Land Development Solicitors

Options and Overage Agreements

Land development has become increasingly complex in recent years due to evolving regulations. Our property solicitors are experts in this field, understanding the planning and environmental issues that can impact your development. With years of experience, we are pleased to offer practical and commercial advice to help you navigate and successfully complete your project. In the property market, challenges are inevitable. Having a professional property and land development solicitor on your side enables you to anticipate issues early on and find suitable solutions.

Our property and land development lawyers are a driving force in bringing deals to a successful conclusion.

We proudly work with a range of loyal clients, including developers and housebuilders, companies of all sizes, and individuals. Our land development solicitors can advise and handle site acquisition, disposal and new house or plot sales. Throughout the entire process, our development lawyers will provide unbiased professional advice, enabling you to make informed decisions.

At Hart Brown, we are pleased to be experienced in dealing with the following areas:

  • Restrictive covenants
  • Options
  • Conditional contracts and development contracts
  • Overage agreements and pre-emption agreements on land
  • Planning agreements, Section 106 agreements, and unilateral undertakings
  • Promotion agreements
  • Infrastructure agreements
  • Indemnity insurance
  • New house or plot sales

Contact one of our property and land development solicitors today on 01483 887766 to discuss your requirements. Alternatively, please email us or start a live chat.

Who to contact

Roderick Campbell- Head of Commercial Property

Roderick Campbell

Partner, Head of Commercial Property

Roderick Campbell- Head of Commercial Property

Partner, Head of Commercial Property

Roderick Campbell

Roderick has specialised in property law for 30 years. He trained with Hart Brown, qualifying in 1985 and became a Partner in 1990.

He specialises in all aspects of non-contentious commercial property work including freehold and leasehold acquisitions and disposals; residential development work; options; conditional contracts, development agreements and land promotion agreements. He acts for a broad range of clients including property companies, developers, owner/occupiers and SMEs.

Hart Brown is recognised in the Legal 500 2024 edition for real estate work in the South East and the entry states “Practice head Roderick Campbell is experienced in handling all aspects of non-contentious commercial property work for a broad range of clients, recently specialising in acting for large residents’ associations that manage freehold estates."

In 2008 he published a book on “Methods of Securing Development Land Overage”. He also holds an LLM Masters Degree in Advanced Commercial Property Law with distinction.

He is a member of the Law Society Property Group and LawNet Commercial Property Group.

His most memorable case was acting for a landowner on the grant of an Option Agreement concerning an M25 service area which lasted for some 12 years between exchange and completion!

    Tamzin Mandelli

    Partner, Commercial Property

    Partner, Commercial Property

    Tamzin Mandelli

    Prior to joining Hart Brown, Tamzin had worked for a local authority and for both regional and national firms.

    Tamzin is a Partner with over 23 years' experience and she is based at our Woking office. Tamzin specialises in all aspects of commercial property including the sale and purchase of shops, offices and restaurants, landlord and tenant matters (from granting the new lease, through to the various licences for works, transfers and so on) and dealing with the eventual termination of a lease. She is also experienced at dealing with development work including option agreements and acquisitions.

    Hart Brown is recognised in the Legal 500 2024 edition for real estate work in the South East and the entry states “With substantial experience in sales and purchases of properties, landlord and tenant matters and development agreements, Tamzin Mandelli 'provides a high level of service’ and ‘is able to deliver what is needed’.”

    What do Tamzin's clients say about her?

    "We have just worked on a commercial transaction together, which was by far the most challenging case I have dealt with (for a variety of reasons). Tamzin was extremely efficient and salvaged the transaction multiple times... I highly recommend her!"

    “Thank you very much for all of your help and support. It has been an absolute pleasure working with you and hope to do so again in the future!”

    "...thank you for your support with X, it's been good fun. Wish you were handling a commercial purchase for me! … lesson learnt, will place with you next time!"

    “The service I received was efficient, professional and the members I dealt with both past and present have been helpful…and very personable.”

      John Guthrie Associate, Commercial Property

      John Guthrie

      Partner, Commercial Property

      John Guthrie Associate, Commercial Property

      Partner, Commercial Property

      John Guthrie

      John started his career at Hart Brown in 2016 before becoming a Partner in 2024. John has more than 21 years post qualification experience in property.

      He is a member of the Law Society and has written articles for the local press in Kent, Sussex and Surrey.

      John's specialisms:

      The full cycle of business leases, buying and selling businesses as a going concern, specific expertise in the leasing and disposal of licensed premises, development work and residential leasehold extensions.

      His most memorable case:

      Handling the property aspects of a £20 million company acquisition and restructuring the leaseback arrangements to achieve a substantial SDLT saving.

        Lucy Lawrenson

        Senior Associate, Commercial Property

        Senior Associate, Commercial Property

        Lucy Lawrenson

        Lucy qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and has practised since then at a variety of firms, both in Central London and regionally. She joined Hart Brown in 2024 as a Senior Associate in our Commercial Property Department based at our Guildford office.

        Lucy has 29 years’ post qualification experience in a wide variety of non-contentious property related matters, covering commercial and residential property and leasehold enfranchisement.

