Housebuilders
Our team of experts know the business of building houses inside out – we’ve been advising housebuilders for decades, so we understand what you need and we can provide a full range of legal advice.
We know that housebuilders are facing some notable potential challenges across an ever-more-complex industry. However, our experience means we’re really well positioned to help you address those challenges: supply chain issues; increasing demand for land; navigating a constantly-changing planning environment; making sure you can adequately plan and meet your ESG commitments; recruiting and retaining the people your business needs; managing disputes; and handling compliance and regulation are all things that need careful attention if they are not to cause an issue further down the line.
Our real estate and planning teams will help move things along smoothly and quickly, while our dedicated Plot Sales Team will manage estate set-up and plot sales work and can support your business from initial site acquisition all the way through to final disposals.
Should you need them, we have specialists in energy, environmental, supply chain, diversity and ethical business governance. Our Technology Practice can advise on the latest innovations – including blockchain which the Land Registry is experimenting with, as its potential to store accurate property records means it could serve as the basis for property transactions in the future.
We also work frequently with our commercial and disputes teams to make sure the contracts our clients have in place can withstand supply chain issues and disputes – putting steps in place to make sure that things don’t go wrong in the first place; and our H&S, environmental and consumer protection compliance specialists will be able to keep you on the straight and narrow when it comes to your compliance and regulation obligations.
Experience
Advising three national housebuilders on a multi-landowner, major urban extension to Leeds for 4,000+ new homes, including new option agreements and variations to existing option arrangements, delivery of significant new infrastructure requiring CPO, a complex equalisation agreement involving landowners, developers and the local authority, equalising land values to enable delivery of a local centre and new school and an inter-developer agreement to co-ordinate planning applications across multiple development parcels and delivery of key shared infrastructure. We are also providing planning advice, highways advice and resolving complex S106 agreements relating to the delivery of schools, health provision, local centres and community facilities.
Acting for two developers on a complex site-assembly via a series of land option agreements and agreements for easements, involving 15+ landowners for a 900-dwelling scheme. We have been advising the developers on this scheme for over six years, through an ever-changing planning landscape and economic environment and are now concluding acquisition of the first phase for 250+ dwellings.
Successfully pursuing an expert determination for our client, a FTSE100 national housebuilder, in a dispute with its joint venture partner concerning the amount of ‘Development Costs’ payable to our client.
Advising a joint venture of two large national housebuilders in challenging a claim in trespass made by the owner of mines and minerals that threatened the viability of a 4000 unit residential development.
Advising a national house builder following a fatal bridge collapse at one of their construction sites – our advice covered immediate incident response, dealing with police and HSE investigations, including responding to a request for written submissions under caution and representing our client during on-going inquest proceedings.
Advising a national house builder issued with a pre-emptive notice under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 by the relevant Local Authority setting maximum noise levels at the site boundary during foundation piling.
Assisting a national house builder to investigate breaches of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 relating to amphibian exclusion fencing and sediment watercourse contamination incidents. We were able to offer robust mitigation for the offences following a prosecution brought by the relevant Local Authority and thereby significantly limit the fine imposed.
Advising a development company on a major development scheme consisting of a link road; up to 450 dwellings, a local centre, employment uses, infrastructure and associated development, including reviewing, testing the robustness of, and advising on EIA documentation that was submitted in support of the application; drafting, negotiating and setting a complex section 106 agreement (relating to provision of custom build dwellings; marketing and delivery of employment land and a local centre; and safeguarding for future transfer to the county council land required for a new school, link road and a bridge) with a district council and county council’s external legal advisors; successfully seeing of a threat of legal challenge following the client being served with a pre-action protocol letter for judicial review.
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