Meyric Lewis KC KC > Francis Taylor Building > London, England > Barrister Profile
Francis Taylor Building Offices
FRANCIS TAYLOR BUILDING, INNER TEMPLE
LONDON
EC4Y 7BY
England
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Meyric Lewis KC KC
Work Department
- Planning
- Environmental
- Compulsory Purchase and Land Valuation
- Local Govenment
- Administrative
Position
Meyric was described by The Lawyer as “standing out” for his expertise in planning and judicial review. He specialises in all aspects of planning (including environmental assessment) and compulsory purchase both at inquiries and in the courts at all appellate levels. Clients range from substantial developers to public authorities and individual developers or objectors.
He is frequently reported in the specialist law reports in notable cases. His court practice ranges from judicial and statutory review in the higher courts to prosecutions and other regulatory proceedings in the Crown Court and Magistrates’ Court. He has particular experience in proceedings relating to planning enforcement, statutory nuisance and land contamination.
He has widespread expertise in compulsory purchase and compensation law acting for and advising clients on CPO and major infrastructure proposals and the compensation issues arising from them.
He is Chambers’ Pro Bono Champion.
Meyric served as B Panel Treasury Counsel 1995-2001 defending Secretary of State’s planning decisions in the High Court
He was the elected Chair of the Compulsory Purchase Association 2014 – 20156.
He is regularly invited to speak at specialist seminars including RTPI Planning Law Updates and at the Planning Inspectorate’s Enforcement Conference.
He has published many articles including Expediency in Enforcement [2003] JPL 1106, The New Procedures for Planning Challenges in the High Court [2008] JPL 1720, Enforcing Planning Obligations [2012] Local Government Lawyer and Planning and Proceeds of Crime Act [2014] JPL 972; The Sanctity of Contract – Enforcing Section 106 Obligations [2019] JPL 748.
He is the author with Bob McGeady of Law Brief Publishing’s Certificates of Lawfulness – A Guide (2018) and Planning Obligations Demystified (2019).
He is an Editor of the Sweet & Maxwell Compulsory Purchase Encyclopaedia.
Career
Called 1986, Gray’s Inn; KC 2023; Treasury Counsel Common Law (planning) 1995-2001.
Languages
French, Spanish, Italian, some German.
Memberships
Compulsory Purchase Association (Past Chair (2014-2016)
Education
Westminster School; Bristol University (1984 BA Hons); City University (1985 Dip Law).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Planning
(2023 Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Meyric Lewis KC –Francis Taylor Building ‘Very responsive and a real can-do attitude. Works well with clients but not afraid to be robust with them when necessary. Advocacy is superb as is his written work.’
As ‘one of the leading barristers sets for planning‘, Francis Taylor Building provides a full spectrum planning practice. The chambers has an established and ‘deserved strong reputation‘ as an infrastructure set but has also seen a recent increase in residential schemes, from planning appeal inquiries to strategic advice to developers. A number of members have been instructed on the Sizewell C nuclear power station; Hereward Phillpot KC led for NNB Generation Company (SZC) Limited, a subsidiary of EDF; Andrew Tait KC is acting for the local planning authority, East Suffolk Council, in the ongoing hearings; and Hugh Flanagan is acting for EDF Energy on its application for development consent and appeared in the High Court. Members of chambers are involved in the litigation concerning the proposal to build a Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre over part of Victoria Tower Gardens; Meyric Lewis KC represented opponents London Gardens Trust and Save Victoria Tower Gardens, and Kate Olley acted for the Secretary of State and the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation. Richard Honey KC led the team of counsel on Friends of the Earth & South Lakeland Action on Climate Change v SSLUHC, defending two judicial reviews of the government’s approval of the Whitehaven coal mine. Simon Bird KC led Flanagan in Aquind Ltd v SSBEIS, appearing for the claimant after the Secretary of State refused a DCO for the proposed 2GW Aquind electricity interconnector between Le Havre and Portsmouth.
London Bar > Local government (including rating law)
(2023 Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Meyric Lewis KC – Francis Taylor Building ‘Proactive and responsible.’