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Review Mechanism meaning

What does Review Mechanism mean?
A review mechanism is a clause in a planning obligation that requires a fresh viability appraisal of a development at agreed trigger points, so that affordable housing, developer contributions or other obligations can be recalculated if viability has changed. It is a descriptive practice term rather than a statutory definition, though it is widely used and recognised in planning decisions and guidance. In England and Wales it commonly appears in section 106 agreements under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (often as early‑stage, mid‑stage or late‑stage viability reviews). Broadly equivalent provisions are used in Scotland in section 75 agreements (Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997), in Northern Ireland in section 76 planning agreements (Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011), and in Ireland in planning agreements (for example under section 47 or as part of Part V arrangements). Typical features include open‑book re‑appraisal by an independent assessor; specified triggers (e.g. pre‑commencement, commencement long‑stop, or occupation/sales thresholds); indexation; floors and caps; and surplus “overage” sharing. Review mechanisms aim to secure policy‑compliant outcomes where market conditions improve, while providing developers with certainty on baseline obligations. Usage and purpose are broadly consistent across the UK and Ireland, though drafting and policy expectations vary by authority.
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View the related Checklists about Review Mechanism

CHECKLISTS
Acting for the seller in land option agreements: call/put, option periods, encumbrances, exercise, pricing, tranches and split reversions, VAT and HM Land Registry (England and Wales)

Call or put option? In a call option, the purchaser holds the reins, as it may demand transfer of the asset. The seller should recognise that its intentions for the site could be curtailed by that right, and plans for the property restricted. A put option, by contrast, places control with the seller, enabling it to require the purchaser to take the property and complete the acquisition, obliging the buyer to buy. Option period For a call option, the vendor should be mindful that the land could be effectively frozen throughout the option window, potentially sterilising its use. Accordingly, the deal ought to state a clear long‑stop date to cap the period. The Perpetuities and Accumulations Act 2009 (PAA 2009) removed the rule against perpetuities for options, so those granted on or after 6 April 2010 do not need a specified long‑stop date in this context. Before PAA 2009, a call option lapsed if not exercised within 21 years. Where exercise depends on the buyer securing...

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CHECKLISTS
Admitting a new LLP member: legal, regulatory and practical checklist (UK)

This checklist highlights the principal matters to review when a new individual joins a limited liability partnership (LLP), covering legal, regulatory and practical considerations. Identity of new member Full name and residential or registered address of the incoming member? Confirm the individual is not an undischarged bankrupt and is not prohibited from acting as an LLP member or as a company director. Check whether any current agreements or restrictive covenants (eg employment, LLP, joint venture, finance documents) could limit their ability to join or commit to the LLP. LLP agreement and other documentation What mechanism in the current LLP agreement governs the admission of new members? Will a deed of adherence/accession be required? Are any amendments needed to the terms of the existing LLP agreement? Do any related contracts require variation or consent, eg leases and IP licences?...

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CHECKLISTS
Indemnity clauses in B2B commercial contracts: a practical drafting, negotiation and risk checklist covering losses, claims control, limitations, UCTA reasonableness, mitigation and insurance (English law)

Legal issues This checklist sets out the main terms and matters to bear in mind when preparing and negotiating indemnity provisions in commercial (business-to-business) contracts. For model wording with drafting notes, see Precedent: Indemnity clause-commercial contracts. For more on indemnities, consult the following Practice Notes: Indemnities in commercial contracts Guarantees and indemnities-general contract For a practical guide to reviewing an indemnity clause in B2B agreements, see Practice Note: How to review an indemnity clause. General comments What to watch out for Is an indemnity appropriate? An indemnity is a contractual promise by one party to reimburse the other for specified loss or damage or, in some instances, to relieve them from liability. Unlike a guarantee, it imposes a primary obligation that may not rely on a third party’s default. Assess if an indemnity is the right mechanism or whether a guarantee is preferable, for example where a parent company guarantees a subsidiary’s obligations. If advising the indemnifier, consider...

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NEWS
UK and EU environmental law weekly: consultations, policy and case updates across climate, hydrogen, buildings, enforcement, nuclear, ESG, chemicals (PFAS), biodiversity, waste and water—9 October 2025

In this issue: Air emissions and climate change Contamination and pollution Energy efficiency and buildings Energy for environmental lawyers Environmental information Environmental taxes, reliefs and incentives ESG and sustainability Hazardous substances and chemicals Nature, biodiversity and habitat conservation Waste Water, flooding and drainage Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Air emissions and climate change Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGR)-UK government publishes Business Model documentation On 27 August 2025, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) released a suite of papers on its proposed Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGR) Business Model and accompanying policy. The Lexis+ Energy team, working with Navraj Singh Ghaleigh, Senior Lecturer in Climate Law at the University of Edinburgh Law School, set out the context for the GGR Business Model; its relationship with the Power BECCS Business Model; the technologies the GGR framework intends to encompass; its legal footing and principal features; and how...

