heard about a large commercial law firm which successfully intercepted an attempt at digital fraud, because the typical signature wasn’t there. This was triggered by a client query and prevented fraud on a large industry transaction.

5.8 million incidents of fraud and computer misuse experienced by adults

The issue of cyber security extends far beyond the legal sector.

Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) has estimated that 5.8 million incidents of fraud and computer misuse were experienced by adults aged 16 and over in England and Wales for the year ending March 2016.

Cyber Europe 2016 marked the most comprehensive cyber-security exercise to date

While some individual organisations are already putting precautions in place, far bigger steps are also being taken to find a solution.

The 13th and 14th October saw the conclusion of Cyber Europe 2016 (CE2016), the largest and most comprehensive EU cyber-security exercise to date.

This large-scale distributed technical and operational exercise started in April 2016, and offered the opportunity for cybersecurity professionals across Europe to analyse complex, innovative and realistic cybersecurity incidents.

Google marked Cyber Security Month with a 2-minute Security Check-Up

In the same week (on 13th October), Google marked Cyber Security Month with a 2-minute Security Check-Up. 

This appeared on their homepage:

The Check-Up asked users to review the following 4 security settings:
• Check your recovery information – This information is vital, it helps Google to be in touch with for your password recovery or if there’s unusual activity.
• Check your connected devices – Review the devices connected to your Google Account.
• Check your account permissions – Review the apps, websites, and devices connected to your Google Account.
• Check your app passwords – Review apps password (passwords for apps that don’t use 2-Step Verification).

Organisations of all sizes are rising to the challenge

National Cyber Security Awareness Month has brought many real threats to the forefront of people’s minds, and while it remains an ongoing battle, what is clear is that organisations of all sizes are beginning to rise to the challenge.

Is it time you did more to protect your firm?

Some are firms beginning to take advantage of YouTube as a means to communicate with their clients and prospects.

Your firm could also benefit from having a YouTube Channel. Here are some pointers on where to start if you are thinking about setting one up.

Why should my firm have a YouTube channel?

YouTube is now one of the first places people turn to if they are looking for an answer to a question, whether they are trying to fix their dishwasher or fill out their tax returns.

Buying a house is no exception.

By building up a collection of useful YouTube videos, your firm can become a first point of call for people setting out on their house-buying journey and put you on their radar before they even begin to think about selecting a conveyancer. These videos can also help to liven up your firm’s website and social media output, and subsequently attract new clients.

Such videos can also help to save you time, as you will be able to direct clients to these informative videos early on in the process, once again highlighting your firm’s expertise and positioning you as educators.

Where do I start in setting up my own YouTube channel?

Talk to your fee-earners about frequently asked questions

A good starting point is to talk to all of your fee-earners about your clients’ frequently asked questions, and areas where they feel a video could help to clarify a situation.

You should quickly be able to spot some common trends, and write a list of high-priority content to work on.

Look at other firm’s YouTube channels

There are a number of firms already using YouTube channels to communicate useful information to their clients.

Set aside time in your day to do some research. Watching relevant YouTube videos, and looking at the number of views each video has had, should give you a good idea of what works well and what doesn’t.

We really like this “Guide to Buying and Selling a House” video from Gotelee Solicitors - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bIw2ZWRsh0

Decide how you are going to film your videos – and what your budget is

You can start a YouTube channel with as much or as little budget as you would like; from employing a professional team to create the videos on your behalf, to filming the content in your office on a smartphone.

Once you have settled on an approach, the important thing is to maintain some degree of consistency so all of your videos reflect your firm’s branding and look like part of the same series.

Share your content and start raising your profile

After you have created your first videos, you need to start placing them where they can be seen.

• Add links from your website through to your YouTube channel
• Embed relevant videos on the different pages of your website
• Embed videos in email campaign mailings
• Share videos on Twitter and other social media channels
• Invite your clients to subscribe to your YouTube channel

Don’t forget to regularly review all of your content

It is equally important to regularly review all of the content you have posted on your YouTube channel to make sure all of the information is accurate and up to date.

Remember, these videos will have your firm’s name on them and be seen by your clients. Displaying out of date information could undermine your firm’s credibility.

Just a handful of targeted videos can make all the difference

Managing a successful YouTube channel doesn't have to be a time-consuming endeavour, as you don't need to create hundreds of videos to make an impact. You just need to focus on answering your FAQs.

If you are really stretch for time, you could even consider bringing in an intern to get the project up and running. 

What are you waiting for?

Ben Harris, Marketing Director at tmgroup

Transparent Terms and Conditions give everyone peace of mind that they are receiving a fair service from tmgroup – no matter what size their firm is.

Almost everyone has sat on a plane and wondered how much the person next to them REALLY paid for their ticket.

Did they pay more than you? Did you pay more than them? Is it possible with so many travel agents peddling different prices that you actually paid exactly the same?

Of course, there is no way to know… Unless you happen to bring it up in casual conversation… And then what? Someone will always come off worse.

No customer should have to worry that their neighbour is getting a better deal

We strongly believe that no customer should ever be made to feel this way – especially when there is more than just your holiday money at stake.

This is why we ensure that our Terms and Conditions are exactly the same for everyone signed up to them, with no perks, tweaks or special favours thrown in.

Whether you are a small, high street firm operating with a handful of solicitors, or a national firm with hundreds of fee-earners, there are only 2 sets of tmgroup Terms and Conditions to choose from:
• Premium Terms and Conditions
• General Terms and Conditions

Sharing T&Cs with another firm will never be a sensitive issue

We work hard to ensure that our Terms and Conditions are the best that they can be – and don’t reserve added perks for a privileged few.

This is particularly important when you consider commercial transactions; where it is not uncommon for searches to be relied upon by the other sides’ lawyers who are within their rights to ask to see a copy of the terms to satisfy themselves that adequate cover is in place.

