Planning in London Bar

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Planning

Landmark Chambers

39 Essex Chambers

Francis Taylor Building

Cornerstone Barristers

Six Pump Court

Leading Silks

Neil Cameron QC - Landmark Chambers ‘Neil is very thorough, analytical, and does not leave a stone unturned. He is always very well prepared, and prepares detailed agenda notes in advance of conferences so one can properly think through the issues. He is also a very effective advocate in planning inquiries, and his cross-examination is particularly strong.’

Morag Ellis QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘Morag is a very knowledgeable, experienced and thorough barrister, who prepares her cases rigorously. She is an excellent advocate and a tenacious cross-examiner.’

David Elvin QC - Landmark Chambers ‘Terrific brain power and breadth of expertise - but always willing to hear your point of view and adapt his thinking to take on board your arguments. Always responsive and charming to deal with. Very client friendly.’

Russell Harris QC - Landmark Chambers ‘Russell is the go-to barrister for central London schemes. He is a great team player and won the confidence of the client straight away. He is very user friendly which is great for an instructing solicitor! His closing submissions at the inquiry were very impressive. He commands presence and respect across the inquiry floor.’

Michael Humphries QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘Michael is the pre-eminent practitioner in infrastructure planning. He knows more about the sector than anyone else. He has a comprehensive knowledge of the law, and his exposure to most of the highest profile and most complex cases means that he has a huge wealth of experience to draw upon in finding imaginative solutions to issues that present themselves.’

Christopher Katkowski QC - Landmark Chambers ‘At planning inquiry, his reputation creates a sense of mystique and makes everyone else in the room perform to a higher level, including the inspector. There’s no snoozing when Chris is in the room or indeed when he is going to be in the room.’

Christopher Lockhart-Mummery QC - Landmark Chambers ‘He quickly identifies the key issues in a dispute and brings a laser-like focus to them, not allowing himself or the team to be distracted by points that are not critical to winning the case. It is this that sets him apart from many members of the planning bar.’

Tim Mould QC - Landmark Chambers ‘His skilful advocacy style is attractive and persuasive.’

James Strachan QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Special note should be made of the “text book” way that James conducted his cross examination of the objector’s witnesses and the way that he extracted concession after concession leaving the objector with no alternative but to withdraw.’

Paul Brown QC - Landmark Chambers ‘An exceptional experienced team leader and advocate (in both Court and at Inquiry). Provides excellent strategic and technical advice and is very comfortable dealing with commercial and private clients as well as marshalling a large team of professionals. Proactive, responsive and approachable.’

Timothy Corner QC - Landmark Chambers ‘Tim is a fantastic advocate and helps to guide difficult cases and get the best out of teams. His experience allows him to prepare for the worst and deliver to the best strength of the case.’

Neil King QC - Landmark Chambers ‘Very personable with a good sense of humour, inclusive, makes himself available, adept at dealing with large client/project teams, gives a clear direction of travel at the outset.’

Dan Kolinsky QC - Landmark Chambers ‘Dan has a formidable intellect and ability to the heart of the matter. He is hugely dynamic in his case work and in reaching out to clients. He is irresistible in oral advocacy, because he combines superb presentational skills with the structural integrity and logic of his argument.’

Mark Lowe QC - Cornerstone Barristers ‘He is a heavyweight practitioner at the planning Bar.’

James Maurici QC - Landmark Chambers ‘He offers well prepared, strategic advice. He is also client friendly and approachable.’

Richard Harwood OBE QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘His cross-examination is forensic and exposes weaknesses of opposing witnesses.’

Hereward Phillpot QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘He is a pleasure to work with - always calm, pragmatic and thorough in his approach. He works hard to deliver advice at short notice and fits in well with client and consultant teams - being a natural team player.’

John Steel QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Approachable, good-humoured and intellectual able to grasp and communicate the most complex issues.’

Paul Stinchcombe QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Paul is very personable, friendly but very astute and engaging. He is able to marshal large amounts of information and distil this into powerful argument that is very persuasive. Calm and courteous and sees planning in the wider political landscape as well as the law.’

Andrew Tait QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘He has the experience to see the long game and how an Inspector or a Committee or Tribunal would look the case. So he is strategically excellent and know where and how to develop a case. Also tremendously good with clients. Polite but firm, quietly spoken and understated but commands the room.’

