DLA Piper has advised National Grid on the sale of approximately 95 acres of land near Ebbsfleet Green, North Kent to Redrow Homes Limited. Contracts were exchanged on 28 June 2013.

The site, situated just 700 metres from Ebbsfleet International Station, with direct high-speed trains into Central London and to the Continent, has been sold with a purchase price of at least GBP32 million. Redrow Homes Limited have acquired the land with the benefit of a resolution to grant planning permission for up to 1,500 residential units and 22,000 square metres of commercial space.

The acquisition was structured as a joint venture under which Redrow will secure planning permission for, and build, new homes and other mixed use development in this burgeoning area of North Kent, over the next ten years.

Ben Taylor, Legal Director at DLA Piper said: "It has been great to work on such a significant deal for our long-standing client, National Grid. This deal is a significant milestone for them in their Joint Venture programme and unlocks value at one of their most strategically located sites. This deal is demonstrates the great work our real estate and planning teams do across the UK, and further afield. Our recent accolade as eighth in the list of top planning law firms is testament to the quality of the work we do and of our partners and other fee-earners."

The team was led by Legal Director Ben Taylor with assistance from trainees Jennifer Bishop and Amy Sanders and additional help from Helen Dyer and James Blackwell in the real estate finance team. The team worked closely with the Redrow in-house legal team which was led by Graham Cope and Gerald Allison and Duko Frankhuizen of DTZ. Howard Bassford is the DLA Piper Client Relationship Partner for National Grid.