
Local government real estate
Browne Jacobson has a leading reputation when it comes to delivering a cost-effective real estate service to local authorities. We have in-depth experience of working with over 200 local authorities. And, in each one, our lawyers are embedded every day in handling high-profile and strategic built environment projects and supporting the full range of transactional and operational requirements for our clients.
From housing to investment and place-making regeneration, we connect our clients with key stakeholders in other sectors and advise strategically in a setting which is steeped in the public sector.
Our specialisms include:
- Acquisition and disposals of freehold and leasehold sites.
- Large-estate management for authorities with sizeable real estate estates, or who are transitioning their management of their estate.
- Site assembly and regeneration projects for, including the necessary procurement and construction advice to support delivery.
- Private and social housing delivery, large strategic land delivery and infrastructure projects, including garden communities and associated joint ventures and land value capture.
- CPO advice and acting on development sites affected by strategic planning issues.
- Investments in real estate and sale and lease-backs
- Strategic and estate real estate litigation advice, support on dilapidations and lease renewals and rights of light on new development projects v Mixed-use development projects between private and public sector bodies.
- Property tax advice – from day-to-day structuring and transactional advice (eg freehold disposals, leases, lease renewals etc), to more bespoke tax advice, especially in relation to VAT and SDLT issues on tax issues, including on public-private joint ventures, and on local authorities establishing corporate vehicles for outsourced service provision and ‘mutuals’.
With such an array of expertise, you will be in safe hands as we work together to find the right outcome for you. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.
Featured experience
A local authority
Strategic acquisition of The Pavements Shopping Centre in Chesterfield from investment company vendors for Chesterfield Borough Council.
A local authority
Acquisition of 9 Colmore Row - a significant tenanted city centre asset next to Snow Hill Station for Birmingham City Council.
A local authority
Working with Coventry City Council regarding letting Bellway Homes for their regional head office.
A local authority
“Golden Brick” purchases of affordable housing from developers to deliver good quality rented housing for local people for Sedgemoor District Council.
Key contacts

Zo Hoida
Partner

Thomas Howard
Partner

Ayesha Khalique
Senior Associate

Philip Gray
Senior Associate

Jonathan Borer
Partner

Dan Insole
Senior Associate

Barry Sully
Partner

Ragene Raithatha
Legal Director

Scott Mounfield
Senior Associate

James Coles
Partner

Katie Briggs
Senior Associate
You may be interested in...
Legal Update
Understanding the obligations and implications for open space land and development
Opinion
Biodiversity Net Gain - Government publishes its metric consultation response & Natural England publishes their update biodiversity metric 4.0
Legal Update
Section 106 Agreements: I’m not dead yet
Press Release
UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson joins UKREiiF 2023
Legal Update
Biodiversity Net Gain — Government publishes consultation response
Opinion
‘Awaab’s Law’- a significant amendment to the Social Housing Regulation Bill
Press Release
Browne Jacobson’s real estate specialists advise Chesterfield Borough Council on prestigious new development - One Waterside Place
Opinion
Will fixed recoverable costs in housing conditions claims see the light of day?
Press Release
Browne Jacobson advise High Peak Borough Council on future high street funded acquisition as part of Buxton regeneration vision
Press Release
Browne Jacobson advises Bromley Council on the first social housing initiative of its kind to tackle homelessness
Legal Update
Investment Zones - getting the country working, building and growing
Investment zones have been introduced by the Conservative party to get the United Kingdom (UK) ‘working, building and growing’. They are to be designated sites which provide time-limited tax incentives, streamlined planning rules and wider support for local growth to encourage investment and accelerate the development of housing and infrastructure that the UK needs to drive economic growth. Processes and requirements that slow down development will be stripped back with the intention of attracting new investment.
Legal Update
The reality of the future of devolution arrangements in England
Devolution is the transfer of powers in areas like transport, housing and skills in England and since the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 has been a much-discussed topic.
Legal Update
Improving the performance of the NSIP planning process and supporting local authorities
Published Article
The role of Legal Project Management in public sector projects
The concept of Legal Project Management (“LPM”) is increasingly relevant to the delivery of legal services, both in-house functions and private practice law. This is unsurprising, LPM is crucial if lawyers are to add value by controlling budgets, communicate pro-actively on risk mitigation and costs, and manage time by resourcing to deal with pinch points in the project.
Legal Update
Regeneration funding: Securing Compulsory Purchase Orders in the face of escalating building costs
The focus on the Levelling Up agenda and the availability of grant funding, means there are numerous important regeneration schemes actively being pursued across the country. With ever-escalating project and building costs, in many cases, applications that were made for grant funding were based on costs contingencies that have already been exceeded.
Legal Update
The impending termination of PFI contracts and what should be done now
By the time PFI really got into its stride in the early 2000s, standard form contracts had pretty much nailed down the terms and anticipated anything that might happen, good or bad, during the course of the 25 years it covered.
Legal Update
Conservation Covenants – what are they and how will they affect you?
Conservation Covenants come into force on 30 September 2022. We look at the impact on landowners, developers and responsible bodies.
Opinion
Homes England partners with local authorities to boost the levelling up agenda
Homes England, the government’s housing accelerator, has partnered with two local authorities, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Association of South Essex Local Authorities, in a new Strategic Place Partnership (SPP) which is designed to align with the government’s levelling up agenda by delivering new homes in the regions.
Legal Update
Construction: Gold Standard Framework – seven months on
We have created a summary of the recommendations and consistent themes which we are now starting to see becoming more embedded in public sector procurement practices.
Published Article
Sustainability in construction
The climate emergency has reached a point where real and substantial damage is being caused to both the planet and society. There has been a shift from planning and theorising the most effective solutions, to a phase where practical, efficient, and sustainable solutions are required at speed.
Opinion
Responding to Grenfell – Slow progress is better than none
As the Grenfell Inquiry continues, how have the Phase 1 recommendations changed the fire safety and building safety landscape?
Legal Update
Balancing homelessness duties and housing stock: all change?
On 4 May 2022, the Court of Appeal handed down judgment in the joint case of R (Elkundi and others) -v- Birmingham City Council and R (Imam) -v- London Borough of Croydon [2022] EWCA Civ 601.
Published Article
Queen’s speech: planning reforms to be tackled via Levelling up Bill
This year’s Queen’s Speech has outlined several legislative changes and the overhauling of laws around levelling up, planning and economic crime that could affect conveyancers.
Legal Update
Is this the end of Section 106?
The Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill was introduced to Parliament on 11 May 2022. In this Bill, and in accordance with earlier reports, the government intends to replace section 106 agreements and the existing Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) with a new Infrastructure Levy.
Opinion
Update: building safety repairs pledge signed by over 35 major housing developers
On 14 February 2022, Secretary of State of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, announced proposals designed to pressure building developers and materials manufacturers to fund the remediation of unsafe properties.
Legal Update
Modernising the planning system
Improvement to the planning system has arrived in the form of new digital tools which will make it easier for the general public to have their say on shaping and regenerating their communities.
Published Article
The Levelling Up White Paper: who has the real power?
Devolution & reorganisation are key themes, but will it empower local governments to have a real say in the future of their communities?
Legal Update
Wynne-Finch and others v Natural Resources Body for Wales [2021] EWCA Civ 1473
Historic exceptions of mines and minerals did not include mudstone, the common rock of the district.
Published Article
Adverse possession and registered land (Dowse v Bradford MBC)
The Land Registration Act 2002 radically changed the law of adverse possession in relation to registered land.