Craig Howell Williams KC > Francis Taylor Building > London, England > Barrister Profile

Craig Howell Williams KC

020 7353 8415 clerks@ftbchambers.co.uk

Work Department

• Planning
• Environment
• Compulsory Purchase and Land Valuation
• Infrastructure
• Local Government
• Mediation

Position

Craig Howell Williams KC specialises in planning, environment and related areas of public law. He is acknowledged as one of the leading practitioners in the field and has acted in some of the most high profile cases.

Craig is consistently rated as a leading planning silk in Chambers and Partners Directory and in Legal 500, as well as a top rated planning silk in the Planning Magazine Survey. Commendations in recent directories include: “Craig is a master strategist.”; “The trust you can place in the quality of his case preparation is without comparison – and that thoroughness shines through with the clients come the execution of the case at the inquiry or hearing”; “a fantastic advocate and adviser”; “A go-to on planning and CPO matters”; “intellectually smart and astute”; “a superb barrister”; “his cross-examination is courteous and polite but ruthlessly effective”; “incredibly hardworking and a modern silk”; “great to work with, great with clients and gives top notch advice and representation”.

He represents developers and operators, local authorities, third parties and others at public inquiries and in a range of other tribunals. He is regularly involved in large planning/major infrastructure schemes such as proposals for urban extensions, new settlements, airport expansions, new road and rail schemes, employment, leisure, retail and other commercial development projects and in development plan matters.
His experience is extensive with versatility across many different kinds of legislative regime, including planning and infrastructure, DCOs and TWA orders, highways, heritage and listed buildings, compulsory purchase and compensation, wildlife and countryside legislation and outdoor advertising.

Craig was appointed and served as Junior Counsel to the Crown (B Panel) and has since then appeared in a number of significant court cases.

Craig was appointed by the Secretary of State to serve as the Lead Assistant Commissioner for the West Midlands region to hold hearings and report into proposals to modify Parliamentary constituency boundaries.

Craig is also a CEDR Accredited Mediator and a RICS Accredited Evaluative Mediator, a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the RICS President’s Mediation Panel. He was also appointed to serve on the first DCLG’s Planning Mediation Services Panel.

Career

• BA (Hons), Leeds University
• Diploma in Law (University of Westminster)
• Band Award from Grays Inn
• Called to the Bar (1983 Grays Inn)
• Junior Counsel to the Crown B Panel (1993-1999)
• Appointed Queen’s Counsel (2009)
• Chairman of the London Luton Airport Consultative Committee (S35 CAA 1982) (1999-2002)
• CEDR Accredited Mediator (2005)
• Trustee of Planning Aid for London (Registered Charity) (2007-2012)
• Lead Assistant Commissioner to the Boundary Commission for England (2012-2013)
• The DCLG’s Planning Mediation Services Panel (2012-2015)
• RICS President’s Mediation Panel (2010-)
• Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (2012-)
• RICS Accredited Evaluative Mediator (2017)
• Panel of approved counsel for the National Procurement Service for Wales (2017)
• Associate Trustee of the Lord Edmund-Davies Legal Education Trust 2009 –

Memberships

• Planning and Environment Bar Association (1990-) (Secretary 1994-1996)
• Parliamentary Bar Mess (1990-)
• United Kingdom Environmental Law Association (2009-)
• National Planning Infrastructure Association (2012-)
• Compulsory Purchase Association (2012-)
• Civil Mediation Council (2009-14)
• RICS General Mediation Panel (2010-)
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (2012-)

Education

The Leys School, Cambridge; University of Leeds (1980 BA Hons); Bar School (1983 Bar Finals).