Social Housing

  • Last year the team completed a significant Scottish LSVT. The deal was worth millions of pounds by way of investment over 30 years. On the back of the successful transfer, bto’s Social Housing Unit has been retained for all ongoing work to service the needs of the RSL. One crucial aspect of this LSVT is that the acquiring RSL will require to fulfil a significant ongoing development role, including the acquisition of development sites, for the erection of new build properties for affordable housing.

  • Acquisition work for RSL:
    • Acquisition of brownfield site, linked to associated acquisition by private developer and requirement to enter into a design and build contract with that developer.
    • Multi-million pound acquisition of a development site linked to previous acquisition of “off the shelf” new build flats.
    • Acquisition of commercial subjects for land banking purposes with
      subsequent requirement to put commercial lease in place.

  • Acting for an Urban Regeneration Company involved in the regeneration of a substantial area in Scotland. This major regeneration project involves a number of public sector major players as well as voluntary organisations and private sector developers. 

  • Acting for major Scottish LSVT RSLs  in relation to their ongoing business.

  • Acting for a Local Authority in disposing of development sites.

  • Advisng lenders involved in Social Housing. Our activites cover standard security work to advice on more complex arrangements, such as trustees and syndications.
  • Regularly called upon to advise on all matters ranging from advice on EU Procurement Regulations, incorporation and group structures, contract law, finance arrangements, regulatory regimes, including OSCR, to providing business guidance on governmental innovations.

  • Regularly called upon to advise and secure Anti-Social Behaviour Orders together with a range of interim orders affecting problem tenants.

  • Retained by a number of RSL's in the recovery of Factoring arrears.

  • Advising and representing RSLs on a variety of disputes arising out of design and build contracts, development issues and tenancy matters.

  • Representing a large RSL in complex Arbitration proceedings following upon LSVT of Housing Stock.

  • TUPE & the employment aspects of Large Scale Voluntary Transfers: Acting for the emerging Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), we were instrumental in securing the successful completion of several Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) in Scotland which involved the transfer of the housing stock and related assets and staff from the local authorities to the emerging landlords. We advised on the employment aspects of these multi-million pound projects which recently concluded successfully with the transfer to our clients of over 200 staff
45/51 Hanover Street Edinburgh EH2 2PJ
T: 0131 220 2777  F: 0131 220 0010  E: lawyers@bto.co.uk
48 St. Vincent Street Glasgow G2 5HS
T: 0141 221 8012  F: 0141 221 7803  E: lawyers@bto.co.uk