Council to appoint law firm to give property advice on 840 hectare project
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
is looking to appoint a law firm to provide property legal advice for a major development covering 840 hectares.
The local authority and Hampshire County Council are leaseholders for the land at Manydown, near Basingstoke.
The two councils are in the process of procuring a consortium of consultants to prepare a detailed masterplan and submit a planning application for the first phase of the Manydown project that is defined as the site allocation contained in the emerging Local Plan.
Basingstoke – which is acting in the capacity of ‘lead authority’ – is planning to commission property and commercial legal advice for the project. This will include the subsequent procurement of a development partner if appropriate.
The authority said it envisaged that the commissioned legal advice service would cover:
- legal agreements and documentation;
- conveyancing of land interests;
- future commercial and non-commercial organisation and governance structures;
- associated compliance and regulatory issues including but not limited to procurement, state aid, vires and local government legislation;
- procurement of strategic partner(s) to jointly develop and deliver the Manydown project alongside the two councils through relevant corporate or joint venture structure(s);
- governance structures and issues;
- adaptable legal service which can offer responsive, high quality advice and where necessary, negotiation and recommendations.
“The advice required will need to be from the perspective of the councils as joint landowners and developers of the Manydown project,” Basingstoke said.
It is envisaged that the contract will operate for a period of between three to five years, but this may vary according to how, and the speed at which, the Manydown project progresses as whole.
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted by 12:00 on 6 July 2015.