Stephen Tromans QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Stephen has provided fantastic advice this year. He is incisive and thorough, and provides advice in a user-friendly form much appreciated by lawyers and clients alike.’

Peter Village QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Peter picked up the brief quickly and was extremely robust and assured at the hearing.’

Rupert Warren QC - Landmark Chambers ‘He’s brilliant, very switched on and approachable. A QC of choice. Very commercially astute and practical in his advice.’

Sasha White QC - Landmark Chambers ‘Strong advocate, highly liked by clients and very effective in cross examination. Delight to work with.’

Brian Ash QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Brian is very user-friendly. He supports his team/witnesses and ensures that their time is targeted on the key points at hand (which he quickly establishes). He has excellent and widespread knowledge of the planning system and brings this evident experience to the table.’

Michael Bedford QC - Cornerstone Barristers ‘Michael is forensic in his consideration of key risk issues. Expert in consideration of traffic assessments and strategic case making for highways schemes Calm, concise and unflappable in advocacy Written advice is clear, thorough and gets to the nub of the issue with practical advice.’

Simon Bird QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘Simon is not only highly experienced and respected in this field, his advice has been robust as well as pragmatic. He responds promptly and his advice is clear and concise and he has the ability to explain the most complex areas in a way that you can understand, which engenders confidence from colleagues, and also elected members.’

Alexander Booth QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘A delight to work with. Alex really cares about his clients and his passion and drive mean that he consistently achieves great results. A highly effective advocate. He is rare in that he sees the big picture, but never forgets the detail.’

Christopher Boyle QC - Landmark Chambers ‘Christopher has superb attention to detail and also has a good strategic and commercial brain. He is always a pleasure to work with.’

Thomas Cosgrove QC - Cornerstone Barristers ‘A superb silk for planning matters.’

Douglas Edwards QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘Great for detail; very client friendly commercial and practical advice and very user friendly. Very responsive and helpful.’

James Findlay QC - Cornerstone Barristers ‘A high quality silk. Very responsive to queries. He is thoughtful, measured and calm approach.’

David Forsdick QC - Landmark Chambers ‘David is an extremely impressive operator. He has a commercial and pragmatic approach to his cases and is constantly looking for solutions to the issues involved. He is extremely accessible, proactive and responsive. His advocacy reflects a well organised and clear thinking approach and he adapts his approach to the circumstances of the case.’

Richard Ground QC - Cornerstone Barristers ‘Excellent command of complex detail. Engaged and enthusiast, creating a strong team ethos. Strong sense to commitment to the cases. Respectful and encouraging of expert witnesses. Hard working and able to motivate strong performance from team as a whole. Good humour contributing to high morale. Polite and incisive cross-examination.’

Thomas Hill QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Very good at heritage-related casework. Able to call appeal Inspector's subjective judgement accurately in advance. Always extremely well prepared and very user friendly.’

Gregory Jones QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘Very experienced and steeped in planning case law and knowledge. Willing to take on new ideas and develop novel arguments. Strong written work.’

John Litton QC - Landmark Chambers ‘He is excellent and provide clear and practical strategic advice.’

James Pereira QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘Very pleasant to deal with. Very good with the client in conference. Great expertise in planning law - and excellent judgment about the merits of a case. Very focused and clear in his drafting and advocacy. One of the top planning silks at the Bar.’

Matthew Reed QC - Landmark Chambers ‘Matthew is extremely bright and able to absorb large volumes of complex information at pace. His forensic approach to cross-examination is also highly effective. A further strength of Matthew's is his personable style, which means he is able to engage well with a wide range of audiences including clients and Planning Inspectors.’

Saira Kabir Sheikh QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘She is outstanding. Approachable, great to work with, formidable advocate both in the High Court and public inquiry area.’

Timothy Straker QC - 4-5 Gray's Inn Square ‘Strengths - very knowledgeable, a great intellect, offers clear advice, very personable.’

Andrew Tabachnik QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Andrew is accessible and responsive, which are great qualities in a barrister! Andrew's greatest strength is his ability to crystallise the position and to set out clear succinct advice which the client and the professional team can all follow.’

Reuben Taylor QC - Landmark Chambers ‘As a silk, he is absolutely top of the tree.’

