Jonathan Welch > Francis Taylor Building > London, England > Barrister Profile

Jonathan Welch

Work Department

• planning and environment, including enforcement
• compulsory purchase and compensation
• injunctions and public authority powers in respect of unauthorised encampments
• rating and valuation
• public and human rights law
• rights of way and highways
• public order and anti-social behaviour law

Position

Jonathan is ranked as one of the top planning barristers under the age of 35 and welcomes instructions across all of Chambers’ practice areas. He acts for a broad range of clients, including local authorities, developers, utility companies, statutory undertakers, interest groups and local residents. He regularly appears in the High Court, public inquiries and hearings, both on his own right and as part of a team. He also has a busy advisory practice.

Jonathan’s areas of experience include:

Planning and environment
Infrastructure
Compulsory purchase and compensation
Rating and valuation
Injunctions and committal proceedings
Rights of way and highways
Public law and licensing law
Notable examples of Jonathan’s recent and ongoing work include:

Planning inquiries and hearings

Counsel for Bracknell Forest Council in forthcoming 3-day enforcement inquiry;
Counsel for LB Hackney in forthcoming 2-day CLEUD and enforcement notice inquiry;
Counsel for Bracknell Forest Council in 4-day section 78 appeal inquiry following refusal of planning permission for 82 homes;
Junior to Rebecca Clutten acting for acquiring authority in a reference to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) for determination of compensation for compulsory acquisition of retail business premises;
Junior counsel at 9-day inquiry promoting 55 home residential development at appeal following refusal of planning permission by local planning authority;
Appearing for the successful Westminster City Council as Rule 6(6) party in call-in inquiry into 8 Albert Embankment redevelopment scheme.

Judicial review and statutory challenges

Counsel for Buckinghamshire Council in successful s.288 challenge to Inspector’s decision (CO/3711/2022).
Junior to Mark Westmoreland Smith, defending two challenges to East Anglia One North and East Anglia Two DCOs (CO/1696/2022 and CO/1707/2022);
Counsel for claimant in challenge to grant of planning permission in south London borough (CO/1225/2022);
Junior to Richard Honey K.C. in judicial review of planning decision in Buckinghamshire (CO/1608/2022);
Junior to Richard Honey K.C. in successful judicial review of planning decision affecting SEN school (issues including the scheme of delegation, noise, traffic and air quality) R (G) v Thanet District Council [2021] EWHC 2026 (Admin).
Junior to Cain Ormondroyd acting for billing authority (City of London) successfully resisting a challenge to a completion notice in the Valuation Tribunal for England (VTE).

Injunctions and committal proceedings

Junior counsel for HS2 Ltd in successful application for injunctive relief over the entire route.
Junior counsel for HS2 Ltd in successful applications for injunctions in respect of protesters at Euston Square Gardens (CO/361/2021), and in subsequent successful committal for contempt of court (QB/2021/4465);
Junior counsel for National Highways Ltd in successful injunction and committal proceedings relating to Insulate Britain direct action protestors on UK roads.

Other recent work of note

Ongoing advice to two water undertakers on their emerging Water Resources Management Plans, and advising two regional groups on emerging regional Water Resources plans;
Advising two water undertakers on Strategic Resource Options proposed to be brought forward as NSIPs;
Ongoing advice to a water undertaker in relation to water abstraction licences;
Successful prosecution for breach of noise abatement notice.
Jonathan is a member of the Attorney General’s Junior counsel scheme, a Commissioning Editor of FTB’s Environmental Law Blog, and an editor of Planning Appeal Decisions.

Jonathan is able to accept instructions directly from members of the public in appropriate cases.

Jonathan joined Francis Taylor Building in 2020 following the successful completion of his pupillage under the supervision of Melissa Murphy K.C., Mark Westmoreland Smith and Hugh Flanagan. Before undertaking pupillage at Francis Taylor Building, Jonathan spent a year as judicial assistant to Sir Keith Lindblom L.J. (now Senior President of Tribunals), in the Court of Appeal.

Career

Called to the Bar 2019

Memberships

• Planning and Environmental Bar Association
• Compulsory Purchase Association
• United Kingdom Environmental Law Association
• National Infrastructure Planning Association

Education

• King’s College London, Theology BA (First Class Honours, top of year) (2015);
• King’s College London, Theology MA (Distinction, top of year) (2016);
• City University London, Graduate Diploma in Law (Commendation) (2017);
• BPP University Law School, Bar Professional Training Course (Very Competent) (2019).

Bar Awards & Scholarships

• Excellence Scholarship, BPP University (2018)
• Advocacy Scholarship, BPP University (2018)
• Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn (2018)
• Lord Haldane Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn (2016)
• Partial Fee Scholarship, City University (2016)

University Awards & Scholarships

• Hanson Prize for the Philosophy of Religion (MA) (2016)
• Relton Prize for Christian Doctrine (MA) (2016)
• Walton Scholarship for postgraduate study, King’s College London (2015)
• Sellers Prize for Christian Theology (2015)
• Hanson Prize for Philosophy of Religion (2015)
• Mascall Prize for Christian Doctrine (2015)
• Bishop Collins Memorial Prize for Church History (2015)