Our consistent, transparent approach ensures that sharing such details will never be a sensitive issue for your firm.

All updates to our T&Cs benefit everyone automatically

We’ve also recently updated our Premium Terms and Conditions, as well as our General Terms and Conditions.

Everyone currently signed up to these Terms and Conditions will benefit automatically from these enhancements, while new customers will take on the improved Terms and Conditions as standard.

For more information about our Terms and Conditions, contact your Account Manager, or get in touch with Helpdesk on 0844 249 9200 or helpdesk@tmgroup.co.uk

Jon Horton is the Account Director for tmconnect

We are pleased to announce our latest service enhancements for our tmconvey property searches platform.

These enhancements have been developed to make it easier for teams to collaborate during the search ordering process.

New “due date changes” notifications will be launched on 3rd October 2016, which will save users from having to log into the system and manually check the due dates of their ordered searches.

Building on the well-received distribution list feature, we have also ensured that all communications about a case can now be sent to everyone on the distribution list – and not just to the individual who created the case.

“Due date changes” notifications remove the need to check manually for delays

Our new alert system has been developed to make it easier for individuals to find out if their ordered searches due date has changed.

This new alert system will send out an email notification to the individual that ordered the search, notifying them and anyone added to the distribution list if there is a change that will delay the due date by more than 24 hours.

This automatic alert will save you time, as you’ll no longer have to log into the tmconvey system to manually check the due date listed against any search – which can be changed at any point by the external service provider.

These new email notifications will be switched on and available to all users of the tmconvey property searches platform by Monday 3rd October.

Stay on top of all search communications even if a colleague is unavailable

For quite some time, tmconvey users have been able to specify a distribution list for any ordered searches at the point they are submitted.

This allows you to:
• Select colleagues from a drop-down list so that they also receive the final search result
• Notify everyone on the distribution list about due date changes
• Notify everyone on the distribution list about any tm communications about a case, e.g. additional information requests
• Manage any ordered searches still in process if a member of the team is unavailable

This enhancement can also save time by removing the need for chasing phone calls if there is an unexpected delay, as the required information will already be available internally – just on a different computer.

This service enhancement is currently available to all users of tmconvey.

Operations Director, Paul Damsell, comments:

“We’re always striving to make life easier for our customers, and give them the information they need to do their job quickly and efficiently.

These proactive service enhancements will make it easier for conveyancers to stay well-informed of any changes which may delay their ordered searches, so they can confidently and consistently deliver to their clients.”

If you have any questions about these enhancements, please call Helpdesk on 0844 249 9200 or email helpdesk@tmgroup.co.uk, or speak to your Account Manager.

Are you tired of feeling compelled to lower your fees to try and keep up with your competitors?

Join us in Portsmouth on Thursday 6th October to find out how you can keep your fees and maybe even consider raising them – without losing your competitive edge!

Click here to register

tmgroup’s 2016 “Because Your Worth it” CPD programme has been running successfully across the summer, with well-attended events in Birmingham, Bristol and (most recently) Manchester.

Through a series of expert-led presentations, these structured CPD sessions have been finding solutions to some of the commercial business challenges facing the industry, including:

• Do clients really just care about the price?
• How do I convert more telephone prospects into clients?
• How do I guarantee that my clients will refer my services?

These CPD sessions have also opened the debate to attendees; and provided valuable opportunities for peer-led discussion about the trials and errors of different initiatives.

Portsmouth is your last chance this year to find out why your firm really is worth it

With our 2016 CPD programme now drawing to a close, our Portsmouth event on Thursday 6th October will be your last chance this year to find out how to increase your fees and still deliver a competitive service offering!

Click here to register

Property Searches Scotland (PSS) have continued to grow their market share and have established new records for activity levels and customers numbers throughout the summer.

The company’s reputation for providing exceptional customer service has been at the heart of this impressive growth

The company has developed an enviable reputation for exceptional customer service, and this is fundamental to its ability to attract and retain new customers. In addition, the company provides a package of unique, innovative solutions including a “No Sale No Fee” commitment, multiple free updates on core products, competitive pricing and attractive loyalty bonus schemes.

As part of the tmgroup family, Property Searches Scotland can also call upon their parent company’s significant technological capabilities to maintain the best search turnaround times in the Scottish market. Coal mining reports are typically returned within one hour of being ordered, while more than 95% of orders for other products are returned within 24 hours of the order being placed.

New developments promise even stronger results in the near future

This announcement follows a series of exciting developments in 2016.

Earlier this year, Property Searches Scotland (PSS) announced that they had achieved 20% market share of the Scottish residential conveyancing search market within just 4 years of being established.

They also achieved a ‘world-class’ Net Promoter Score of 79; making them comparable with just a few elite companies across the globe.

There are no signs of the company slowing down either, with exciting plans in the pipeline to launch a new website and ordering platform in 2017.

Commercial Director, Michael Tolland said of the news:

“I’m delighted that the business has continued to progress at such a rapid pace, and that we have been able to continue to welcome new customers to our core of highly-valued, established customers. 2016 has been an exceptional year for the business with a YOY increase in order volumes approaching 50% alongside a massive increase in regular customer numbers. We look forward to introducing further innovation as the year progresses and to continuing to grow the business. None of this would have been possible without the support of customers old and new, and the hard work, dedication and professionalism of all members of the PSS team, and I would like to thank them all for their part in securing this success.”

About Property Searches Scotland (PSS)

Property Searches Scotland (PSS) provide a full suite of property searches required by conveyancing professionals in Scotland, England & Wales, PSS also offer a range of anti-money laundering products.

For more information about Property Searches Scotland (PSS), visit http://www.propertysearchesscotland.co.uk/