Mediation group to build bridges with unhappy residents

Lawyers have helped set up a mediation scheme to deal with disputes between residential occupiers and builders to fill a gap in the market.

The Construction and Conciliation Group (CCG) was formed earlier this month by 24 professionals, of whom 12 are solicitors, who claim there is no similar adjudication process available in the sector.

The group will carry out mediations for a fixed period of time at a fixed price.

If after the fixed period - which will not exceed 28 days - no agreement has been reached, an enforceable recommendation will be made by the conciliator.

The parties will contract to bind themselves to this recommendation.

Prices will start from around 1,000 for a simple mediation lasting one day.

Nicholas Gould, a partner with London firm Fenwick Elliott and the CCG's publicity officer, said: 'Lawyers were instrumental in setting this up because every year we see clients involved in long court cases who have no forum in which to resolve the dispute quickly and cheaply.'

He added that the CCG hopes to attract many more solicitors.

LINKS: www.ccgroup.org.uk

Jeremy Fleming