Property Development & Regeneration Solicitors

Our Property Development and Regeneration Services

Site Acquisition and Assembly

Acquiring a development site involves far more than agreeing a price. Third-party rights, title defects, overage obligations, and planning constraints can all affect what you can build and when. We advise developers and landowners on all aspects of site acquisition, from reviewing heads of terms through to exchange and completion. Where a site involves multiple parcels of land or multiple owners, we manage the complexity of site assembly so that your project can proceed on programme.

• Heads of terms negotiation and review
• Conditional contracts subject to planning permission
• Option agreements and pre-emption rights
• Site assembly involving multiple titles or owners
• Due diligence on title, rights, and encumbrances
• Overage and clawback provisions

Development Company Structures and SPVs

Most development projects are structured through a special purpose vehicle or dedicated development company. Getting the structure right from the outset protects your personal assets, simplifies the funding arrangements, and makes the eventual disposal or refinancing more straightforward. Our company formation and corporate teams advise on the most appropriate structure for your project, including the associated shareholder agreements, articles of association, and governance arrangements.

• SPV formation and structuring
• Shareholder and investment agreements
• LLP structures for development projects
• Director duties and governance advice
• Exit structuring and tax-efficient disposal

Joint Ventures and Development Partnerships

Many development projects are delivered in partnership, whether between two private developers, a developer and a landowner, or a private developer and a public sector body. Joint venture arrangements need to clearly set out how decisions are made, how costs and profits are shared, and what happens if one party wants to exit or the project runs into difficulties. Our joint ventures team advises on the full range of development partnership structures, tailored to the specific commercial and risk profile of your project.

• Joint venture agreements for residential and commercial development
• Development agreement structures
• Profit share and waterfall arrangements
• Step-in rights and development management provisions
• Dispute resolution and exit mechanisms

Planning and Section 106 Obligations

Planning permission is the key milestone in any development project, and the legal obligations attached to it can have a significant impact on viability. We advise on the negotiation and drafting of Section 106 agreements, the review of planning conditions, and the discharge of obligations as the project progresses. For projects in London, where planning policy is particularly complex, early legal input on planning obligations can save significant time and cost further down the line. Our affordable housing solicitors work alongside our development team on schemes with affordable housing requirements.

• Section 106 agreement negotiation and drafting
• Review and discharge of planning conditions
• Affordable housing obligation advice
• Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) advice
• Variation of existing planning obligations

Development Finance

Development projects require carefully structured finance arrangements that reflect the specific risks and timelines of the scheme. We advise on development finance facilities, working alongside our finance and banking team to review facility terms, advise on security arrangements, and ensure that funding documentation is properly aligned with the development programme. We act for both borrowers and lenders on development finance transactions across residential, commercial, and mixed-use schemes.

• Development loan facility review and negotiation
• Security documentation for development sites
• Drawdown conditions and monitoring arrangements
• Refinancing and exit facility advice
• Homes England and GLA grant funding requirements

Urban Regeneration Projects

Regeneration schemes bring additional legal complexity, often involving compulsory purchase considerations, heritage and conservation constraints, multiple public and private sector stakeholders, and phased delivery programmes spanning several years. We advise private developers, investors, and landowners entering regeneration schemes on how to structure their involvement, manage their legal risks, and protect their commercial position throughout the life of the project. Our experience across corporate, real estate, and planning law means we can advise on the full range of issues a regeneration project may present.

• Compulsory purchase and statutory blight advice
• Heritage and conservation constraint review
• Public-private partnership structuring
• Phased development and disposal strategies
• Estate regeneration and decant arrangements

Site Disposal and Plot Sales

Realising the value of a completed or partially completed development requires careful legal management of the disposal process. We advise on the sale of completed developments, the grant of leases on commercial or mixed-use units, and the management of plot sales on residential schemes. Our acquisitions and disposals team works closely with our development lawyers to ensure that disposals are structured efficiently and that any ongoing obligations, such as overage or service charge arrangements, are properly documented.

• Sale of completed development sites and units
• Commercial and residential plot sales
• Lease grant and management arrangements
• Overage and deferred consideration on disposal
• Service charge and estate management documentation