Chris Milner

Chris is a senior associate and commercial property solicitor leading the Land and Development Division (a specialist group of land development solicitors within the wider Legal 500 recommended Commercial Property Department at Holmes & Hills Solicitors).

Chris has also recently been ranked as an 'Associate to Watch' by Chambers and Partners, and as a 'Leading Associate' by the Legal 500.

Chris has extensive experience in the housebuilding sector and represents the firm's regional housebuilders, investment, landowner, and promoter clients in relation to all manner of complex development projects across East Anglia.

Chris regularly unlocks sites for development and works pragmatically for his clients to achieve solutions that meet their objectives. Chris regularly deals with matters such as:

• Acquisition and sale of land for development (including Conditional Contracts and Sub-Sale Arrangements).
• Strategic land matters (including Option agreements and Promotion Agreements).
• Affordable housing sales to registered providers.
• Collaboration and Joint Venture Agreements.
• Dealing with development finance.
• Various infrastructure and utilities agreements/deeds.

Case Studies

Some of Chris’ recent transactions include:

• Acting for a joint venture company formed and owned by two separate housebuilders, on the acquisition of a development site with existing planning consent and with a gross development value of over £15,000,000. Chris was also required to deal with the provision of funding required to purchase the site and the ongoing development works facility to deliver the scheme.
• Acting for a landowner in connection with the sale of a development site for over £3,000,000 with the benefit of planning consent for 24 units in a highly sought-after village location in mid-Essex.  The sale was made pursuant to an existing option agreement in place with two developers. The transfer deed was particularly complex given the setup of the scheme, the position of the retained land and the requirement for stopping up and diverting the existing access and services.
• Dealing with a Promotion Agreement involving multiple landowners and one of the UK’s largest national land promotors. The land involved 170 acres of land held between the landowners and the combined minimum land value under the agreement was £10,000,000.

Working closely with specialist Planning and Construction Law colleagues

Where client’s projects require, Chris works closely with colleagues from Holmes & Hills’ Planning Law Department, who are recognised by the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners as one of the leading teams of expert Planning Law solicitors in the region.

In acting for developer clients, Chris is supported in meeting their full range of legal needs by the firm’s Construction Division, these colleagues provide services relating to developer's relationships with main and sub-contractors, advising and drafting construction contracts, as well as providing strategic advice in relation to resolving construction disputes where they arise.

Chris has been working in the land and development field for a decade, having previously worked for a large regional firm in East Anglia for several years within their specialist development team.

Chris is based at Holmes & Hills Solicitors' regional Head Office - the A12 Commercial Hub - in Marks Tey, Colchester.