Residential Development

"The team at Michelmores LLP are extremely knowledgeable, experienced, helpful and friendly. They are truly a pleasure to work with."

Legal 500 2025

"Very experienced team of property lawyers with many years dealing with all aspects of development site acquisitions and property sales."

Legal 500 2025

I find the individuals with whom I have worked to be very supportive and generous, proactive in giving advice and also they look beyond the sometimes narrow nature of questions raised, or brief given to ensure other pitfalls are avoided and client aspirations are most easily achieved.

Joseph Marchant

Our Residential Development Solicitors team is particularly strong. We act for a wide range of regional and national house builders (including Barratt, Bovis, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and Westbury), residential developers and landowners, including providers of affordable housing, student accommodation and retirement housing.

In relation to strategic land development, the team has an in-depth knowledge of promotion agreements and other legal structures and issues relating to the delivery of strategic land to development stage. We offer a full service to developers, promoters and landowners, including complex planning and tax issues. Our team is accustomed to delivering projects in the most commercially effective and tax-efficient way.

The team’s experience and proactive approach is valued by our clients, and our commitment and specialist understanding of this sector is widely recognised.

How we can help you

Our team is drawn from specialist Solicitors across our Property Group, Planning, Tax, Environmental, Construction and New Homes teams. We therefore offer a full service approach, from securing a site, through to selling the completed dwellings, and we have a clear understanding of the issues facing organisations in this sector.

Recent experience

Acting for a group of landowners in a promotion agreement relating to the potential residential development of a 100 acre site near Exeter, including a complex landowner’s agreement regulating the relationship between the land-owning parties

Acting for a number of different landowners in relation to promotion agreements in respect of a number of residential strategic land sites throughout the South West

Advising a number of house builders, both national and local, in respect of site acquisitions, site set ups and plots sales, including Barratt Homes and Cavanna Homes

Acting for the Woodard Corporation in relation to the conditional disposal of surplus land at the former Grenville College site, Bideford, to various residential developers, involving complex issues relating to conditionality, phasing and overage

Dealing with a range of joint venture and collaboration agreements between developers, and between landowners and developers including building licence and profit share arrangements

Acting in relation to land pooling and equalisation agreements in respect of strategic land sites in multiple ownership

Acting for Barratt Urban Regeneration (an operating division of Barratt Developments Plc) in delivering the second phase of the regeneration project relating to the North Prospect housing estate in Plymouth – currently the largest regeneration project currently taking place in the South West

A complex and high value residential development scheme comprising part of a mixed residential and commercial development in central London, involving the residential scheme set up and the sale of over 200 high value apartments to buyers in the UK and overseas.

Acting in relation to the site set up and plot sales in respect of retirement housing schemes in Devon for Blue Cedar Homes.

KEY CONTACTS
Lucy Smallwood
Lucy Smallwood
Partner
TEAM
Emma Honey
Emma Honey
Partner
Lucy Smallwood
Lucy Smallwood
Partner
Mark Howard
Mark Howard
Partner
Rachel Tilley
Rachel Tilley
Partner
Cheryl Brady
Cheryl Brady
Partner
Ross Jarvis
Ross Jarvis
Senior Associate
Gail Bedford
Gail Bedford
Senior Associate
Sarah Reardon
Sarah Reardon
Associate
David Blakeley
David Blakeley
Senior Paralegal