Holmes & Hills Facilitating Development Seminar – Spring 2024

Expert land and development solicitors, Holmes & Hills, are delivering a specialist seminar for developers and land professionals in Essex and Suffolk.

The seminars will provide critical guidance on best practice when approaching development transactions, focusing on early identification and resolution of key barriers to the successful acquisition of and development of land.

What topics are going to be covered?

In their seminar on 'how to facilitate development', Holmes & Hills’ Land and Development Division will be covering the following subjects:

“Preliminary considerations: the importance of a strong start”
Identifying and resolving any areas of ambiguity and/or gaps in Heads of Terms which could lead to issues later in the transaction, including (amongst other things):

• Obligations on developers regarding the type of planning consent to be sought – (outline, reserved matters, detailed or hybrid?), timings and obligations towards landowners.
• Unclear timescales often involving automatic extensions and the final long stop date, which conflict with the parties’ intentions.
• Rights of developers regarding access for technical surveys and sampling.
• Intellectual property considerations such as copyright licences/letters of reliance relating to planning drawings and technical reports from the planning process.

“Due Diligence: identifying issues early”
Identifying any barriers to the successful development of land, including:

• Site visits and why these are of critical importance from the outset.
• Assistive AI and how to utilise these tools to get ahead, including early title reviews and issue flagging (especially restrictive covenants and burdening rights).
• Development searches - a practical overview
• Working in partnership with a professional team and why a collaborative approach between consultants is key.

“Common issues that can slow or prohibit progress: proactive and pragmatic solutions”
Exploring recurring themes that Holmes & Hills Land and Development Division see in day to day practice, including:

• Planning drawings - whose land it is anyway?
• Defective access and service rights - a review of what is often one of the core issues that can prohibit development, with case study examples.
• Existing indemnity insurance policies - why these should be approached with caution and aren’t always a silver bullet.
• Development funding - a practical look at what's happening on the ground and top tips to help ease the pain.

“The final hurdle: site setup and plot sales”
Exploring how the Land and Development Division collaborates with Holmes & Hills' plot sales specialists to ensure a smooth transition to the plot sales process.

Who should attend?

• Residential and commercial developers
• Land agents
• Surveyors
• Architects
• Property consultants

About the speakers

Holmes & Hills Solicitors has a Division of specialist land and development experts who service Holmes & Hills’ client base of developers and landowners across East Anglia. One of the only firms in the region to have a dedicated group of solicitors focusing on land and development legal work, the Division advises and represents clients in relation to all manner of development land transactions.

Comprised of Chris Milner, Michael Wright, Rebecca Mason, Laura Gale and George French, the Division boasts a breadth of expertise and offers a depth of capacity favourable to large and time-sensitive deals and projects.

Where necessary, the Land and Development Division work closely with members of Holmes & Hills’ other specialist Departments and Divisions, including the Planning Law Department, Construction Division, and property litigation solicitors within the Dispute Resolution Department.

Leading the talks will be Head of the Commercial Property Department – and Managing Partner of Holmes & Hills – Rebecca Mason. Alongside Rebecca will be Head of the Land and Development Division and Senior Associate, Chris Milner; as well as Associate, Laura Gale and Solicitor, George French. Discussing matters relevant to facilitating plot sales will be Head of the New Build Department, Sarah-Louise Green.

When are the seminars?

The Land and Development seminars will take place in both Essex and Suffolk, as follows:

• 14^th May 2024, 6pm – The Lion House, Boreham, Chelmsford, Essex
• 16^th May 2024, 6pm – Venue 16, Ipswich, Suffolk