Mills & Reeve is celebrating after receiving the best law firm award at the Oxfordshire Property Festival Awards 2021. The awards recognise some of the best of the Oxfordshire property, design and construction sectors. Mills & Reeve won the Best Law Firm award which identified law firms operating in the built environment, construction and real estate sectors who could demonstrate that they have been active in the Oxfordshire marketplace. Over the past two years, Mills & Reeve has worked on the Oxford North project, negotiating a suite of agreements needed to enable the grant of pla ..read more

Many have said that a lack of planning policy support for the delivery of retirement housing is one of the biggest hurdles which the sector faces – which seems odd, as an ageing population is one thing which can, with some certainty, be foreseen and therefore surely planned for. At a national level, the Government has acknowledged the need to plan for accommodation for the ageing population. The NPPF expressly refers to the need to consider the size, type and tenure of housing needed by older people, and planning practice guidance reminds us that “a healthy place …meets the needs of children a ..read more

If Covid was a storm, it’s fair to say the life sciences sector has not only weathered it, but is well on its way to curing it too. Pre-Covid (yes, such days did exist), the life sciences sector was already flourishing but the global pandemic has undoubtedly catapulted it into the national spotlight. During a year of lockdowns and various restrictions, all eyes were pinned on the sector to provide the route back to ‘normality’. It did so in record time and the Cambridge-Oxford Arc has played a pivotal role with the deployment of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Oxford’s life science experts als ..read more

Mills & Reeve and RSK are hosting their third webinar in a series for developers and investors in brownfield sites. The webinar will provide a fresh perspective on some of the key environmental challenges for the sector. Wednesday 7 July 2021: 10.00 - 10.30 Government policy promotes the use of brownfield land in preference to greenfield but in biodiversity and natural capital terms, this doesn’t always make sense. With the introduction of the Environment Act later this year, developers will be required to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain on developments in England. This can be challenging wh ..read more

As more landowners and developers commit to net zero targets, we are seeing increasing proposals for net zero buildings – buildings which balance any greenhouse gases produced during development and emitted during the running of the building with emissions taken out of the atmosphere. As buildings contribute to nearly 40% to the annual global greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable building projects will be vital to cities and the UK as a whole in achieving the ambitious net zero targets that have been set.  An innovative net carbon zero office building at the New Bailey in Salford recently ..read more

Estates teams in the HE sector have faced a raft of challenges during 2020/2021. These have included COVID-19 related financial challenges such as reduced income from overseas students, third term rent refunds and the likely reduction of public sector spending in the near future, along with pre-pandemic challenges such as fluctuating student numbers and growing regulation in the HE sector. It is widely agreed when thinking about a post-COVID world that life will not carry on as it had been pre-pandemic, and that there is no “return to normal”. But does the future present more challenges than o ..read more

Christine de Ferrars Green talks to Euan Hall, chief executive of the Land Trust, about the management of green spaces for communities. The health and wellbeing aspects of the availability and use of green spaces have come to prominence in the past year. They have, of course, been an integral part of the planning of our cities, towns and villages for many years, and the emphasis on good quality open spaces in our new communities has been a focus for planning authorities in consenting new developments for some time. In the past, these spaces were frequently adopted by local authorities, to ..read more

One of the trends likely to occur in sci-tech real estate is the re-purposing of commercial spaces like offices, retail and warehouse units, to lab space. With increased demand for this space amongst occupiers including the life sciences and tech sectors it seems logical (where change of use is permitted) to repurpose units sitting vacant. However, there are some specific and technical considerations needed. Location and logistics are at the top of the list. Location, location, location The lab type occupier, especially start-ups, usually want to be located near to similar organisations and on ..read more

Our Real estate team has launched ‘Mapping the FutuRE’, an interactive map giving a vision for the future of Real Estate.  From their broad experience working with clients across the sector, the team share views on trends evolving in a new and ever changing landscape. The map offers insights and predictions on a wide range of topics affecting the real estate industry. It can be navigated by asset type, including Science parks, Student accommodation, Offices, Health and care and many more. The map also links to the key themes which are re-shaping the industry: ESG with a focus on Sustainab ..read more

We have now hosted our third insightful discussion on patient capital in real estate investment, in our series of “on the sofa with…..”. Patient capital investment represents a long-term commitment to a real estate development project.  It is made by investors who can wait for a return on their capital through the whole development cycle of a project.  It is a key feature of the master-developer model seen to its best effect on large-scale strategic sites.  Patient capital allows a holistic approach to place-making, community and sustainable development, providing augmented retu ..read more