Strategic Land

Our specialist strategic land team has extensive experience of acting for promoters, developers and landowners in respect of a range of strategic land structures.

This diverse client base gives us a unique perspective. We recognise that strategic land transactions are a team effort, and our understanding of the commercial drivers, concerns and priorities of all the parties involved enables us to take a collaborative, pragmatic and solutions-focused approach, and to drive projects forward.

We can help you structure a transaction to ensure projects are delivered in a commercially effective and tax-efficient manner.

For many landowners and estates, land and property are not just financial assets but also a reflection of heritage, ethos, and community connections. Our specialist residential development team collaborates on a wide array of projects to help private landowners maximise the potential of their land while staying true to their values.

Our Landed Estates team is also always on hand to advise on agricultural tenancies, relevant tax reliefs and other issues relating to the disposal and development of greenfield sites.

Our services include:

• Option, promotion, and hybrid agreements
  Structuring agreements that provide flexibility and control for developers, promoters, and landowners.
• Conditional contracts
  Acting for developers on subject to planning conditional contracts including advising on price adjustment mechanisms.
• Collaboration and equalisation agreements
  Advising on land pooling, equalisation of sale proceeds, and trust structures across multiple ownerships.
• Land constraints and tenancies
  Resolving title issues including restrictive covenants, rights of way, telecommunications leases, and agricultural tenancies.
• BNG
  Advising on biodiversity net gain agreements and the acquisition and disposal of credits.
• Charity landowners
  Acting for trustees of charities, ensuring compliance with statutory duties and Charity Commission requirements.

Recent Experience:

• Acting for Obsidian Strategic in respect of a promotion agreement for a greenfield site in Wokingham that extends over 80 acres.
• Acting for Obsidian Strategic in respect of a promotion agreement for on a 13-acre site on the edge of Leeds.
• Acting for Obsidian Strategic in respect of a promotion agreement for a 90-acre site within Basildon Borough Council to bring forward up to 800 new homes.
• Acting for a developer in respect of an option to acquire a 200-acre site held by three different landowners for residential development
• Acting for a landed estate on a promotion agreement for residential development, including the negotiation of detailed provisions to ensure that the proposed development is in keeping with the wider estate
• Acting for a landowner on a subject-to-planning option agreement for warehouse/industrial development with planning overage, including securing access rights over adjoining land
• Acting for landowners on solar farm option agreements/leases