Recent public sector work in which we have been
involved includes:
Waverley Borough Council - our Real Estate team
worked closely with our Construction team in connection with the
refurbishment and re-structuring of the management of its five
leisure centres. This involved:
- consolidating five management contracts into one new
contract
- advising, reviewing and drafting the management contract
- advising on construction, public procurement and tax issues
arising
- drafting five new leases to the contractor
- advising on property issues arising
SEEDA - we have acted on behalf of our client
SEEDA in connection with the acquisition and redevelopment of
former coalfields in Kent and the acquisition of between 20 and 30
brown-field regeneration sites. This project has involved our Real
Estate, Construction and Banking teams working closely to:
- advise on and draft complex infrastructure schemes
- undertake due diligence and complete acquisitions of freehold
and leasehold properties
- draft disposal documentation for freehold and leasehold sites
and units
- negotiate and draft water, drainage and highway agreements and
section 106 planning agreements
- prepare security documentation with multiple chargees
- complete disposals of sites to housing associations for key
worker and affordable housing provision
- negotiate acquisition in site assembly backed by compulsory
purchase powers
NOMS Probation Service - we were appointed in
early 2004 as one of two legal advisors for this client in England
and Wales. We act in connection with a nationwide property
portfolio consisting of freehold and leasehold offices and
industrial premises dealing with:
- creation of a database of the property estate and successfully
completing voluntary first registration of multiple unregistered
properties in the estate
- completing contested and uncontested lease renewals under the
Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 liaising closely with our Real Estate
Dispute Resolution team
- undertaking due diligence and advising on the acquisition of
new premises including liaising closely with our Construction team
to advise on construction contracts and collateral warranties. This
includes complex projects such as the acquisition of a landmark
building and newly-developed offices for the client in an historic
part of Norwich involving a range of decontamination and
construction issues.
- completing disposals of freehold and leasehold premises
including surrender of lease of whole or parts of buildings
- drafting leases, subleases of whole or part and advising on
lease terms in particular in relation to the User covenants and
Crown Exemption clauses
- advising upon and drafting Licences to Alter, Assign, Sublet
and Oversail
- advising on the vesting of title upon several re-organisations
by the client
The Prison Service - our 20 years' experience
acting for The Prison Service includes complex projects such as
acting as sole legal advisor in connection with a farm
modernisation programme involving:
- the comprehensive review and rationalisation of all
agricultural land within the estate
- completing the disposal of or change of operational use of land
and farms with disposals realising more than £10 million for the
client to date
- drafting complex sale documentation incorporating overage
provisions, deeds of covenant, pre-emption rights and conditions on
grant of planning permission
- liaising closely with our Agriculture and Equine team to advise
upon and draft specialist environmental and farming operation
warranty provisions
- negotiating and drafting securitisation documentation and
multi-party deeds of priority
