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Mark Barker
Partner
Mark specialises in development work with a particular emphasis on the forward funding and sale of large-scale projects in the BTR, co-living and PBSA sectors. He acts for clients in both the private and public sector as well, and has a national reputation for his practice advising on major regeneration projects involving public and private sector collaboration.
Mark is a trusted adviser to several of the firm’s key real estate clients. He has worked with Watkin Jones, the UK’s largest developer and operator of residential to rent developments, for over 24 years and has been involved in many of Watkin Jones’ key business moments, including its first forward funding deal, its floatation on the FTSE and its first portfolio sale.
- Acting for Galliford Try Investments on the forward funding and development of a 32 storey, 272-unit BTR scheme in Cardiff City Centre with Citra Living. Our work involved input into the Heads of Terms, negotiating the Development Funding Agreement, the Sale Contract and various ancillary real estate documents, negotiating the construction package with Citra and Galliford Try Construction, negotiating several infrastructure agreements and advice on issues ranging from rights of light to VAT and SDLT.
- Acting for Watkin Jones on the subject to planning acquisition of several sites across the UK for development for BTR, co-living or PBSA. Recent highlights include our work in respect of Headrow House in Leeds, a vacant office block, where a resolution to grant has recently been secured for a 230-unit co-living scheme, which will be one of the first co-living schemes in the city.
- Acting for Preston City Council on several key strategic projects across the city designed to drive economic growth and improve the built environment for the communities that live and work in the Preston region. The projects have included the Council’s flagship £45 million Animate project, a leisure led regeneration scheme in the city centre, which was delivered through a development funding agreement with Maple Grove Developments, the letting of Amounderness House to deliver high quality workspace to the city, the development on a prominent city centre site of a Youth Zone facility with charity, Onside and the delivery, via Levelling Up funding from central government, of 4 key infrastructure projects across the Council’s region.
- Acting for Co-operative Group in the growth, management and rationalisation of its property portfolio including advising on the acquisition of new build convenience stores, store disposals, refresh programmes and day-to-day management issues.
Education
- College of Law, Chester, Solicitors' Final Examination, honours
- University of Plymouth, B.Sc., honours
Admissions
- England and Wales, 1990
- "I always find Mark to be approachable, and quick to provide sound and reliable advice." Chambers and Partners 2025
- “Mark Barker is well-known to our business and is a safe pair of hands for our increasingly complicated deals. He provides solid ongoing advice on deals that we have closed and has an ability to advise us on strategic matters, as well as purely legal matters.” Legal 500 UK 2025