A string of heavyweight regional firms are gearing up to bid for a spot on the new English Heritage (EH) legal panel, it has emerged, as the public sector giant embarks on a shake-up of its UK advisers.

Legal Week can reveal that the statutory body, which oversees key environmental and historic sites across the UK, has this month launched a three-month review of its five-strong panel, overseen by head of legal Nigel Hewitson and a six-lawyer in-house team.