complex property development
the challenge:
A site was being purchased in the centre of Huntingdon for
regeneration. There were nine parcels of land, all with
unregistered title; an electricity substation needed to be
relocated; the site was contaminated and there were a substantial
number of professionals involved.
our approach:
We undertook due diligence on the various land parcels with a
view to getting these registered at the Land Registry. The
relocation of the electricity substation proved to be complex as we
had to negotiate the documents twice with the energy company (it
transpired that the solicitors hadn’t had the necessary authority
to negotiate the documents). This included meeting with their
head of legal to finalise the documentation and obtain sign
off. Although we were acting for the developer, we were asked
by the Council to pursue the site contamination claim on their
behalf. We negotiated with two sets of solicitors for one of
the end user clients (on the basis that they were changing their
legal panel during the year) and chaired meetings of various
project teams, ensuring action points were allocated and actively
managed to keep the project on track.
the result:
Land successfully registered without any requisitions; the
documentation for the relocation of the substation was finally
agreed; the site contamination issue was dealt with within the
required timeframes; excellent working relationships between all
parties were established.