Yorkshire law firm Gordons advises on London east end development

Yorkshire-based law firm, Gordons, recently helped a high profile property project in the east end of London make huge developments towards work beginning.

The law firm advised waterside developer H2O Urban in the acquisition of a half-acre site at the junction of the Regents and Hereford Union canals, neighbouring Mile End Park, in Tower Hamlets.

The Canal & River Trust, which maintains Britain’s 200-year-old network of canals, rivers and dicks, sold the land for an undisclosed sum.

The site, located in a conservation area known as Bow Wharf, which currently houses a car park and derelict former warehouse, will be redeveloped in a joint venture with London-based construction company Rooff.

International architecture practice Lewis & Hickey designed the new project, which will be split into three buildings on either side of the Regents Canal. As well as containing 34 dwellings, the property will include 19 one and two-bedroom apartments and five four-bedroom town houses.

Ten of the new homes are expected to be reasonably priced.

Work on the site is due to commence this spring and be completed by the summer of 2016.

In addition, H20 Urban will repair a listed bridge and build a café unit, looking out over the piazza to be created at the junction of the canals.

Gordons’ advisory team, including solicitors Sarah Ratcliffe and James Cook, from its commercial property and corporate departments, and Rachel Stoyle, a legal executive in the firm’s construction team, have advised H2O Urban.

As well as assisting the client on acquiring the land, Gordons also acted on the joint venture agreement with Rooff and construction matters. In the future, Gordons will advise H2O Urban on aspects including securing funding and sales of residential plots at the site.

Nicola Tindale, chief executive officer of H2O Urban, said: “The firm has been advising us for about three months on a number of issues, including negotiations with Rooff over the joint venture agreement. They drove the process forward, ensuring completion still took place within the demanding timescale, acceptable to all parties, that we’d set them. We look forward to starting on-site at this exciting project, which will bring new life to a derelict piece of the canal side.”

Gordons, which is one of the UK’s leading law firms, has offices in Leeds, Bradford and London, employs 235 people and has a turnover of more than £22.9m. Clients include Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc, construction and high performance materials manufacturer Saint Gobain, international brewers Molson Coors and the world’s largest electrical heating business Glen Dimplex.