Council to set up £1.5m panel of solicitors advising tenants on regeneration

Hammersmith & Fulham Council is to appoint a panel of solicitors to provide £1.5m-worth of legal advice to tenants and other people affected by a major regeneration project in the Earl’s Court area.

The London borough is also appointing a panel of valuers and a panel of dispute valuers to advise residents, tenants, leaseholders and freeholders affected by the demolition of the Gibbs Green and West Kensington estates.

The move comes after in January this year the council concluded a conditional land sale agreement (CLSA) with E C Properties Limited and Earls Court Limited.

The CLSA granted E C Properties an option to purchase the council’s land on the estates, subject to the buyer having provided suitable replacement accommodation.

The agreement also contained detailed obligations on both parties as regards land assembly, and governing the standard and terms on which replacement accommodation was to be provided.

The CLSA dealt, in detail, with the terms for purchasing the properties owned by leaseholders and freeholders, and the basis on which replacement properties would be available to purchase, including compensation packages and financing incentives to be offered by the council.

It also set out how the position of existing secure tenants would be protected by making sure that appropriate replacement dwellings were available.

The CLSA has prepared a series of contracts for use in the various transactions which are proposed, including the grant of new secure tenancies.

Hammersmith & Fulham said these contracts had been agreed with solicitors representing the current residents and with E C Properties.

It added: “Under the terms of the CLSA, and consistent with promises made to residents, the council is obliged to create and maintain panels of professional representatives to assist current leaseholders, freeholders and secure tenants with these processes.”

The framework agreement will last four years, but could be subject to renewal. It has an estimated total value of between £1.5m and £3m.

The accelerated restricted procedure will be used to create the panels, which are required to come into existence in November 2013.