Penelope Edgar

Penny is a Partner and Head of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Penny assists farmers and rural landowners with all non-contentious aspects of their property affairs including buying and selling land, granting and taking farm business tenancies, leases of commercial units where landowners have diversified away from agriculture, bio-diversity net gain schemes.

With a background in general commercial property Penny is well-placed to assist the rest of the general Real Estate team as needed.

Penny is also a member of the charity and not for profit sector team and, having worked in-house for the London Borough of Southwark for two years, occasionally advises local councils on property matters.

Acquisition and disposal of agricultural land and buildings
Farm business tenancies
Acquisition and disposal of freehold and leasehold commercial property
All aspects of non-contentious landlord and tenant matters.

Acting for a well-known charity in the sale of agricultural/bare land for development

The transaction included unregistered land, involved three landowners and, while the sale imposed overage on the buyer it also involved the potential payment of overage to a previous landowner. We negotiated a favourable deal for our client in relation to that future overage.

Acting for a farming partnership

Entering into a habitat management agreement with a land banking company.

Advising a local landowner on a chain of easements

Over adjoining holding and required to update their water supply.

Our client bought a small estate in East Sussex

Partly in their own names and partly in the name of their company. We ensured the transaction was structured to minimise our clients’ liability to stamp duty land tax. The estate had no mains drainage, there were breaches of listed planning legislation, and the seller could not show title to the last section of the driveway joining the highway. Not unusual issues and we managed to satisfy the funder, and our clients, to enable the transaction to go ahead.

Buying 222 acres of farmland

Part registered and part unregistered, for a farming client. Some of the land was subject to overage but only in the case of renewable energy projects being installed on the land, overage to be paid either on the rental income or the freehold sale value. We ensured there would be no duplication of overage payment in the event of land subject to a renewable energy lease subsequently being sold.

Achievements & other appointments

Penny became a fellow of the Agricultural Law Association in 2018, is ranked for agricultural law in Chambers UK and is a Recommended Lawyer for both agriculture and commercial property in The Legal 500. Penny is also listed as a Citywealth Leader.

Insider media property awards - shortlisted- 2023

Education

Penny has a combined Honours degree in French and Italian from the University of Birmingham and passed the Common Professional Exam and Solicitors’ Finals at The College of Law in Chester. Penny was admitted in 1993.

Partner, Real Estate

Specialisms & expertise

Examples of work