        She currently focuses on all aspects of commercial property matters – where the property itself is for commercial use or the transaction has a commercial slant to it. This includes sales, purchases, leases, re-finance, auctions, property support for corporate transactions, development related work, sales and purchases of going concerns and more miscellaneous matters, such as Licences, Deeds of Easement and Covenant and more general property advice.

        One of her most logistically challenging cases was the simultaneous completion of a re-write of all the leases in a block of 45 flats. Whilst one of her more interesting sales involved land at the Brooklands Race Track and the peculiarities it threw up.

        Lucy prides herself on giving her clients a first class, well rounded, pragmatic, efficient, accessible service and cuts through the legal jargon to communicate with her clients in the best way she can. Her clients come back time and again and invariably recommend her to others, as do the other professionals she deals with on a regular basis.

        Some recent testimonials from clients:

        "Thank you, I’m really pleased I went with Hart Brown. You and Rod have been nothing short of excellent."

        "I wanted to Thank you very much for your assistance in getting the contract signed at 6.55pm today. It was a really great effort on your behalf and you dealt with all the various complexities very well. I would be very happy to be advised by you again or to recommend you."

          Celia Watts- Consultant, Commercial Property

          Celia Watts

          Consultant, Commercial Property

          Celia Watts- Consultant, Commercial Property

          Consultant, Commercial Property

          Celia Watts

          Celia has a wealth of experience in commercial property and in particular in acquisition of developments sites, acting for both landlord and tenants on commercial leases of industrial units and offices and acting for landowners on the granting of options. Two of her most memorable cases have been the negotiating of sale of land at Battersea Power Station and acting on the acquisition and disposal of a major development site which included negotiation with the office of the Mayor of London.

          Celia joined Hart Brown in 2007 and she became a consultant in 2015.

          Celia’s clients provide excellent feedback: “From the start of this project to the end you have dealt with everything that has been thrown at you and given me impeccable advice on all matters from buying the sites to obtaining the planning permission through to completing a section 106 on such a massive development and working tirelessly ….. thank you once again for your sound advice”

            Emma R

            Emma-Rose Reynolds

            Solicitor, Commercial Property

            Emma R

            Solicitor, Commercial Property

            Emma-Rose Reynolds

            Emma-Rose qualified as a solicitor in September 2023, although she has been with Hart Brown since graduating with her first-class honours Bachelor of Law Degree in 2019. Emma-Rose completed her Master of Law in Professional Legal Practice and obtained a distinction whilst working full-time as a paralegal at Hart Brown.

            Emma-Rose has trained in the Commercial and Corporate, Leasehold Enfranchisement, Residential Property and Commercial Property departments and is now working full-time as a solicitor in her chosen field, Commercial Property.

            Emma–Rose advises clients in relation to the acquisition and disposal of commercial property, granting and taking new leases, lease renewals, assignments of existing leases, grants of easements and deeds of covenant.

            Emma-Rose prides herself in providing a straightforward, efficient and pragmatic approach to her matters so that she can deliver the best possible level of service to her clients.

            Some client testimonials:

            “I would like to thank you Lewis and Emma for your help, support, and advice in this matter, it did seem a bit daunting at first but you made it easy and I really appreciate what you have done for me so thank you again”

            “Emma was a breath of fresh air always nice to speak to very helpful in me understanding the process.”

            “Thank you so much for putting this together and sending it on to me. I am really very thankful. I have been so impressed with the communication from your firm throughout this whole process and have found you to be so easy and friendly to work with. I would have no hesitations in using Hart Brown in the future and would highly recommend you to others.”

            “I just wanted to say thanks so much for doing this so quickly and efficiently… this is a great help.”

            “It was an absolute joy and a pleasure working with you, where it's a small world and so if there are other times of my requiring excellent Solicitors, then I shall of course contact you.”

            “Our interaction with you throughout was professional and efficient and we particularly appreciated your responsiveness/keeping us informed as matters progressed.”

            “A huge thank you to Debbie and Emma for their absolutely incredible service during our house purchase. They were fantastic from start to finish, very thorough, regularly updated us and were always available by phone and email and answered all of our questions. We felt very well looked after and would highly recommend them!”

              "Hart Brown advises clients throughout the South East on matters including transactions involving leaseholds and freeholds, as well as development work. Its clients include SMEs and investment LLPs, and it has also developed a specialism in acting for residents' associations. The practice is led by Roderick Campbell; Tamzin Mandelli and John Guthrie are also recommended."

              Legal 500 (2021 edition), Commercial Property: Kent, Surrey, Sussex,

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              Tamzin Mandelli

              "This is the 12th property transaction that Roderick has undertaken for us since 1992 - We must be satisfied!"

              Commercial Property Client 1,

              "The service I received was efficient, professional and the members I dealt with both past and present have been helpful, compassionate and very personable."

              Commercial Property Client 2,

              "Thank you so much for your time this afternoon, so invaluable. People like you are what make life so much easier, please keep up the good work!!"

              Commercial Property Client 3,

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