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NEWS
Weekly energy law update: Ofgem decisions, grid and flexibility reforms, hydrogen/LDES support, CHMM guidance, CfD and planning changes, nuclear siting policy, EU State aid/infrastructure actions—13 March 2025

In this issue: Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Renewable energy Capacity Market, balancing services and energy system flexibility Conventional power, waste to energy, biomass, and CHP projects Nuclear energy Planning issues in energy projects International energy Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Ofgem publishes determinations on code manager selection for REC and BSC Ofgem has issued two determinations, setting out its conclusions under section 187(1) of the Energy Act 2023 to move ahead with appointing code managers for the Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) and the Retail Energy Code (REC) without running a competition. As a consequence, both the Retail Energy Code Company Ltd and Elexon Ltd will, respectively, be asked to provide a licensing assessment form. Ofgem will subsequently review the submissions and confirm whether it proposes to award each entity a licence. See:...

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NEWS
UK corporate law weekly update: ECCTA reforms for LLPs, FCA NSM changes, NSIA review and case, EU board gender targets, High Court rulings and deadlines—9 January 2025

In this issue: Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 Equity capital markets Private M&A (share purchase) Corporate governance—EU Members Company restoration Daily and weekly news alerts Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information New Q&As Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (Protection and Disclosure of Information and Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2024 SI 2024/1377: These Regulations update LLP company law to reflect recent changes under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 and expand the scenarios in which a person’s residential address can be withheld from the company register, covering former registered office addresses, while maintaining corporate openness and aligning LLP provisions. They commence on 27 January 2025. See: LNB News 07/11/2024 27. Equity capital markets The Financial Conduct Authority has released Policy Statement PS24/19: Enhancing the National Storage Mechanism, setting out the feedback to Consultation Paper CP24/17, its longer-term vision for the NSM, and...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Public sector equality duty in Wales: specific duties, equality impact assessments, objectives, gender pay action plans, procurement and enforcement (Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011)

The public sector equality duty (PSED) Set out in Part 11 of the Equality Act 2010 (ss 149–159), the public sector equality duty (PSED) comprises a general equality duty applying UK-wide to public bodies listed in Schedule 19 of the EqA 2010, alongside specific duties intended to support delivery of the general duty and enhance transparency. Although the general duty is identical across England, Wales and Scotland, the specific duties made under EqA 2010, s 153 vary. In Wales, listed public bodies must meet particular specific duties that sit alongside the UK-wide general duty. These specific duties bind listed Welsh bodies only. They do not extend to non-devolved public authorities operating in Wales. Under EqA 2010, s 149, the general duty requires public authorities and those exercising public functions to have 'due regard' to the need to: eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and any other behaviour prohibited by or under the EqA 2010 advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Trade dispute settlement under the UK-EU TCA: scope, forum choice, consultations, arbitration, compliance, remedies and costs

This Practice Note offers practical guidance on the dispute resolution framework available to the UK and the EU under the UK–EU TCA, with an emphasis on trade. It outlines the breadth of the trade dispute regime, the obligatory consultation phase and any subsequent arbitration, and the measures to secure compliance with an arbitral award. Introduction Following the UK’s decision (Brexit) to depart the EU, the Parties concluded the Trade and Cooperation Agreement in December 2020, which took effect on 1 January 2021. For practical guidance on trade in goods, services and rules of origin under the UK-EC TCA, please see: Practice Note Trade in goods under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on goods Practice Note Trade in services under the UK-EU TCA—an overview on services Practice Note Rules of Origin of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on Rules of Origin The UK–EU TCA establishes its own dispute settlement system designed to be effective and efficient, both to...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Moldova National Security FDI Screening: Scope, Triggers, Mandatory Notification and Standstill, Review Timetable and Sanctions (Law No. 174/2021)

A conversation with Diana Lupu, associate, at GRATA International on key issues on FDI control in Moldova 1. What is the applicable legislation? The principal statute regulating control of foreign direct investment (FDI) is Law No. 174/2021 on the mechanism for examining investments of significance for state security. It sets the conditions under which investors may undertake investment activities in areas considered important to state security, and defines the means of state oversight to bolster the transparency of such investments. 2. Which government or other body (or bodies) reviews foreign investments? The Council for the Promotion of National Importance Investment Projects (the Council), created by Government Decision No. 585/2016, is the body that assesses investment projects of national security significance, and is responsible for promoting, monitoring and evaluating these projects. 3. What is the scope of the foreign investment regime? Is it limited to particular sectors or investor categories (e.g. foreign or...

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PRECEDENTS
Member-Nominated Trustee Arrangements for Occupational Pension Schemes: Statutory Compliance, Nomination, Ballot, Appointment, Term of Office, Cessation and Review

To: the [ Active AND/OR Deferred AND/OR Pensioner ] Members (“[ the Members ]”) of the [ insert name pension scheme ] [ “the Scheme” ] From: The Scheme’s Trustees Date: [ Insert date sent to members ] Background In accordance with the Pensions Act 2004 (PeA 2004) and the Pension Regulator’s General Code of Practice (“the General Code of Practice”), occupational pension schemes must have arrangements ensuring that at least one third of trustees are nominated by members, unless the Scheme is exempt under legislation. The General Code of Practice states that the MNT arrangement should include a mechanism for periodic review to confirm whether it remains suitable for the Scheme, with such reviews to occur every three to five years. The General Code of Practice also indicates that the arrangement should be reassessed whenever there is a material change to the Scheme’s circumstances and/or its membership...

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