Prettys Developers Club

Prettys has an expert property solicitor team based in Ipswich and Chelmsford. In March, we hosted two Developers’ Clubs breakfast networking and briefing events and offered the latest commercial and legal perspectives on how to maximise opportunities when buying and selling development land.

During the event we surveyed all the attendees to get their opinions on the state of the sector.

Almost two thirds said the government is not doing enough to encourage property development in East Anglia.

When asked about the most important factors to be tackled to create more opportunities for property development in the region, 42% said alterations to planning controls and 41% stated availability of sites should be the focus of attention.

A further 25% of respondents said availability of funding was a major factor while just 7% cited availability of materials and labour as the key obstacle.

For some, improvements to infrastructure and transport were also key issues to aid property development in the region, while others said more focus was needed to support commercial development, not just residential.

Tim Bacon, head of our commercial property solicitors, said, “The property sector across the country is very buoyant, but to ensure that East Anglia also reaps the benefits, it is essential that the availability of sites and the red tape around planning controls are addressed.

“The economic benefits from commercial and residential property development can make a huge contribution to the local economy and it is essential that both land owners and developers understand all the issues and opportunities to deliver the most successful results.”