Paul Hopkinson | Associate, Property

Paul has a wide range of expertise in public sector property work, particularly in the education and healthcare sectors.

He has worked for charitable and not for profit organisations in the acquisition of freehold and leasehold property, provided advice on funding for development through Local Authorities, Arts Council and Regional Development Agencies and dealt with all elements of acquisition and development documentation.

Paul plays an active role in the local community: he is a business advisor for Young Enterprise North East, a community governor at Whickham Parochial Primary School, a Public Governor of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust and is a graduate of the Common Purpose programme.

Over the last three years, Paul has acted for Primary Care Trusts involved in the development of health centres under the government’s LIFT scheme.

He led a team of property lawyers and support staff for the North Nottinghamshire scheme in the acquisition of property and land to allow development of seven new health centres and also advised on the terms of development agreements and leases to facilitate the building of the premises and their occupation by the public sector, other organisations within the NHS and general practitioners. This LIFT project is the largest yet delivered. He continues to advise as LIFT expands in this area.

He has also supported the teams involved in the Newcastle North Tyneside, Hull and Doncaster LIFT schemes.

He has been involved in a wide range of other property-related work, both residential and commercial. This has primarily involved either freehold or leasehold property acquisition for a diverse range of businesses and the acquisition of land for commercial and residential property development.

Paul is acting on the Nottinghamshire BSF project, which includes the provision of a number of academies.