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Planning And Environment

Kings Chambers

Leading Silks

Giles Cannock KC – Kings Chambers ‘Giles is meticulous in preparation. He presents his case simply and with clarity, and is formidable in cross examining. He is superlatively effective, great to work with and a supportive leader who gets the best out of others in the professional team.’
David Manley KC – Kings Chambers ‘David has an excellent ability to see the strategic picture and cut through the detail that clients and consultants can get bogged down in.’
Paul Tucker KC – Kings Chambers ‘Paul has extensive knowledge of Local Plans and wider planning law and is able to provide practical advice, tapping in to his vast knowledge in a clear and accessible manner. He is undoubtedly one the of the top silks in the country in respect of planning law, but it is his approachable and accessible manner which makes him stand out from other silks of similar experience.’

2022 Silks

Sarah Reid KC – Kings Chambers ‘Sarah is very approachable and takes a hands-on approach to appeal work, truly becoming part of the team, offering support and advice throughout the process. Inspectors are happy for her to participate in the hearings themselves and that allows her to make full use of her knowledge of technical matters and case law. She also has excellent peripheral vision of any planning cases elsewhere that may assist her clients.’

Leading Juniors

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John Barrett – Kings Chambers ‘John has great strength is distilling complex issues into advice that is crystal clear. He is the go-to person for environmental, ecological and air quality-type issues.’
Martin Carter – Kings Chambers ‘Martin is very accessible and responsive and is always on hand to give advice. He turns around work to tight timeframes and gets to grips with complex matters very quickly. His approach is measured and calm and solicitors have full confidence in his advocacy and that he is going to present each client’s case very well.’
Peter Dixon – Exchange Chambers ‘Peter is quick to respond, thorough, picks up on all the relevant points and angles and is empathetic to the client's position.'
Jonathan Easton – Kings Chambers ‘Jonathan is personable and accessible, very thorough and has a fantastic eye for detail. He always strikes the correct balance and tone, whether in cross examination or presenting a case, whilst never leaving a stone unturned. He is also able to deal with complex issues and present them in a way that is understandable to clients and decision makers alike.’
Alan Evans – Kings Chambers ‘Alan has unrivalled knowledge and experience across a wide range of practices. He applies this in an extremly practical way, always tailoring advice to the client’s level of understanding. He turns advice around extremely quickly and will always advise when a case is worth pursuing.’
John Hunter – Kings Chambers ‘John is brilliantly sharp and combines encyclopaedic knowledge and commercial advice to great effect. He is fantastic with clients, giving clear and intelligent strategic advice. Solicitors would not hesitate to recommend him.’
Ian Ponter – Kings Chambers ‘Ian has in depth knowledge, is very approachable, provides thorough, understandable advice, responds quickly and is unflappable, cool, calm and collected.’
Ruth Stockley – Kings Chambers ‘Ruth is a “go-to” in all highway-related matters. The strength and depth of her knowledge in this area is unrivalled. She has an ability to tailor her advice to suit the client and she is always a joy to work with.’
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Killian Garvey – Kings Chambers ‘Killian is very bright and gives clear advice. He is a very strong advocate and good at explaining complex matters to clients and their teams. He is very accessible and quick to turn around work. Very pleasant to work with – a real team player.’
Anthony Gill – Kings Chambers ‘Tony gets straight to the point and is keen to seek constructive resolution of matters rather than dealing just with advocacy. He is knowledgable, approachable and well-liked by clients.’
Stephanie Hall – Kings Chambers ‘Stephanie is very technically gifted and presents advice in a clear, understandable manner. She is a confident advocate who understands her audience well. Stephanie is very responsive and easy to deal with.’
Joseph Hart – Deans Court Chambers
David Pojur – St John’s Buildings
Philip Robson – Kings Chambers ‘Philip is a skilled advocate and routinely provides detailed but pragmatic legal advice. A particular strength is his closing submissions in planning appeals; he cuts right through to the heart of the issues and makes clear and concise legal arguments. His manner is professional but extremely approachable. He is a delight to work with.’
Michael Rudd – Kings Chambers

Rising Stars

Constanze Bell – Kings Chambers ‘Constanze is an excellent advocate with a real attention to detail and command of the law. She is forthright, extremely well prepared and uses every point available to her. The legal points she relies on are exceptionally well researched.’
Piers Riley-Smith – Kings Chambers ‘Piers is approachable and fully committed to the job in hand, providing good advice and giving a very positive impression to clients.’

Planning and environment in Regional Bar

Kings Chambers

Kings Chambers is a ‘ fantastic planning set‘ with a ‘strong range of silks and junior counsel‘.  Alan Evans has a wide-ranging planning practice and often acts for developers and local authorities. He notably acted for Cumbria County Council in an application to develop a new deep coal mine near Whitehaven. Sarah Reid has extensive experience in promoting large scale housing schemes and has represented developers and land promoters in this area. Philip Robson has a nationwide practice, acting for parties across the entire development process, from applications to planning inquiries and judicial reviews. Paul Tucker KC,  David Manley KC and Giles Cannock KC are also noted in this area.

Testimonials

Set

‘Kings Chambers is a fantastic planning set. The Kings YouTube channel is a hive of useful training materials and webinars which can be accessed.’

‘Kings are excellent, with a strong range of silks and junior counsel. They are accessible and make the effort to ensure you have the right barrister when you need them. They run excellent training courses.’

‘Kings Chambers have a good range of excellent barristers at all levels, from juniors to silks who are experts in their field.’

‘Excellent set for planning matters, with great training provision and high profile silks.’

‘One of the best planning sets outside of London. Makes then a go-to in the North.’

Clerking

‘Clerks are always extremely helpful, especially Mark Ronson, who goes above and beyond to ensure requirements are met.’

‘The clerks are excellent. They know their barristers extremely well. They are responsive and reasonable in relation to fees, and generally pleasant to work with.’

‘The planning clerks are very helpful and responsive. Gary Smith and Mark Ronson are only too willing to assist and are extremely pleasant and professional. They make finding available counsel and instructing them a breeze.’

‘The clerks at Kings Chambers are fantastic. Mark Ronson is always available at short notice and provides an excellent link to the Barristers, helping clients wherever possible. He is a big part of ensuring the Planning set at Kings Chambers is providing clients with an excellent service that results in repeat instructions time and time again.’

‘The clerks are very helpful and go out of their way to help. Mark Ronson and Gary Smith in particular give great client service and will keep you updated on progress with matters.’