Marc Willers QC - Garden Court Chambers ‘Marc is an astute planning and public law barrister with great all-around knowledge. He is very good in writing and on his feet. His knowledge and calm demeanour put clients and judges at ease, and he is sought after, in particular in relation to claims challenging fracking, which are a particular specialty of his.’

Craig Howell Williams QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘Extraordinarily hard working, thorough and on top of his brief and successful at generating a great team ethos when preparing for inquiries or hearings. He brings out the best in the whole consultancy team, is an absolute pleasure to work have with, and always leaves clients praising him to the hilt and impressed with his organisation and highly effective advocacy.’

Lisa Busch QC - Cornerstone Barristers ‘A heavyweight QC with a first-class legal brain.’

Andrew Fraser-Urquhart QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘Andrew provides clear, straightforward advice, breaking down complex multi dimensional problems into manageable chunks and providing clear advice on actions and priorities. I have always found his advice reliable and practical. His cross examination style is polite but probing. Persistent without being hectoring.’

Richard Glover QC - Francis Taylor Building ‘Great ability to master complicated papers and to see the wood for the trees. He handled client and experts in a friendly but firm manner and gained their complete confidence. Simply he took the weight on his shoulders.’

Robert Griffiths QC - Six Pump Court ‘An imposing and effective barrister but with a personable nature which collectively has proved to carry weight in presenting a case. A precise manner of assessing the pros and cons of a case and making them absolutely clear to a client and Inspector/Judge. Adopts a broad approach to assessing a case thereby enabling a straight to the point presentation.’

Stephen Hockman QC - Six Pump Court ‘His knowledge of the law pertaining to the subject matter was impressive as was the way in which the individuals concerned were handled.’

Richard Humphreys QC - No5 Barristers Chambers ‘Richard is very knowledgeable with a great memory of law and practice built up over the years he has been doing this. He is excellent on difficult technical judicial/statutory reviews.’

Graeme Keen QC - Landmark Chambers ‘Very personable. Meticulous preparation. Excellent management of the appeal team to bring out the best in each. Excellent results.’

Rhodri Price Lewis QC - Landmark Chambers ‘He is a great strategist who cuts through to the key issues and ensures the team focus on the central objective and how they get there.’

Paul Shadarevian QC - Cornerstone Barristers ‘A very knowledgeable and approachable professional that works well with his clients. He understands the brief and asks the pertinent questions promptly. His working style is inclusive, taking a forensic approach to tasks, is good at scoping and resolving problems and importantly he delivers results on time.’

David Wolfe QC - Matrix Chambers ‘A skilled silk who demonstrates outstanding commitment to his clients.’

2019 Silks

Charles Banner QC - Keating Chambers ‘Ability to assimilate a great deal of material very quickly, ability to cut to the important and determinative issues quickly and formulate case strategy. Good bedside manner with clients.’

Tim Buley QC - Landmark Chambers ‘His particular strengths are that he is a very experienced High Court advocate – he is able to read the judges very well and give them clearly and persuasively just what they need to find in favour of his clients – and that he is very knowledgeable on public law issues generally..’

William Upton QC - Six Pump Court ‘ William is an excellent advocate, with a wealth of knowledge and a very personable nature. He is very approachable and supportive of his colleagues and instructing officers, and always willing to assist with advice and suggestions. His analytical approach allows the quick identification of cross-cutting issues that need to be further explored, and his written advice is always thorough.’

Robert Walton QC - Landmark Chambers ‘Astute and highlight commercial. Fantastic with clients. Able to distill highly complex legal issues into crystal clear strategic advice. Undoubtedly one of the very best in his field and a pleasure to instruct and work with.’

2020 Silks

David Blundell QC - Landmark Chambers ‘A great mind and well across complex briefs, a real team player.’

Scott Lyness QC - Landmark Chambers ‘A highly recommended planning practitioner.’

Richard Wald QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Great news that he has been made a QC - a top planning mind.’

Leading Juniors

Richard Honey - Francis Taylor Building ‘Calm and confident, he is a very strong advocate and he offers succinct advice.’

Stephen Morgan - Landmark Chambers ‘Stephen has built up a very thorough understanding of the complexities of statistical arguments relating to housing land supply; retail impact assessments and economic need without losing sight of the bigger picture of how those arguments can be used as part of an overall case.’

