Top 100 UK law firm Birketts has advised on the purchase of 43-acre Childerditch Industrial Park for Brentwood Borough Council (BBC).

Jo Cope, Legal Director in Birketts Commercial Property Team, led with support from the Commercial Property Team (Partner Matthew White, Legal Director Duncan Williamson, Senior Associate Amanda Early, Associates Hannah Harbottle and Sian Kersse and Solicitors Richard Grant, Talia Jacobs and Nahla Faiz), and Planning and Environmental Team (Partner Deborah Sharples, Legal Director Ros Nuttall and Associate Edward Long). There was additional support from Senior Associate Jonathan Insley (Employment), Senior Associate Katrina Bretten (Construction and Engineering) and Solicitor Ben Clarke (Corporate Tax).

The industrial park is a multi-unit estate made up of 20 warehouse units, nine storage yards, three offices, a café and ample parking, located close to the A127 for quick access to London and the M25, onto vital ports at Tilbury, Dover and Folkestone. The site’s open storage is in particularly high demand since a spike in ecommerce from March 2020 and intermittent lockdowns closing UK high streets.

Speaking following the completion of the sale, Jo said: “I am delighted to see this sale completed, having taken place under the difficult circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic and against a challenging time scale. It was a pleasure dealing with BBC; I believe the Council have truly benefitted from Birketts’ full-service offering and the breadth of our team’s knowledge, utilising lawyers in our Property, Tax, Planning and Environmental and Employment Teams.

Thanks to the large number of specialisms available at our firm and one of the largest dedicated property teams in the country, clients making commercial property purchases of this size always get the best possible advice appropriate to each transaction.”

Amanda Julian, BBC Corporate Director (Law and Governance) and Monitoring Officer, added: “Jo and the Birketts team made sure this transaction ran smoothly and seamlessly. Their expertise from across the firm was greatly appreciated and made a tangible difference in ensuring this purchase was completed in a short period.

Childerditch Industrial Park has the potential to support and grow the economy of Brentwood and the region for years to come and as the local authority we can maximise its advantageous position close to the M25, Lower Thames Crossing and the capital.”