Practice area: Strategic land and rural development

Christopher Findley

  • 21 September 2024
Christopher Findley

Christopher is a key advisor to landowners, farmers and rural land-owning institutions. He prides himself on providing clear advice in simple terms, offering solutions to both complex and everyday problems encountered by farmers, landowners and their families. He guides farming families through issues relating to succession to key assets and tax planning and, over 40 plus years, continues to guide the 3rd and 4th generation on their affairs.

Christopher has a particular specialism in advising on strategic land projects. He advises landowners on a wide range of option and promotion agreements to bring forward land for development and is experienced in advising groups of owners on equalising development gains and the property and tax intricacies of selling land for development.

He also boasts expertise in relation to farms and landed estates transactions, offering over 40 years’ experience in agricultural landlord and tenant problems and tenants as well as freehold owners on business restructuring for inheritance tax planning purposes.

Strategic land and rural development

Rolling green hills are adorned with scattered trees and stone walls, creating a peaceful rural landscape. In the distance, soft hills rise under a clear, bright sky.

You are represented by a team that specialises in advising landowners, developers, and land promoters involved in development projects. With particular experience in advising landowners with greenfield or brownfield land for development, we understand the unique needs and interests of each party involved.

We have a clear understanding of the relationship between the different interests of the parties involved and work collaboratively to drive projects forward, whilst upholding and preserving your interests. We pride ourselves in being not just lawyers, but strategic advisors with an interest in and awareness of the sector from a commercial and political perspective.

When acting for you as a landowner, we work closely with your retained advisers (including your retained lawyers) to progress, negotiate, and deliver the initial development agreement. We meet with you and your agents, inspect your potential sites, and assist with the process of interviewing and selecting a business partner, whether it be a land promoter or a major housebuilder.

Every project has its own commercial drivers and hurdles, and we ensure that all aspects are carefully considered, and your particular interests are prioritised. We offer a dedicated team who will see your project through all its stages, providing continued support and advice as it progresses.

What we advise on:

  • Strategic land acquisition and site assembly
  • Advising on title issues including restrictive covenants, easements, and wayleaves
  • Property holding structures
  • Conditional contracts, options, hybrid option/promotion agreements, and promotion agreements
  • Overage agreements
  • Equalisation of sale proceeds via land pool trusts and other collaboration agreements
  • The mechanics of the planning process, securing an allocation in the Local Plan, planning application, s106 agreements, community infrastructure levy, and compulsory purchase orders
  • Construction procurement
  • Forward funding and development finance
  • Infrastructure provision
  • Disposal of developed units
  • Tax planning and advice

Matthew Evans

  • 29 August 2024
Matthew Evans

Matthew is a Partner in the Planning team and advises on all forms of development, with particular expertise in large-scale residential and residential-led schemes. He advises throughout the development lifecycle, from reviewing planning applications and speaking at committee meetings to drafting and negotiating associated agreements, undertaking viability reviews, advising on the Community Infrastructure Levy, and supporting the disposal of individual elements of schemes.

Matthew’s previous experience in local government gives him valuable insight into both the priorities of local authorities and the processes involved in securing planning permission and delivering development.

He also advises on highways matters, helping clients to secure the necessary agreements and integrating that advice into project timetables and delivery programmes.

His advice is practical and pragmatic. As the development process becomes increasingly complex and the demands placed on the industry continue to grow, it is important to understand not only the nature of new obligations but also what can and should be secured through the planning process and, equally importantly, what cannot.

Matthew is also the firm’s Early Careers Partner. Having been involved in graduate recruitment for more than five years, he is passionate about attracting and developing talented people and helping to secure the firm’s future success.

Matthew is Vice Chair (Occupier Board) of the Baker Street Quarter Partnership, the business improvement district within which the firm’s Head Office is located.

Jayne Beardmore

  • 29 August 2024
Jayne Beardmore

Jayne is a Rural Property and Landed Estates Solicitor specialising in all aspects of agricultural property and estates, from sales and acquisitions to leases and easements and everything in between, incorporating mainly agricultural property, but also commercial and residential property where required.

Jayne also acts on refinancing of large estates (or property in general) acting for either the lender or the landowner, or both if the transaction allows.

In addition to the above, she is part of the firm’s Strategic Land group, and acts for landowners and promoters alike in the development of land. This can include drafting and negotiating option agreements, promotion agreements, collaboration agreements and development agreements to name a few (the list is not exhaustive).

She also acts for landowners in renewable energy arrangements to include solar and battery storage installations.

Jayne sits on a number of internal committees, including Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee, Race Support network and LGBTQ+ network.

Andrew Lane

  • 29 August 2024
Andrew Lane

As a former farmer, Andrew brings a valuable understanding of the issues facing agricultural clients. Ranked in The Legal 500’s Hall of Fame for Agriculture and Estates and Band 1 in Chambers UK for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, he is recognised for his strategic approach and extensive experience in the sector.

Working with individuals, families, landowners and trusts, Andrew has advised on some of the largest and most complex land transactions in the market, many involving significant tax considerations. His expertise is frequently applied to multidisciplinary projects, where he brings together specialists to help clients navigate complex legal and regulatory issues. He regularly works alongside colleagues in the Family, Corporate Tax, Private Client and Landed Estates teams.