Richard Moules - Landmark Chambers ‘Richard is very calm and considered and an effective advocate. He slots in well to the wider team and is extremely diligent.’

Megan Thomas - Six Pump Court ‘Great expertise in planning law - and excellent judgment about the merits of a case. Very focused and clear in his drafting and advocacy. One of the top planning juniors at the Bar.’

Mark Beard - Six Pump Court ‘Instructed by councils on controversial matters.’

Wayne Beglan - Cornerstone Barristers ‘He has a robust style, making points clearly and effectively, but lightened by the use of gentle humour, in keeping with the modern approach to advocacy preferred by most planning inspectors.’

James Burton - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Hard working, dedicated, obviously very bright but also very relatable and able to explain complex matters to those with less experience which is absolutely key for barristers working with public sector employees with little experience of the legal system.’

Jonathan Clay - Cornerstone Barristers ‘ Jonathan is able to cut through complex matters to provide clear and understandable advice whilst being extremely client-friendly and always providing excellent client care.’

Celina Colquhoun - 39 Essex Chambers ‘She has a track record of infrastructure matters.’

Edward Grant - Cornerstone Barristers ‘Ed is a superb barrister who is one of the strongest juniors practising in the field currently. He is superb cross examiner and also builds excellent relationships with the Judiciary. I would highly recommend him.’

Robin Green - Cornerstone Barristers ‘Robin brings a balanced and principled approach to his written and oral advocacy. He is tenacious in his oral submissions but within a presentational style that is both moderate and courteous. He has excellent judgment which enables him to craft cross examination and oral submissions in an attractive and orderly manner that immediately engages the attention and sympathy of the court.’

Gwion Lewis - Landmark Chambers ‘A very impressive junior counsel.’

Melissa Murphy - Francis Taylor Building ‘She is excellent, very patient and forensic and hard-working.’

John Pugh-Smith - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Always alert to the commercial side of a client's case.’

Stephen Whale - Landmark Chambers ‘Stephen has always provided high quality and practical advice which deals with the clients requirements and provides them with a good understanding as to the best way forward.’

Anne Williams - Six Pump Court ‘She is able to quickly gain the confidence of clients, particularly those with limited knowledge of the planning system. She is thorough in her preparation and gets to the point politely and without aggression. I believe that she impresses clients with her friendly character and her quick understanding of what they want to achieve.’

Guy Williams - Landmark Chambers ‘Flexible to work with and quick to respond. Helpful. Grasped both legal and technical/factual issues quickly. Provided well reasoned and concise documentation.’

Christiaan Zwart - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Christiaan is personable and able to engage with clients on a level which makes them comfortable and confident in his ability. Christiaan is particularly adapt at CPOs and I would recommend him for this work.’

Sasha Blackmore - Landmark Chambers ‘She fights her client's corner tenaciously and has a strong sense of justice and social responsibility. She is very thorough in her preparation and is a good choice for public bodies in environment cases. Her written work is meticulously researched.’

Ashley Bowes - Cornerstone Barristers ‘His technical expertise is really strong and he is one of the few top planning bar specialists. He was formerly a lecturer at the University of Surrey and his book on planning is a key text. Added to this is real practical experience. Ashley was a local councillor for some years. He offers well thought-out advice and is strategically strong. He develops a good rapport with clients.’

Andrew Byass - Landmark Chambers ‘He is trusted by the best QCs to assist them with Inquiry and High Court work. Andrew is pro-active and innovative when trying to find solutions for clients. He is calm under pressure and always delivers.’

Josef Cannon - Cornerstone Barristers ‘Jo is a first rate member of the planning Bar. He is personally charming, polite and courteous to a fault. However that belies a stunning ability as both an advocate and a lawyer. He combines an ability to get inspectors on side with charm and then receptive to his intellectually superb approach to both court work and inquiries.’

Rebecca Clutten - Francis Taylor Building ‘Rebecca is refreshingly really-hands on; she is not afraid to mark-up up documents and be involved as a day-to-day part of the team. Her advice is practical, eminently sensible and legally robust. She is down to earth and has a great, and very natural, raport with clients.’

Estelle Dehon - Cornerstone Barristers ‘Estelle is top-notch. She is a determined and tenacious advocate, whose oral and written advocacy is nuanced, well-reasoned and highly effective and whose grasp of the law consistently impresses. She is good-natured, responsive and easy to work with and quickly builds trust and rapport with clients.’

