SoLR Update
- Simon Harth
- Mar 13
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 27
March 2025
2025 Plans
The SoLR Committee, comprising the chairs of our sub-committees and our board, kicked off the year by setting high-level aspirations for 2025. Each of these align with SoLR’s strategic aims and will be delivered based on priority and support from our membership.
As a community of professionals, SoLR exists on the contributions of our members. Currently, 32 members actively sit on our committees. Keep an eye out for calls to action in our monthly newsletter and get involved. Get in touch if you can support any of our 2025 objectives, or propose an activity that aligns with your interests and expertise. Your participation can help shape the future of our profession.
SoLR continues to grow, and together, we are making a real impact on how land referencing is recognised.
Standards & Ethics
SoLR submits formal responses to Compulsory Purchase and compensation reform consultation
On 11 February, the Chair of the SoLR Standards & Ethics Committee, Ashley Parry Jones, formally submitted a responses to the government’s recent Compulsory Purchase Process and Compensation Reforms consultation set out at Compulsory Purchase Process and Compensation Reforms - GOV.UK. This consultation closed on 13 February 2025. SoLR took the opportunity to support and comment upon proposals including the greater use of electronic service of notices; the potential simplification of newspaper notices; and making it easier to make minor amendments to CPOs where the change has no material detrimental impact to landowners.
There are a number of further industry consultation that SoLR is currently considering as per SoLR’s policy (see https://www.solr.org.uk/policy). These are:
Call for Evidence - Committees - UK Parliament. Government Education Committee open call for evidence to inform its response to the challenges within the further education, specifically on the role of apprenticeships. The deadline for response is 18:00hrs on 07 March 2025
Compulsory purchase - Law Commission Consultation about the acquisition process. Deadline for response is 31 March 2025
Land Use Consultation - Defra - Citizen Space Consultation on land use. The consultation closes on 25 April 2025.
Planning Reform Working Paper: Streamlining Infrastructure Planning - GOV.UK. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government is inviting responses to their policy paper. This is not a formal consultation and there is no deadline but given the contents, SoLR wishes to express views
Call to action:
SoLR maintains a lookout for relevant industry consultations but if you spit one you think SoLR should consider or would like to get involved in the development of a specific industry consultations on behalf of SoLR please contact chair@SoLR.org.uk
Careers
In January we relaunched our spotlight series for 2025, featuring Tim Musgrave. Tim talked us through his experience and perspective of land referencing throughout his career, providing us with highlights and advice along the way. Watch the video on our LinkedIn:
Professional Engagement
The Professional Engagement Sub-Committee has secured the venue for this year’s conference, which will once again be hosted at the Royal Geographical Society with IBG on September 18, 2025. We also have some exciting webinars lined up. Additionally, we are planning an in-person CPD event this summer, so stay tuned for more details. You can find all upcoming webinars below .
We are pleased to welcome a new member to our sub-committee, Lynn Alderson, a Land Rights Manager at Bruton Knowles. We are excited about the expertise Lynn will bring to SoLR. After a successful first year as chair, Sam McAleese has stepped down, and Sarah Joss has taken over as the sub-committee chair for 2025. Sam remains an integral member, continuing to help us drive our 2025 goals forward.
Upcoming Events
Community
The Community Sub-committee has new committee members following the expansion of the committee’s reach to additional regions and countries. Please follow the link Committees | SoLR to the committee page to meet the new and existing members. We have all added a little bio as well so you can get some background on all the committee members.
Planned Community Events
The Community Sub-committee are currently planning the following events for this year:
Clean Air Week
World Food Week
Litter Picking Week
Monthly Podcast
CPD Networking Events
Keep your eyes peeled on the SoLR events page: Events | Society of Land Referencers for more updated information and to sign up to the events once they become live.
Climbing Kilimanjaro: An Unforgettable Challenge on the Lemosho Route for Birmingham children’s hospital | SoLR member Aidan Wilkes
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was the hardest thing I’ve ever done—but also the most incredible.
Over eight days, our team tackled the Lemosho Route, slowly making our way from dense rainforest to the icy summit of Africa’s highest mountain.
The first few days felt like a dream—walking through lush greenery, spotting monkeys in the trees, and soaking in the excitement of what lay ahead. But as we climbed higher, the air thinned, the temperature dropped, and every step became more of a challenge. The rocky paths, steep inclines, and long days on our feet pushed us to our limits.
By summit night, exhaustion had set in. In the freezing darkness, we trudged forward, one slow step at a time, battling the cold and the altitude. We had set off at 11pm that night. It felt impossible at times, but we kept each other going. After 8 hours of intense hiking, the sun rose and we reached the top at 7:20am that morning. The feeling? Pure relief, pride, and awe.
The climb tested us physically and mentally in ways we never expected but thought of helping the kids at BCH really helped us power through. Standing at the summit, looking out over the world, it was all worth it. Kilimanjaro is more than just a mountain—it’s a journey that changes you!
To date we have now raised over £190,000 for the charity which in itself is achievement on par with climbing the mountain!
If you would like to see our journey and how it unfolded the link below takes you through to our Trip diary and also a link to donate 😊
Congratulation to the entire team, which included SoLR members Aidan Wilkes and Mike Weaver.
Celebrating the Completion of the Thames Tideway Tunnel: A major milestone for many of SoLR's members
The Thames Tideway Tunnel, London's ambitious 25km "super sewer," has been fully commissioned following 10 years of construction. This £5 billion project aims to dramatically reduce sewage pollution in the River Thames, enhancing the river's health and sustainability.
Land referencers played a crucial role on this project, meticulously identifying and documenting land ownership and rights across the 21 construction sites and the tunnel route. Their expertise ensured compliance with legal requirements under the Planning Act (2008).
Notably, this was the first major Development Consent Order (DCO) project—and it remains the largest DCO from a land referencing perspective. The scale and complexity of the work involved set a precedent for future infrastructure projects, showcasing the critical role of land referencing in national development.
Can you contribute to the SoLR newsletter?
We'd love to share your professional experiences, insights and endeavours. Get in touch: hello@solr.org.uk
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