Charles Cantoni

Expertise

Charles is a commercial property solicitor specialising in residential development work, acting for housebuilders, developers and landowners in the purchase and sale of development land.

He primarily works for national and regional housebuilders, negotiating conditional contracts, options, overage agreements, promotion agreements and development agreements in connection with the purchase or sale of residential development land.

Prior to joining Gateley, Charles was a partner in a practice with a substantial residential development team for 12 years and before that, an in-house lawyer for national housebuilder, Persimmon Plc. He has been specialising in residential development for over 20 years.

Experience

1. Advising a regional housebuilder on strategic option to purchase land for residential development, incorporating: overage provisions triggered by permitted area of development; development obligations to serve seller’s retained land; conditional upon seller securing a conditional contract to acquire access land from local authority; local authority requiring overage agreement in relation to development of the site and separately, development of seller’s retained land.
2. Advising a national housebuilder on the purchase of school land from a county council conditional on planning, incorporating: overage provisions; and provisions for seller to make the planning application and obtain consent.
3. Advising a developer on the purchase of agricultural barns, conditional on planning for residential development incorporating: overage provisions triggered by sales revenue; development obligations relating to seller’s retained land and shared access.
4. Advising a national housebuilder on a £22m purchase of land for residential development from another national housebuilder including: vendor selling by way of sub-sale on exercise of option to purchase; overage provisions; simultaneous sub-sale of part to another national builder; and collaboration agreement. 
5. Advising a developer on a promotion agreement relating to land to provide 600 houses, involving complex arrangements with numerous landowners including a bespoke agreement providing for purchase of the site if consented, with sub-sale to ultimate developer.