Hugh Flanagan - Francis Taylor Building ‘He is shaping up to be a great all-rounder with a particular emphasis on infrastructure projects. I like the fact that he will roll up his sleeves and muck in with everyone when there are jobs to do, especially if they are tasks not normally left to Counsel. He is reliable and sensible and has a bright future ahead of him.’

Ned Helme - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Ned is very intelligent and exceptionally hard working. He is also very friendly and approachable and gives the impression that nothing is too much trouble. He is very accessible.’

Daniel Stedman Jones - 39 Essex Chambers ‘He is extremely available and approachable and client friendly. He does not push unnecessary legalistic points and focusses on commercial solutions so far as possible.’

Emmaline Lambert - Cornerstone Barristers ‘Ms Lambert is very knowledgeable, approachable and personable. I look forward to being able to work with Ms Lambert as I know my case will in safe hands and I know how thorough her advice is. I like her fair but firm style of advocacy in court, too.’

Jacqueline Lean - Landmark Chambers ‘Jacqueline is very approachable and easy to discuss matters with. Her advice was very clear. At court, she put the client's case across in a measured and confident manner.’

Meyric Lewis - Francis Taylor Building ‘Very strong high court advocate who delivers robust and persuasive submissions and eloquently presents the case for the council. Very impressive and a force to be reckoned with.’

Katherine Olley - Landmark Chambers ‘She is a talented junior, dedicated and hardworking, and capable of approaching cases in different ways.’

Cain Ormondroyd - Francis Taylor Building ‘He is superb. A calm advocate who comes highly recommended.’

Jack Parker - Cornerstone Barristers ‘Jack is a very impressive advocate with a clear understanding of his case which comes through expertly in submissions. Thorough understanding of planning law. Very approachable and easy to work with. His calm and confident persona puts clients at ease and manages to produce the results required! Definitely my barrister of choice!’

Andrew Parkinson - Landmark Chambers ‘Able to think well on his feet in a hearing or an Inquiry. Particularly impressive with an inexperienced Judge in the Planning Court on a Judicial Review hearing. User friendly with the client and able to skilfully deal with the twists and turns of each case.’

Asitha Ranatunga - Cornerstone Barristers ‘Asitha is a consistently reliable junior, who can be trusted to have complete mastery of the detail in any given case. He has a calm manner in court and in conference, and he was very popular with our clients under what were, for the clients, very difficult circumstances.’

Sarah Sackman - Francis Taylor Building ‘One to watch. She is developing a formidable practice in planning law and public law more generally. Her strengths appear to lie in High Court challenges, acting (often successfully) for the underdog. She’s extremely approachable and great with clients, who appreciate who can-do attitude, and honesty.’

Heather Sargent - Landmark Chambers ‘This barrister is very bright, is always impeccably prepared for conferences, gives clear and well structured advice and importantly for clients and solicitors is down to earth and very easy to deal with. This barrister garners the confidence of the client and in my view has a very strong future ahead of them.’

Zack Simons - Landmark Chambers ‘He maps out the case very well in the first conference, which gives the client confidence he has understood the brief.’

Mark Westmoreland Smith - Francis Taylor Building ‘He is very capable and comes highly recommended.’

Isabella Tafur - Francis Taylor Building ‘For us she is one of the best juniors for planning JRs at the Bar. A real expert in planning with excellent drafting skills and superb in court.’

Harriet Townsend - Cornerstone Barristers ‘A highly competent barrister and always our first point of call for planning advice. Her honest and clear advice has been invaluable to me and my team. She approaches each matter comprehensively, with an enquiring mind and clear communication at all times. She balances her fierce intelligence with kindness and good humour and is always a pleasure to work with.’

Richard Turney - Landmark Chambers ‘ I value Richard particularly for his procedural knowledge and his tactical acumen in planning-related litigation. He writes well, is very accessible, and is a good team player. With his skill set he is surely not long for the junior ranks.’

Ned Westaway - Francis Taylor Building ‘At inquiry, Ned is calm, measured and knows how far to press a point with an Inspector. He achieved an excellent result. Importantly he is always approachable and ready to help. He’s also a pleasure to work with.’

Giles Atkinson - Six Pump Court ‘Speedy and effective communicator. Comprehensive knowledge of his subject. Quiet but reassuring manner with clients. Thorough and meticulous written work.’

