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Sectors & services

Sectors

Government sector

Social housing

social housing

real-estate-new-build-housing

With the increased profile of affordable housing on the political agenda, the lack of funding for housing associations is forcing them to review their business models and depressing activity levels. It is essential that available, financially viable projects or bank funding is delivered promptly and efficiently. Similarly, it has never been more important for housing associations that the sales of their properties are delivered without delay. We understand these pressures and remain committed to the sector and to providing a quality, value for money service.

Our clients also include private developers, local authorities, health providers and government agencies such as Homes England. This ‘cross sector’ experience benefits all our clients, particularly in an era of increased partnering and joint ventures, because we understand those with whom they work and can draw upon that knowledge and experience to find workable solutions and smooth the delivery of projects.

what we do...

Sector experience - advising the housing sector for more than 20 years, acting for registered providers, developers, local authorities and other public bodies across the UK.
Externally recognised - ranked as a top tier social housing law firm for many years by the Legal 500 and Chambers UK legal directories.
Specialist advice - acquisitions, development, joint ventures, planning, financing, governance, repossession and eviction, anti-social behaviour, sales, tenancies, shared ownership, shared equity, right to buy/acquire, housing management, procurement.

Full service legal solution – expertise in employment, banking, construction, property tax and property litigation sit alongside our core areas of advice to the housing sector.
Proven track record - delivering development projects and securitisation exercises, on time and on budget. Our clients tell us we genuinely help them meet their targets.

focus on...

Legal updates

Stanning v Baldwin and another [2019] EWHC 1350 (Ch)

Issues about prescriptive rights of way and drainage arose on the redevelopment of dominant land.

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Legal updates

Tenant consultation in housing regeneration

This article, the first in a series for public matters looking at housing law issues in a regeneration context, seeks to outline some of the key consultation requirements that should be in a local authorities’ contemplation when they are looking to regenerate, and additional considerations in London.

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Brexit resources

Managing robust public procurement exercises

The Cabinet Office has issued further guidance in relation to applying exclusions in public procurement, managing conflicts of interest and whistleblowing.

View brexit resources

Legal updates

Court makes example of developer for breach of restrictive covenant

In a recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Alexander Devine Children’s Cancer Trust v Millgate Developments Ltd and others [2018] EWCA Civ 2679, developers were given a somewhat unwelcome reminder of the risks of ignoring restrictive covenants during development.

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what our clients say....

Shared ownership sales are now driven very much by targets and it’s especially pleasing when we can rely on the professionalism and excellent performance which the team at Browne Jacobson continues to achieve.

what the directories say...

"They're excellent. They're highly professional and very client-focused." Sources note: "They're friendly, cost-effective and productive. Browne Jacobson's lawyers are approachable, take responsibility and will respond to queries quickly."

Chambers 2019

One impressed interviewee says: 'The service they give is very commercially minded and they are always happy to talk through options rather than merely seek instruction.'

Chamber 2018

Clients say that the team's 'client service is exceptional.'

Chamber 2018

Browne Jacobson LLP’s ‘second-to-none’ team of ‘experts’ combines its public and private sector expertise to advise on matters ranging from housing management and property transactions to tax and regulatory advice on regeneration projects, joint ventures, mixed-use schemes and other developments.

Legal 500 2017

Efficient and client-focused.

Chambers 2017

They understand the practicalities and required deliverables of social housing development and how to work to tight deadlines.

Chambers 2016

You don't feel like you're being starved of time. They're always happy to talk things through in detail. A very approachable team.

Chambers 2016

recent experience

Advising a local authority on its regeneration of a run-down 1960s tower block estate to create circa 300 new homes and a new community centre. Our advice spanned the procurement, regeneration and housing aspects of the project.
Advising a London RP on its long-standing, and complex partnering agreement with the local London Borough to create an innovative, modern structure capturing the ‘vision’ of what the parties are seeking to achieve but at the same time ensuring it is workable, fundable and sufficiently flexible to cater for the surprises that are inevitable in a long term partnership.
Advising a major RP in relation to the charging of over £100m worth of properties under a security trust arrangement. Our extensive knowledge and experience in this area and our sensitivity to the bespoke requirements of funders when acting for RPs when acquiring land and negotiating development agreements means we are able to highlight and pre-empt many of the issues that affect charging and value at the very beginning of the life of a development.
Acting for Waterloo Housing Group on a scheme in Mablethorpe involving the development of 120 new affordable homes, open market housing, a new supermarket, new distributor road and ancillary infrastructure. Our work included a complex series of agreements with various other parties covering property, development, planning and tax issues.

our people

related opinions

The housing crisis - PM tells developers to step up and do their bit

The PM has announced plans to target developers who are sitting on planning permissions in a bid to address the ongoing housing crisis.

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Dangerous premises may not be defective premises

The case of Dodd v Raeburn Estates Ltd has reaffirmed the important distinction between potentially dangerous premises and disrepair for the purposes of the Defective Premises Act 1972 (DPA), with the Court of Appeal finding that the freeholder of a building was not liable for the death of the Claimant’s husband who fell down a dangerous staircase in the building, concluding that there is no obligation to remedy inherent defects or to take steps to put premises into a safer condition.

View blog

Path to victory - Supreme Court limits remit of 'structure and exterior' under Section 11

The recent case of Edwards v Kumarasamy will give heart to social landlords because the Supreme Court has overturned the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

View blog