Jennifer Butterfill (née Batson)

Expertise 

Jennifer is a Principal Land Consultant with over 18 years’ experience delivering land referencing, due diligence and statutory acquisition services for major infrastructure, regeneration, housing and development projects across the UK. She advises local authorities, developers, infrastructure providers, housing organisations and public sector bodies on land referencing, acquisition and delivery strategy.

She specialises in identifying and analysing complex land ownership, occupation and third-party interests, supporting projects from feasibility and route selection through to acquisition, vesting and registration. Her expertise includes Compulsory Purchase Orders, Development Consent Orders, General Vesting Declarations, statutory notices, Books of Reference, land acquisition programmes and title due diligence.

Trained by HM Land Registry, Jennifer holds a Certificate in Land Registration Law and Practice. She is experienced in registered and unregistered land, historic conveyances, restrictive covenants, easements, overage arrangements, prescriptive rights and other encumbrances, helping clients identify and mitigate acquisition risks early.

Alongside project delivery, Jennifer provides strategic, operational and commercial leadership across the Land Referencing team. She oversees financial performance, resourcing, quality assurance, tendering and business development, while securing new commissions, developing client relationships and maintaining a consistent, high-quality service.

She leads quality assurance across land referencing and acquisition commissions, ensuring compliance with legislative and industry requirements. She manages and mentors project teams, oversees programmes and workflows, and translates complex ownership issues into clear, practical solutions.

Jennifer has delivered land referencing and acquisition services for major CPO and DCO projects nationwide. She is Joint Chair of the Society of Land Referencers’ Land Registration Advisory Group, working with HM Land Registry to promote best practice and improve registration processes. A member of the Compulsory Purchase Association and National Infrastructure Planning Association, she has contributed to government and Law Commission consultations and the CPA Working Group on Reform to Compulsory Purchase Procedure.

How do you help clients?

I help clients navigate complex land ownership, occupation and acquisition challenges by providing clear advice, robust land information and dependable project leadership. I take particular pride in ensuring that land referencing outputs are accurate, proportionate and capable of withstanding scrutiny, giving clients confidence in the decisions they make throughout the project lifecycle.

I oversee project delivery from initial investigations through to final acquisition stages, ensuring that risks are identified early, managed appropriately and communicated effectively. By combining technical expertise with practical problem-solving, I help clients maintain programme certainty, manage budgets and avoid unforeseen issues that could impact project delivery.

An important part of my role is providing quality assurance and technical oversight across project teams. I work closely with colleagues to ensure that land referencing information, Books of Reference, statutory schedules and acquisition documentation meet the highest professional standards. Through mentoring, training and independent review, I help develop technical capability within the team while maintaining consistency, accuracy and attention to detail across all project deliverables.

I also support clients by ensuring that projects are appropriately resourced and managed, with clear communication, realistic delivery programmes and a proactive approach to problem-solving. By drawing on the collective expertise of the wider team and providing strategic oversight throughout the project, I help clients achieve efficient, commercially focused and successful outcomes.

Building long-term relationships is one of the aspects of my role that I enjoy most. I aim to become a trusted extension of the client team, providing continuity, responsive support and the confidence that projects are being delivered to a consistently high standard.

Experience

1. Successfully advised Chichester District Council on the land referencing for Tangmere CPO 2023, supporting the project from inception through to implementation by General Vesting Declaration in 2025. I oversaw the land referencing process, provided strategic advice on ownership, rights and acquisition matters, quality assured statutory documentation and managed notice service throughout the project lifecycle. This work helped support the successful delivery of a major strategic development that secured planning permission for approximately 1,300 homes and associated infrastructure.
2. Led the land referencing work for the Woolwich Exchange (Spray Street) CPO 2022 regeneration scheme, advising the Royal Borough of Greenwich and its project team on the land referencing and statutory acquisition requirements for a complex town centre regeneration project involving more than 600 ownership, occupational and third-party interests. Supporting the project from the initial land referencing stages through to the implementation of General Vesting Declarations in 2026, I provided strategic advice on ownership, occupation and title matters, helping the client navigate complex acquisition challenges and statutory processes. Through proactive project management, technical oversight and robust quality assurance, I helped provide the confidence and certainty needed to progress this significant regeneration scheme towards delivery.
3. Successfully led the land referencing for the Nicholsons Quarter Regeneration Scheme CPO 2022, a major town centre regeneration project in Maidenhead. Advising the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead throughout the project lifecycle, including on ROL and crane oversailing, I managed the land referencing process from inception through to CPO confirmation and implementation by General Vesting Declaration and statutory notices in 2026. Providing strategic advice on complex ownership, occupation and title matters, I helped the client manage acquisition risk, maintain programme certainty and successfully progress one of the town's most significant regeneration projects towards delivery.
4. Leading strategic land referencing support for HIF 1 Didcot Garden Town Highways Infrastructure Scheme – A4130 Improvement (Milton Gate to Collett Roundabout), A4197 Didcot to Culham Link Road and A415 Clifton Hampden Bypass CPO (2022) to Statutory Notice Implementation GVD/NTT/NOE (2026) for Oxfordshire County Council, providing technical oversight on complex ownership, rights and acquisition matters while maintaining strong client and stakeholder relationships.
5. Overseeing the land referencing and commercial management of the Regina Road regeneration project, including quality assurance, scope management, fee control and mentoring junior colleagues in client liaison and commercial project management.
6. Successfully took over and strengthened the client relationship on the Longfield Solar DCO during a period of organisational change, ensuring continuity of service and maintaining project readiness throughout programme delays and changing client requirements for GVD and TP Notices. Working closely with solicitors.
7. Leading the land referencing and land ownership work for the Watlington Relief Road scheme on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council, providing strategic advice on land interests, title matters, unregistered land and stakeholder identification for a significant highways infrastructure project. Managing the land referencing process, including HMLR investigations, ownership verification, due diligence reviews and complex unknown land enquiries, I have helped the client establish a robust understanding of affected interests, reduce acquisition risk and support the progression of the scheme through the planning and land assembly process.