Richard Banwell - Six Pump Court ‘A talented, very knowledgeable and experienced junior.’

Jonathan Darby - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Very good with clients and has a calm authority that puts clients at their ease. Good on technical issues where multiple parts of different law intersect.’

Michael Fry - Francis Taylor Building ‘He is great to work and bounce ideas with as he has a good understanding of planning. He is also a nice person which always helps.’

Leon Glenister - Landmark Chambers ‘Leon is excellent: he is clear and concise in writing and orally, and well-liked by clients for his calm and professional demeanour and good humour. He ‘punches above his weight’, holding his own with much more senior counsel. He works well with expert witnesses and is good in cross-examination.’

Alex Goodman - Landmark Chambers ‘A standout junior. Our first choice on a number of judicial review matters because of his ability to find winning points that were not always obvious.’

Victoria Hutton - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Hard working, thorough and dependable. Effective advocate. Excellent with clients.’

Philippa Jackson - 39 Essex Chambers ‘Philippa is extremely easy to work with. She has excellent analytical and listening skills and is able to deal with very technical heavy casework that requires a deep understanding, but yet a simple presentation of facts during advocacy.’

David Lintott - Cornerstone Barristers ‘An absolute star. I have never lost a case with David on board. He is calm and unflappable, and kind in his stance whether this be at court or in inquiries and particularly in any cross examination, so he tends to get more out the witness than they might otherwise give, or be more fuller in their answers than is helpful to their own case.’

Juan Lopez - Francis Taylor Building ‘Juan is very tenacious and is aware of the political dimension associated with working on behalf of a local authority.’

George Mackenzie - Francis Taylor Building ‘He is very thoughtful, efficient and thorough, as well as getting on well with clients, who have the utmost faith in him.’

Alistair Mills - Landmark Chambers ‘Alistair is a highly skilled advocate, he is very thorough with both submissions and advice, is very responsive to queries and is able to quickly digest complicated issues and pull out key points.’

Hashi Mohamed - No5 Barristers Chambers ‘His engaging character helps get judges and planning inspectors on side.’

Nicholas Ostrowski - Six Pump Court ‘Good on difficult issues when clients need to be delivered unpalatable truths.’

Clare Parry - Cornerstone Barristers ‘She is tireless in her pursuit of results for her clients. In the Higher Courts she is more than a match for any silk, and she has a well established public law practice in planning and local government circles.’

Annabel Graham Paul - Francis Taylor Building ‘Her strengths are in being able to identify the key issues in any given situation and in analysing and presenting those key issues clearly. Annabel is very personable and able to communicate advice clearly.’

Nicola Strachan - Six Pump Court ‘Thorough preparation and careful attention to detail. Gives clear and precise explanation of the legal issues involved. Establishes full confidence in presenting the client's case’

Yaaser Vanderman - Landmark Chambers ‘Very good communication skills and grasps complex legal points. He is well prepared and good on detail.’

Robert Williams - Cornerstone Barristers ‘ery Intelligent, articulate, very good with clients, and ability to focus on points that matter and deal with matters practically. My planning junior of preference. Stands out in a crowded field.’

Jonathan Wills - Landmark Chambers ‘He is forensic, attentive, and careful. Clients trust his judgement.’

Rising Stars

Katherine Barnes - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Katherine is very thorough and pragmatic in her advice. She is easy to work with.’

Caroline Daly - Francis Taylor Building ‘A consummate professional. Caroline is my first choice junior counsel not least because she understands risk and her judgement is trustworthy as has been proved in the many positive outcomes.’

Ben Du Feu - Cornerstone Barristers ‘Ben put in an impressive performance. He demonstrated a complete mastery of his brief, was extremely thorough, cross-examined with skill and persistence and produced detailed and well argued closing submissions. Ben struck me as a mature performer for one still relatively junior.’

Matthew Fraser - Landmark Chambers ‘An up-and-coming junior who is regarded by the senior QCs in Chambers as a trusted junior. Personable and responsive.’

Charles Streeten - Francis Taylor Building ‘Charles is very bright and committed. The client really appreciated that he did not sit on the fence and gave a sound commercial steer throughout the process. He delivered a very good result and I would have no hesitation in recommending him to others. A superstar.’

