Paving The Way For A Smooth Development

It is a challenging market for developers right now: increased construction costs, shifting demands in our post-pandemic world, increased regulation (e.g. the Building Safety Act), and uncertainty surrounding banking arrangements. Good legal planning at the earliest stage of any development is therefore critical. Kathryn Coveney and Frances Edwards identify four areas to prioritise...

Mitigate later delays

Any land assembly issues such as title ownership and boundary discrepancies should be identified and rectified or otherwise protected against (e.g. through insurance) early on. The proper identification of any third-party rights and constraints to delivery of the development should also be a high priority. Easements, including rights of light enjoyed by neighbouring owners, may need to be released or insurance obtained. Complexity can arise with residential neighbouring properties where tenants occupy under assured periodic tenancies with short rolling