LB & Co Limited > Leeds, England > Firm Profile

LB & Co Limited > Firm Profile

LB & Co is a niche practice  which specialises in planning and related areas of law, established in 2012 but with directors each having over thirty years of planning law experience of work in local government, national and regional law firms and in-house with a prominent regional developer.

The continued collaboration between Carolyn Lord and Kate Butterfield in various capacities since 1988 sees the firm being awarded key roles on major development projects in the region and beyond. Exceptional personal service is given to clients, with value added which belies the very competitive charge-out rates.

Carolyn’s and Kate’s experience  spans the whole spectrum of planning and highways-related projects – high profile infrastructure, town centre and out-of-town projects. Their reputation in the market is reflected in the calibre and number of clients and projects they have retained for decades (in particular GMI and CEG) and more recent clients such as DB Cargo (UK) Limited and Strata Homes/Sterling Capitol PLC. Carolyn has continued to work on the £30 million plus Clay Cross regeneration scheme in Derbyshire since the mid-1990s.

Since 2015 the firm has coordinated the legal planning process for CEG’s city centre Temple district £350m mixed use development in Leeds South Bank. The planning permission granted in October 2018 (supported by a complex Section 106 Agreement drafted by LB & Co) was acknowledged as one of the largest mixed use permissions in the country in 2018  LB & Co have now been instructed by CEG on the same basis to promote a wider regeneration scheme, centred on restoration of internationally important but ‘at risk’ Grade I Listed Temple Works, with the potential for this housing a new British Library North. This will be one of the largest city centre regeneration schemes in the country, comprising over 25  acres.

The firm works for national and local housebuilders, including Persimmon and Countryside and developers including CEG, GMI, Litton Properties and Sterling Capitol as well as local authorities, charities and heritage organisations.

Over the last few years, LB & Co has increased its role as planning legal adviser to DB Cargo (UK) Limited, the UK’s largest rail freight operator. Provision of legal  and strategic advice is provided nationally on their infrastructure requirements including new rail freight facilities and asset protection advice.

Last year the firm completed long-running advice on a significant extension to Lakeside sub-regional leisure park for Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council.

The firm is instructed on a strategic mixed use development for 43 ha of employment land and c. 1700 homes and supporting infrastructure at Barnsley West, and by another developer for a large new office development on a site at Junction 23A of the M1.

Other work in the last year has included advice on complex enforcement matters, compulsory purchase orders, rights of way, Certificates of Lawfulness, reliance on permitted development rights, planning policy application and strategic objections to Development Consent Orders.

Various commercial property law practices without relevant in-house expertise use LB & Co as their planning and highway law specialist. Furthermore, a significant number of planning consultants use us for specialist opinions and refer their clients to us for infrastructure agreements and legal planning advice/opinions.

Lawyer Profiles

Photo	Name	Position	Profile
	Ms Kate Butterfield	Director	View Profile
	Ms Carolyn Lord	Pracice ow	View Profile