Both organisers and delegates have deemed The Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners’ (ALEP) Annual Conference a huge success, despite the changes involved due to Covid-19.
For the first time ALEP organised a ‘virtual conference’ rather than its traditional one-day event. Held over four days, the conference featured a number of different seminars, talks and panel sessions all aimed at tackling issues impacting the leasehold enfranchisement sector.
In addition to Covid-19, 2020 has also brought about the Law Commission’s highly-anticipated reports and recommendations into the future of leasehold home ownership, along with the feasibility and practicality of commonhold as an alternative option to leasehold. These topics were covered during Conference Week along with the impacts these recommendations will have on the future of the enfranchisement sector.
Split into morning sessions for junior practitioners and afternoon sessions for all delegates, ALEP Conference Week, sponsored by Kerry London Ltd, was attended by in excess of 200 delegates over the four days.
The morning sessions were introduced by ALEP Director Mark Chick, who said:
“Conference Week has provided our delegates with relevant content and a close look at issues and challenges they face in their everyday professional lives. It has been a huge effort by all involved to put on the programme and my thanks to our outstanding line-up of speakers who provided real value and practical training points. Despite the format changing this year, the content and insight available was delivered in a more informal manner and made for a more focused/personal experience. The initial feedback we have had from delegates is that it was very well received.”
As well as a revisit to 2017’s enfranchisement teaching scenario ‘Hague House’, the comprehensive programme included a wide range of topics such as lease covenants, Stamp Duty Land Tax, Collective Enfranchisement Claims and key valuation considerations, along with the traditional case update from Piers Harrison of Tanfield Chambers.
The final conference session featured a panel providing an update on recent consultations and their implications on the sector. The panel session featured ALEP Honorary President Damian Greenish, Anna Favre from Cripps Pemberton Greenish, Philip Rainey from Tanfield Chambers, Mark Chick from Bishop and Sewell, Eleanor Murrey from CMS and Tom Jefferies of Landmark Chambers, who discussed the recommendations and offered their views.
Mark Chick continued: “The success of this week’s conference is testament to the ALEP team’s flexibility and ingenuity. Our final session featured in-depth debate – and exchange of opinions – watched by over 120 delegates online and showed what can be achieved virtually while we are unable to all get together.“
