David specialises in real estate work, including: site assemblies (through the vehicles of unconditional contracts, conditional contracts and options); commercial, residential and mixed use development (with particular expertise in relation to overage agreements); strategic land and related promotion agreements and property joint ventures; and general commercial acquisitions and disposals. David also deals with landlord and tenant work, acting for both owners and occupiers of commercial premises, as well as with property aspects within the wrapper of corporate transactions.
David joined Matthew Arnold & Baldwin in 2003 from Wragge & Co and Lee Crowder (now Cobbetts) and was made partner in 2007. He is now joint head of the Property Development Sector Group, which caters for the needs of property developers all under one roof, in advising on the efficient structuring of deals, tax planning, construction and planning advice, as well as the areas of expertise mentioned above.
The Government has announced new measures that will combat applications for “meritless” judicial reviews in England that hold up development projects. The Justice secretary Chris Grayling said that the Government was making the changes in order to eliminate unmerited applications which act as “cheap delaying tactics”, so that, instead, judicial review is only used by… Learn more
The Department for Communities and Local Government has published the Housing Guarantee Scheme Rules for affordable housing and the private rented sector. Sir Adrian Montague’s recent review of the barriers to institutional investment in private rented homes made a number of recommendations to develop a sustainable private rented sector, including the provision by the Government… Learn more
In October 2012, the Government appointed a review group – headed by Lord Matthew Taylor of Goss Moor and including, amongst others, Andrew Whitaker, the Planning Director of the Home Builders Federation – to scrutinise the current planning practice guidance that supports the implementation of national planning policy. The Group was asked to put forward… Learn more
In his recent Autumn Statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced plans to exempt from empty property rates all newly-built commercial properties that are completed between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2016. The exemption will apply (subject to consultation): 1. For the first 18 months following the property’s completion; and 2. Up to the state… Learn more
Existing housing developments that have remained incomplete due to the recession may be brought back to life following the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s announcement that £683m will be made available to support housing and commercial development. In his Autumn Statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the following funding for new home developments: 1. £300m… Learn more
It has been reported that a spokesperson for the Department for Communities and Local Government has confirmed that the new £10bn government-backed debt guarantee scheme for housebuilders will not be extended to existing developments. The spokesperson confirmed that it would not apply to development projects that were “already committed to through existing government schemes”, and… Learn more
The Department for Communities and Local Government has published the findings of Sir Adrian Montague’s eagerly awaited review of the barriers to institutional investment in private rented homes. The review, which was commissioned as part of the Government’s 2011 Housing Strategy, looks at what can be done to increase investment in private rental properties. Currently,… Learn more
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a consultation paper on its proposals to reform the law relating to the registration of towns and village greens. Section 15 of the Commons Act 2006 provides that anyone can apply to register land as a town or village green where “a significant number… Learn more
Following promises made by the Chancellor in his recent Budget Report, the Government has now launched an informal consultation on UK Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). In his Budget, the Chancellor announced that, subject to informal consultation, ”the Government will legislate in Finance Bill 2012 to support good business practices and remove barriers to entry, and investment… Learn more
The Government has launched a consultation on ending the requirement to obtain planning permission for a change of use from a commercial property to a residential property. The consultation paper, Relaxation of planning rules for change of use from commercial to residential, includes proposals to amend the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order… Learn more