Regulatory

Development and Site Assembly

Our Approach

We provide practical and commercial advice to drive each project forward for our clients.

With our team’s extensive experience in all stages of the development process, we are able to cater to a diverse range of developers, from retail and leisure, commercial and BtR residential projects (including co-living), to large-scale regeneration schemes and the creation of sustainable urban extensions, complete with all the necessary infrastructure and construction elements and neighbourly matters.

We value the individuality of each development project and objectives of each client. We take the time to establish a clear understanding of our clients’ goals and aspirations and seek to foster strong and long-standing relationships. Over the years, we have been dedicated to supporting businesses through both prosperous and challenging times, enabling seamless adaptations to the ever-changing economic environment and the evolving requirements of end-users and lenders.

A strong team ethic shines through at Kingsley Napley and there is ready support from across the whole team, whose assistance is always quick, accurate and reassuring.

Chambers and Partners _ 2025

The team are especially good at being empathetic towards their clients and taking the time to engage with their wider personal context.

Chambers UK _ 2026

Our Expertise

Our expertise in the life sciences development sector

In addition to our broad expertise, we hold strong credentials in working with the life sciences sector. Our team has a proven track record of providing specialised support and guidance to clients involved in life sciences development projects, including those with construction costs exceeding £150 million. We understand the unique challenges and requirements of this dynamic sector, and our proactive and flexible approach ensures that we fully comprehend your objectives, tailoring our services to suit your specific needs.

For examples of some of our recent work in the life sciences sector, please refer to the following press releases:

Our expertise in rights of light

Our team has extensive experience in dealing with rights of light issues, from reviewing the title to the property and surrounding titles to identify express rights or releases, to dealing with deeds of release and compensation deeds and disputes. We have strong relationships with a number of rights of light surveyors and are able to assist in dealing with brokers to discuss rights of light indemnity policies.

Diverse specialisms

We are able to draw on the wealth of expertise across Kingsley Napley’s various departments, including health and safety, regulatory, banking and finance, corporate and property litigation. This allows us to bring a comprehensive perspective to your development project, ensuring that all aspects are thoroughly considered and addressed and any issues are avoided, resolved or mitigated in the most efficient and timely way possible.

A comprehensive range of services

Our full-service approach covers every aspect of your project, from site assembly to acquisition, financing and refinancing, construction, and the eventual letting or disposal of the site to end-users. Our team is well-versed in drafting and negotiating complex legal documents associated with site assembly or acquisition and disposal, including but not limited to:

Conditional sale and purchase contracts
Development and development funding agreements
Collaboration agreements and joint ventures
Construction contracts and all associated professional appointments and security
Ancillary funding requirements
Building licenses
Forward funding agreements
Help to Buy agreements
Infrastructure agreements
Option and put and call agreements
Overage provisions and deeds
Partition agreements
Neighbourly agreements, including scaffolding and oversail licences and deeds of release of rights of light
Overhang licences
S38 and 278 Highways Agreements

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

Purchase and onward parcel sales of substantial development site

Acting on the development of a 625 acre mixed use (primarily residential) site in Northamptonshire which has outline planning consent for 3,000 homes with extensive community facilities and commercial space and on subsequent parcel sales. Parcel sale agreements are complicated and are conditional on the house builder or commercial operator obtaining reserved matters approval and the client having completed various infrastructure works. Large portions of the site are subject to Farm Business Tenancies and we have advised on complex documentation to ensure vacant possession of the various phases of the site can be secured when necessary for infrastructure works or for parcel sales. The site was also land locked and so as well as negotiating deeds of grant from several other landowners, we had to make an application to Land Registry for registration of a brook on the basis of the ad medium film aquae principle to enable full access and services to the land being sold.

Sustainable Urban Development

We act on a mixed use sustainable urban development in Kettering with outline planning consent for 5,500 dwellings, five schools, open space, local centre facilities and associated infrastructure. We are instructed to advise on infrastructure and construction matters, agreements, strategic land acquisitions and the disposal of serviced land parcels to various commercial occupiers, house builders and registered providers, regional and national. We are currently instructed to act for them on land parcel sales to national developers with values ranging from £4 million – £20 million, the acquisition of further development land and various associated construction and infrastructure matters.