Joanna Clarke

Partner
T: +44 (0)117 3218065
F: +44 (0)117 3218015
j.clarke@ashfords.co.uk

Joanna joined Ashfords in 2006. She specialises in commercial property work for the public and private sector. Joanna's particular specialism is advising on commercial and residential development, local authority and health related projects (including third party development), acquisitions and private finance initiatives. Joanna is also dealing with private sector utility developments.

Joanna was the director and President of Bristol Law Society in 2005.

Recent experience includes·

• advising a developer upon a number of acquisitions and disposals for commercial and residential development. In particular dealing with acquisition of land in Weston Super-Mare for £4.5 million with complex title and planning issues, including detailed Section 106 Agreement and arrangements with West Mendip Drainage Board. The transaction included the negotiation of indemnities, future adjustment of boundaries and complex service arrangements with sterilisation payments. The acquisition was time critical thus resources were managed to meet the deadlines as necessary. Subsequently advising upon the strategy for, and the disposal of, the site including the formation of management companies and marketing of the site;
• advising a Government Body in connection with the acquisition of an interest in land which includes bespoke IT requirements, investigation of the freehold title and finalising complex lease arrangements;
• advised a developer upon a collaboration agreement and disposal for the development of a large residential and commercial development site in Taunton. This involved advising upon the strategic requirements of the development and dealing with the disposal to RSL, co-ordinating the sales information for the residential sales and disposal of the commercial site and dealing with development of the phased infrastructure. Disposal value of the first phase being £12 million and £100 million for the whole site;
• advising Devon County Council on all property issues arising from a section 106 agreement for the development of 2900 houses at Cranbrook Devon. This includes investigation of title, transfers of land, warranties for the development and negotiation of leasehold arrangements for shared premises and short term occupation of on site accommodation;
• advising Housing Associations on development acquisition and disposals including advising an acquisition of 45 units on a site in Stroud from a private developer on a golden brick basis. This work included: dealing with ransom strip and management company issues, for example capped service charge and certificates, varying and approving the specifications and achieving a time critical completion within 4 weeks from the receipt of instructions; .
• advising Sanctuary Housing Association in a development acquisition of 42 units at 3 sites with Taylor Wimpey on the basis of a development and umbrella agreement, and completing the transaction within 3 weeks from the date of receiving instructions;
• advising Sovereign Housing Association on its acquisition of a nursing home from a local authority for residential development on an unconditional basis. This work included advising on title defects, adverse possession, ad medium filum issues, boundary encroachment and rights of way, and contamination and remediation issues;
• advising General Medical Practioners across the country with the property aspects of new surgeries and resource centres including leasehold and freehold acquisitions with conditions, options, warranties, leases and conditional agreements for lease, funding documentation and issues relating to the reimbursement of rent and LIFT documentation;
• advising Hounslow PCT in connection with the acquisition of a leasehold development site for a new health centre which involved dealing with funding, powers, VAT, title issues, collateral warranties and the contract documentation;
• advising on the property aspects and assisting with the drafting of the standard LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) documentation, a hybrid PFI for the provision of Primary Care and has led on the property aspects in a number of those schemes including completing the first LIFT project in the country in 1998. Schemes have included regeneration of land for healthcare and ancillary issues, the acquisition of contaminated land, CPO issues, mixed use developments, infrastructure arrangements and complex decanting arrangements. Joanna is currently advising General Medical Practitioners in Cornwall dealing with the funding, lease and title issues;
• advising a company in the renewable energy sector in dealing with connection agreements and advising upon the property structure for provision of renewable energy and the acquisition of leases and granting of underlease from Yorkshire Electricity;
• advising a City Council as Landlord on the leasehold acquisition and simultaneous surrender of 3 plots of land in order to facilitate the first phase of the multi million pound redevelopment of its City Centre. The acquisitions were conditional upon receiving funding from English Partnerships, and our work included: advising the City Council on English Partnership’s grant funding agreement, negotiating the terms of the agreement and preparing an acceptable form of certificate of title to be given on behalf of the City Council to enable the grant funding to be released; and
• secondment to Viridor, Pennon Group, on a part time basis in 2006 assisting with property issues for acquisitions, leases and property aspects of project work.