Mr Richard Harwood OBE KC > Chambers of Charlie Cory-Wright KC and Richard Harwood KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
39 Essex Chambers Offices
39 Essex Chambers
81 CHANCERY LANE
LONDON
WC2A 1DD
England
- Set Profile
- Go to...
Mr Richard Harwood OBE KC
Position
Barrister specialising in planning, environmental, local government, public law, parliamentary and public affairs. Significant cases include in the House of Lords Burkett (time limits in judicial review) and in the Court of Appeal: SAVE Britain’s Heritage (demolition), Mellor, Goodman, Berkeley (No 2), Champion, Prokopp, Smout, Younger Homes, (environmental impact assessment); Newlyn Dean (Green Belt); R (Young) v Oxford City Council (enabling development); Ashton (standing); Majed (legitimate expectation); O’Grady (waste); Tata Steel (JR discretion); Hirose (private nuisance); Hethel (local authority decision-making); Jeffrey (discontinuance). He acts on major infrastructure, including High Speed 2, Crossrail Bill, Littlebrook Power Station, underground gas storage, incinerators and wind farms, major development projects, including Bishopsgate Goods Yard, Battersea Power Station and Spitalfields Market, Olympics CPO, retail, housing, enforcement and waste inquiries, compulsory purchase and compensation; extensive Environmental permitting experience including judicial reviews and inquiries; appeared in commons, village green and access proceedings; considerable rights of way/road traffic order experience. Additionally, Richard has drafted over 1,500 tabled amendments to Public Bills and acts on art market matters, particularly regulatory controls including exports, treasure and listed buildings.
Career
Called to the Bar 1993, Middle Temple; QC 2013; publications include ‘Historic Environment Law’ (Institute of Art and Law), ‘Planning Enforcement’ (Bloomsbury Professional), co-author, Contaminated Land’ (CLT), ‘Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004’ (Law Society); contributor to ‘Archaeology in Law’ (Sweet & Maxwell); Environmental Law’ (OUP); case editor ‘Journal of Planning and Environmental Law’. Awarded OBE in 2014 for services to planning and environmental law.
Memberships
Fellow, Society for Advanced Legal Studies; former deputy chairman, Advisory Panel on Standards for the decision making Planning Inspectorate. Member PEBA, ALBA, CPA, NIPA, UKELA, PAIAM.
Education
Nottingham High School; Jesus College, Cambridge (MA; LLM).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Environment
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2Richard Harwood OBE KC – 39 Essex Chambers ‘A silk with a firm cross-examination style.’
39 Essex Chambers garners praise as ‘a premier set for planning and environmental law‘, with conservation matters forming a key pillar of strength for the group. Stephen Tromans KC is ‘an outstanding barrister and an expert in his field‘. Richard Harwood OBE KC is acting for a large offshore wind farm in a case involving alleged conflict between the client’s operations and the operations of the Net Zero Teesside project, which involves a carbon capture and storage scheme. At the junior end of chambers, James Burton is well known for his expertise in handling group litigation cases; Stephanie David is ‘an engaging, courageous advocate‘; and the ‘highly organised and disciplined’ Daniel Stedman Jones has established strength in advising on renewable energy matters.
London Bar > Planning
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 239 Essex Chambers is a ‘premier set‘ for planning matters, demonstrating a ‘variety of seniority and a breadth of knowledge‘. Its members display ‘real strength in depth across the board‘, advising on rural development, urban regeneration, housing development and community infrastructure, as well as attending local plan examinations and appearing at both large and small-scale planning inquiries. The set has broad expertise across the transport sector from roads, airports and seaports to railways, tramways and bus ways, and various members, including Richard Wald KC, James Strachan KC and Jonathan Darby continue to be involved in the HS2 railway project. Strachan KC is also acting for Luton Airport on its expansion, leading Victoria Hutton, and with John Steel KC representing Luton Borough Council. Richard Harwood OBE KC appeared in the Supreme Court, acting in Swindon BC v SSHCLG, a leading case on the meaning of highway, the scope of planning conditions and the interpretation of a planning permission. Christiaan Zwart successfully promoted the development of The Brick Veil Mosque in Preston over a two week inquiry; the application for planning permission was called-in by the Secretary of State as it raised National Policy, listed building and neighbourhood plan issues.
London Bar > Local government (including rating law)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4Richard Harwood OBE KC – 39 Essex Chambers ‘He is excellent at advocacy.’