Cripps Harries Hall

Affordable housing

Cripps Harries Hall has a multi disciplinary team advising registered providers of affordable housing in every aspect of their business.

What we do

We offer the full range of property and planning services:

  • Buying sites and built units  
  • Development and funding agreements
  • Construction documents
  • Infrastructure and planning agreements
  • Transactions with other registered providers.

A specialist team deals with shared ownership and shared equity sales, right to buy and right to acquire disposals, rent to buy and mortgage rescue schemes.

We can also meet your requirements for general business advice - on setting up a business, commercial contracts, employment, and regulatory issues.

Our clients

Our clients are registered providers and housebuilders with affordable housing divisions.

Why Cripps Harries Hall?

Our affordable housing team brings together experts who have a wealth of experience and specialist knowledge to meet the requirements of, and demands facing, the affordable housing sector. We understand the regime within which you operate and that clear, concise advice and value for money are key to the delivery of your development programmes and housing services.

We can provide flexible and fixed fee arrangements tailored to your particular needs.

Next steps

For further information please contact Andrew Harbourne in the first instance, or in his absence Sarah Ferguson.

Latest news Date
+ Cripps' planning partner: 'not all judicial reviews are spurious'
David Cameron's promised reforms of the judicial review system are not addressing the crux of the delays, according to Cripps Harries Hall planning partner, Jason Towell.
 03/12/2012
  • Acting for a housing association in conjunction with a City firm in connection with a £150 million facility including involvement in negotiating the loan documentation and dealing with certificates of title for over 300 properties (including individual units and new build developments)
  • Acting for a housing association on a joint venture with a top 10 national housebuilder to acquire a site in Kent - we dealt with all aspects of the acquisition including setting up the joint venture and complex planning and stamp duty land tax advice
  • Advising a major development client in relation to a number of large urban regeneration projects in partnership with housing associations including dealing with a £60 million regeneration project in the West Midlands and a number of projects in the South East
  • Advising a major housing association on a long-term, large-scale development project involving a community interest company in relation to the development of land by a house builder
  • Acted for a housing association on the development of a large block of flats with substantial rights of light, rights of way, restrictive covenant and other complex title issues, to reach a successful conclusion on all issues and the letting of all the flats
  • Acted for a housing association on a complex development site constructed over main railway tunnels, involving security for the client in relation to any liability that might be incurred for damage to the tunnels, rights of light issues, escrow accounts and security for land transferred at a deferred consideration.
  • Advising housing association and other public sector clients on public procurement law
Name Role Contact
Sarah Ferguson Partner +44 (0)1892 506 352
Beth Gascoyne Associate +44 (0)1892 506 324
Clair Grant Associate (Chartered Legal Executive) +44 (0)1892 506 123
Andrew Harbourne Partner +44 (0)1892 506 273
Helen Hunnisett Associate +44 (0)1892 506 050
James Lee Associate +44 (0)1892 506 362
Bill Mackie Partner +44 (0)1892 506 319
Glenn Miller Partner +44 (0)1892 506 207
Kathryn Rogers Associate +44 (0)1892 506 147
Richard Stokes Partner +44 (0)1892 506 022
Jason Towell Partner +44 (0)1892 506 218
Mike Vos Partner +44 (0)1892 506 107
Legal updates view all
+ Construction law - Construction defects in new build residential flats - March 2013
When you purchase an off-plan flat from a developer the balance of power between the two parties invariably results in a contract that favours the developer. The scope for a purchaser's solicitor to make changes to such a contract is very small as there is simply not enough bargaining power to insist on performance bonds, retentions or specific construction obligations.
 28/03/2013
+ Development law - Retirement housing - October 2012
We cannot escape the reality that we live in an ageing society. The retired population is growing and life expectancy is rising. The increased demand and need for retirement housing is inevitable. This area of the market is becoming increasingly competitive as more organisations look to enter and become involved in the sector.
 30/10/2012
+ Construction law - Demystifying collateral warranties - October 2012
Love them or loathe them, collateral warranties are still the main method of granting protection to third parties with an interest in a construction project. This article aims to demystify what collateral warranties are, why they are needed and explores the more cost-effective alternative of using third party rights schedules.
26/10/2012
+ Construction law - Project management - August 2012
The recent TCC decision in Ampleforth Abbey Trust v Turner & Townsend Project Management Limited has served as another reminder of the dangers of relying on building works being procured under letters of intent rather than formal building contracts. It has also provided a stark warning to project managers of the scope of their standard of care and to construction professionals in general of the risk of "unreasonable" limitation of liability clauses within their standard terms and conditions being held as unenforceable.
30/08/2012
+ Planning law - Land owning local planning authorities - August 2012
It is settled law that when a development site is solely owned by a council it is not possible for that council to enter into a section 106 agreement with itself, in its capacity as local planning authority, to secure the delivery of planning obligations. Such situations can arise with urban regeneration schemes where a council owns a site and enters into a development agreement with a developer. The problem created is sometimes resolved by the council entering into an agreement with the developer, previously using powers under the Local Government Act 1972 and now using powers under the Localism Act 2011, under which a section 106 agreemen
 09/08/2012
+ Retirement living - Community Infrastructure Levy - Summer 2012
For development control purposes there used to be broadly two areas of interest in determining the use class for retirement housing. Firstly, whether the development fell under general housing policies and should contribute to the provision of affordable housing and other financial obligations, and secondly whether a material change in use occurred which would require planning permission. Since the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 took effect in April 2010, a further area of interest has been revealed: whether a retirement housing development is exempt from CIL or is permitted a reduction in the levy.
 06/08/2012
+ Retirement living
Publication of the draft National Planning Policy Framework ('NPPF') has made it clear that the Government's agenda is now pro development.
 19/10/2011
Publications view all
+ Affordable Housing Bulletin - February 2013
Read here for the latest news from our Affordable Housing team.
 27/02/2013
+ Affordable Housing - September 2012
Featuring the latest news from the affordable housing team
 28/09/2012
+ Affordable housing - Autumn bulletin 2011
Featuring the lastest news from the affordable housing team
 30/09/2011
In the press view all
+ Cripps Harries Hall hires strategy consultant
Cripps Harries Hall LLP, has announced the appointment of Christopher Digby-Bell as consultant. Christopher joins Cripps on a non-executive basis to drive business development, with the aim of broadening the firm's reach and generating new opportunities.
28/11/2012

Key contacts

Sarah Ferguson
Affordable housing
+44 (0)1892 506 352
e-mail
Andrew Harbourne
Affordable housing
+44 (0)1892 506 273
e-mail