A decidedly wintry afternoon in Cheshire might well have provided ample reason not to leave the office.

However, sub-zero temperatures couldn’t stop the latest Land Law commercial property seminar from being packed out.

In fact, more than 80 people travelled from as far as the East Midlands to cram into the main Council Chamber at Altrincham Town Hall for a series of updates on a range of property issues.

The first half of the afternoon session heard from experts on a trio of troubles.

Chester-based property law consultant, Alan Riley, began by offering advice on how to deal with problematic tenants before Matthew Hall, a barrister at Kings Chambers in Manchester highlighted the difficulties posed to developers by ransom strips.

Land Law’s own Steven Jennings then updated attendees with efforts to stop so-called freerunners trespassing on notable high-rise buildings at home and abroad – a topic which has seen him feature in national print and broadcast media in recent months.

After a break for refreshments and networking, planning expert Neil Lucas, a Director of Avison Young, provided guidance on the likely impact of a raft of recent planning policies.  He was followed by our own Louise Belderbos, who highlighted the potential benefits and pitfalls for landowners and developers looking to unlock the development potential of land using promotion agreements.

The seminar concluded with further instruction from Alan Riley on when a licence or lease is not quite what it seems.

With an audience made up of leading investors, developers, property managers and agents, the Land Law seminar has grown to become one of the annual fixtures in the calendars for many of the biggest names in the commercial property sector from across the North of England.