Andrew also acts as a trustee for a number of large family trusts and landowning families and serves as a director of numerous family-owned businesses.

Polly Montoneri

  • 29 August 2024
Polly Montoneri

Polly advises landowners on development and renewable energy projects, with extensive experience negotiating agreements for schemes ranging from small-scale developments to large and complex projects. She has a strong understanding of the sale and purchase of rural property, including commercial farms, country estates, rural properties and heritage assets. Polly also specialises in natural capital matters, advising landowners on biodiversity net gain (BNG) agreements and contracts for natural capital projects.

Polly provides commercial and practical advice, working closely with clients to protect their interests and identify potential issues at an early stage. She focuses on negotiating clear and effective agreements that help minimise risk and provide certainty throughout a project or transaction.

She works closely with colleagues across the firm, including specialists in Private Client, Tax, Corporate, Planning and Banking and Finance, to provide joined-up advice tailored to her clients’ objectives.

Recognised as a ‘Top Recommended Lawyer’ in Spear’s 500 2023, Polly is also a member of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), helping her stay up to date with developments in rural policy and the evolving rural economy.

Katherine Ekers

  • 29 August 2024
Katherine Ekers

Ranked as a Band 2 Partner in Chambers UK 2027, Katherine is noted as “highly knowledgeable, layered with great commercial awareness”. Alongside her role as a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team, Katherine is also co-head of the Studios Group.

Katherine has a background in complex real estate development work, specialising in cradle-to-grave schemes that take many years to assemble and deliver. She advises on city centre and greenfield and brownfield sites, including industrial and logistics, office, film studio and mixed-use developments. She has a strong focus on sustainability.

An empathetic problem solver, Katherine takes a proactive and decisive approach to real estate developments. She takes the time to understand the priorities and concerns of clients and other stakeholders, ensuring that commercial objectives remain at the forefront of her advice.

Recognising the importance of tact and diplomacy in complex developments, Katherine has a strong track record of building and maintaining relationships with project stakeholders, including developers, investors and the wider project team. She is skilled at putting clients in a strong negotiating position while recognising when compromise is needed to achieve successful outcomes.

Katherine frequently leads and coordinates large advisory teams, bringing together colleagues from across Forsters alongside other professional advisers and consultants.

Ben Brayford

  • 29 August 2024
Ben Brayford

Ben is a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team, which is ranked Band 1 in Chambers UK. He is Head of Hotels and Leisure.

Ben has extensive experience across the real estate sector, including developments, acquisitions and disposals, lettings, funding and joint venture work. He has particular expertise in long‑term and complex development projects.

Technically strong, pragmatic and proactive, Ben enjoys the intellectual challenge of development work, which often requires bespoke solutions to the many issues that arise. His work frequently involves coordinating and overseeing input from across the firm, including the Planning, Construction, Finance, Corporate and Tax teams.

Ben works regularly with both developers and landowners throughout the entire lifecycle of developments, from initial acquisition through planning, funding, development and ultimate disposal.

He has advised on a wide variety of matters, including commercial, residential and mixed‑use schemes of all sizes. Among his many projects, he has worked on one of Europe’s largest urban regeneration schemes at Greenwich Peninsula in London since its acquisition in 2012.

Henry Cecil

  • 29 August 2024
Henry Cecil

Praised by clients for his ‘vast array of experience in high‑value acquisitions and disposals in the agricultural sector’ (Chambers 2024), Henry is a Partner and Head of Rural Land and Business.

A ‘Hall of Fame’‑ranked partner (Legal 500 2025), he is at the forefront of high‑value estate, farm and country house purchases, and other related property issues. He is very closely involved with succession and estate planning, along with tax matters. Henry lives and breathes the countryside, with a deep understanding of the issues and opportunities that rural landowners face. He has an extensive network that he is constantly developing to support his clients.

Henry’s depth of knowledge, experience and skill is complemented by his enthusiasm for client care, communication and building long‑term relationships. Maintaining a positive mindset, he is pragmatic and efficient, an effective problem‑solver who always aims to expedite transactions.

Henry is a team player who enjoys working alongside colleagues, other advisers and clients.

Victoria Du Croz

  • 29 August 2024
Victoria Du Croz

Ranked as a Leading Individual in Legal 500 Planning 2025 and among the top practitioners in Chambers, Victoria is noted for her “brilliant legal mind” and her ability to simplify complex issues and provide pragmatic advice quickly.

Victoria heads the Planning team at Forsters and is one of few senior lawyers who specialises in representing both commercial and private clients, including major developers, institutional investors and public sector entities. She advises on all aspects of redevelopment and regeneration, from planning applications to planning appeals, judicial review, statutory challenges and disposal strategies.

Victoria has a strong track record in the redevelopment of central urban sites, including highly constrained developments.

She is known for providing robust, strategic and commercial advice, drawing on her extensive experience and detailed understanding of site-specific constraints and development opportunities. She has a longstanding interest in the built environment and the role planning plays in shaping places and communities.