Tier 1 firms

Landmark Chambers

'Unbeatable in their field', Landmark Chambers 'given its size has the highest concentration of top practitioners in the planning field, with broad experience across the planning piece'. The set has 'extraordinary strength in depth', from in-demand silks through to junior-juniors who appear in major matters. Members have been instructed in two recent Supreme Court cases: Dan Kolinsky QC and Hannah Gibbs represented the local authority in R (Samuel Smith Old Brewery) v North Yorkshire County Council concerning quarrying in the "green belt", and in LB Lambeth v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (factually concerning if a branch of Homebase was banned from selling food); Kolinsky QC and Sasha Blackmore represented the Secretary of State, Matthew Reed QC represented Lambeth, and Christopher Lockhart-Mummery QC and Yaaser Vanderman represented the freehold owner of the site. Inquiry highlights include proposed diversion of the A303 around Stonehenge, in which Reuben Taylor QC and Richard Turney represented Highways England, while Paul Brown QC and Richard Moules represented Wiltshire County Council. In the enforcement space, Taylor QC also successfully represented the owners of a RIBA National Award-winning building, the demolition of which was demanded by Islington Council, which was represented by Kolinsky QC.

Tier 2 firms

39 Essex Chambers

39 Essex Chambers has 'exceptional breadth and depth' and remains 'a superb set for planning, environment and public law', covering a range of matters in the planning space from inquiries concerning major infrastructure projects through to Supreme Court cases on challenging issues of planning law. Peter Village QC represented the brewery in R (Samuel Smith) v North Yorkshire CC. In another Supreme Court case, Dill v SSCHLG, Richard Harwood QC represented an owner of a listed country house who was issued with an enforcement notice having sold two lead finials 15 years prior; Stratford-Upon-Avon deemed them to be part of the building. John Steel QC represents Harrow School in a dispute with its council regarding proposed new sports facilities to be erected on "green belt" land. Among the set's juniors, James Burton successfully represented the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in an appeal concerning a proposed development which would place London's last gay leather fetish club under a residential development.

Francis Taylor Building

For some 'the pre-eminent set for infrastructure work, with huge strength in depth for this and the related areas of Parliamentary and CPO work' Francis Taylor Building has members instructed across elite infrastructure projects and more complex issues of planning law. Michael Humphries QC and Isabella Tafur represented Riveroak Strategic Partners, the applicant, on a proposal to re-open Manston Airport in Kent for cargo flights; the site was owned by a company with plans to turn the site into housing. Gregory Jones QC's recent instructions have included the Wiltshire Council v Cooper Estates Strategic Land, a Court of Appeal case concerning the registration of land as village greens. Among the set's juniors, Richard Honey advised the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on making special development orders for Brexit-related lorry parks and customs facilities in Kent and Essex, while Hugh Flanagan was sole counsel for Heathrow Airport in the public examination of the new London Plan.

Tier 3 firms

Cornerstone Barristers

Cornerstone Barristers has 'a good range of practitioners who are experienced in local authority work', with 'strength and depth at all levels and covering all of the key areas of planning and infrastructure work'. Richard Ground QC represented Tendring District Council in an enforcement case against over 50 inhabitants of chalets, all of whom were litigants in person, who occupied them all year despite a ban on them staying for extended periods in the winter months. Also of note, Ground QC, along with rising star Ben Du Feu, secured an injunction to stop a referendum on a neighbourhood plan in the Mendips. Unled, Robin Green represented the claimant in R (McLennan) v Medway Council, in which the High Court found that the local authority was irrational to have ignored that a development would obstruct a neighbour's solar panels, while Edward Grant successfully represented the London Borough of Hounslow in defeating a proposal by the Duke of Northumberland to build on existing allotments and replace them over a Grade 1-listed Capability Brown landscape in Syon Park.

Tier 4 firms

Six Pump Court

'Traditional and friendly' set Six Pump Court has both silks and juniors doing a range of planning work, with criminal and regulatory expertise to add to its enforcement arsenal on top more conventional planning work. William Upton QC represents Swale Borough Council in a call-in appeal of its decision to refuse permission for 675 homes in Sittingbourne, citing among other reasons the council's declaration of a "climate emergency". Giles Atkinson represented the local authority in LB Haringey v SSHCLG and Muir, reinstating an enforcement notice against uPVC windows in a conservation area, with at issue if the new windows constituted a development.

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