Planning | UK Bar

Landmark Chambers is widely recognised as the leading set for high-profile and nationally significant infrastructure planning inquiries and similar cases. These barristers take on complex disputes involving Green Belt and environmental considerations, matters of government policy, and both rail and air infrastructure. The set's diverse client base runs the gamut of developers, property owners, central government and local authorities throughout the UK. This year, members of chambers have appeared in Protect Dunsfold v Secretary of State, a challenge to planning permission to explore for gas outside the Surrey Hills AONB but visible from it. One instructing solicitor notes that the set is "exceptionally strong at approaching highly complex and sophisticated matters in a straightforward manner." Other references agree stating that "Landmark are experts in their field."

Francis Taylor Building is renowned for its dedication to planning work. Sources remark that the set is "undeniably one of the strongest when it comes to planning and CPO." The set has the capacity to take on the full range of planning matters, from compulsory purchase and compensation issues to environment, highways, and town and village green law. The set cultivates a similarly diverse client base, taking instructions from both local and central government, amenities, promoters, developers and interested parties. Members of FTB have recently acted in a significant number of cases relating to high-value residential developments, as well as high-profile infrastructure and policy-related matters. An interviewee remarks: "There is always someone who can take on an instruction no matter what it relates to or how complex." Other respondents agree that "it is a very experienced and able set."

39 Essex Chambers is notable for its broad geographical reach and its substantial base of both national and international clients, including individual residents, developers, private firms and government departments. The planning team's recent work includes R (Spitalfields Historic Building Trust) v London Borough of Tower Hamlets, a case concerning whether a local authority's standing orders remove the rights of councillors to vote on issues. One source says: "This set has an extremely good choice of counsel available to cover all planning and environmental topics." Further respondents state "there is a breadth of expertise in the set and we can always rely on them to provide advice on complex cases in a clear and concise manner."

The versatile Cornerstone team is capable of taking on both high-stakes planning inquiries and contentious cases in all venues from the High Court to the Supreme Court, with the benefit of additional experience in adjacent fields such as local property and public law. Clients typically range from private individuals to public bodies and from small businesses to large-scale developers. One example of the set's recent high-profile work is Frack Free Balcombe Residents Association v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities [2023], a High Court challenge in relation to a decision granting planning permission for exploration and appraisal operations to assess commercial hydrocarbon production. Sources report that "the depth and breadth of expertise on offer at Cornerstone has always been broad and extremely knowledgeable." Another interviewee says: "The counsel are thorough, conscientious and on top of their subject matters."

Six Pump Court is well regarded for planning work in both advisory and litigation contexts, with an affinity for matters that overlap with related disciplines such as regulatory and environmental law. Barristers at the set represent all manner of clients in the planning world, including private entities, such as developers, infrastructure providers and landowners, and public bodies, such as a number of London boroughs and other local authorities. An interviewee states: "The set has a very broad range of barristers with experience of planning, health and safety and environmental law matters." Another source adds: "The set has no difficulty handling matters of great complexity in planning, environmental and general public law matters." This year, a work highlight for the set is appearing for Christ Hospital School in a planning inquiry related to the provision of sports facilities.