Asitha Ranatunga > Cornerstone Barristers > London, England > Barrister Profile
Cornerstone Barristers Offices
2-3 GRAY'S INN SQUARE
LONDON
WC1R 5JH
England
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Asitha Ranatunga
Work Department
Public law; planning and environment law; licensing.
Career
Asitha regularly appears at public inquiries, hearings and before the Higher Courts. His clients include developers and individuals as well as local authorities and residents’ groups. He provides strategic and legal advice across a range of sectors including development (residential, retail, and leisure), infrastructure (renewable energy and highways), and regulatory control (environmental enforcement).
Asitha recently appeared at planning inquiries for Waverley BC, successfully defending their decisions to refuse edge of settlement residential schemes for 53 and 57 units around the village of Rudgwick. He also successfully defended Huntingdonshire DC’s decision to grant planning permission for a crematorium promoted by the Town Council (R (Dignity Funerals Ltd.) v Huntingdonshire DC [2019] EWHC 2114 (Admin), and Tonbridge & Malling BC’s decision to grant full planning permission for a gypsy site R (Miles) v Tonbridge & Malling BC et al. [2020] EWHC 1608 (Admin).
In licensing, Asitha has considerable experience of contested appeals acting for the trade as well as defending licensing authority decisions. He recently acted for Islington Council on appeal, defending the Council’s decision to impose restrictive conditions on the operation of a Grade II listed pub known as The Sekforde in the Clerkenwell area following noise and disturbance complaints.
Contributor to “Cornerstone on the Planning Court” and “Licensed Premises: Law and Practice”.
Called in 2001 (Inner-Temple).
Memberships
Planning and Environment Bar Association (PEBA); Institute of Licensing; Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA); UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA).
Education
Pembroke College, Cambridge; (MA, MPhil Classics); Bristol Grammar School.
Leisure
Cricket and travel.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Licensing
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Asitha Ranatunga –Cornerstone Barristers ‘Asitha is conscientious. He has a sound legal mind and is an outstanding advocate.’
‘One of the leaders in the field of licensing‘, Cornerstone Barristers is home to a team with ‘exceptional licensing expertise‘. Members handle the full range of licensing work, and is well known for acting for national authorities, public sector clients and operators in licensing disputes. James Findlay KC is highly regarded for his excellent track record in advising on private hire, alcohol, and gambling licensing matters. Ranjit Bhose KC is regularly instructed by licensing authorities on a range of work, and Josef Cannon KC has been kept busy handling contentious mandates concerning licenses for sexual entertainment venues, music festivals and hotels. Asitha Ranatunga has ‘an exceptional understanding of licensing law and procedure, as well as the ability to provide insightful, bespoke and practical advice‘.