Our annual Planning Conference offers a full day of thorough, practical learning on the latest developments in planning law delivered by leading planning experts. This year’s programme will explore the latest legislative and policy changes and case law developments, with a specific focus on areas of particular relevance to local authority planning lawyers and officers.
The Conference will begin with a session on the Supreme Court decision in R (on the application of Finch) v Surrey County Council and its implications for local authorities in terms of EIAs/grant of planning permission with Katharine Elliot and James Neill from Landmark Chambers. Delegates will then hear from Rory Stracey from Trowers & Hamlins on planning reform and increasing the supply of new homes, before we welcome James Pereira KC and Daisy Noble from Francis Taylor Building who will be exploring the pitfalls in promoting CPOs.
The afternoon Conference will begin with a session on planning enforcement with Celina Colquhoun, James Burton and Daniel Stedman Jones from 39 Essex Chambers, before we hear from Emily Knowles from Sharpe Pritchard who will be exploring biodiversity net gain. The Conference will conclude with a session on the decision in R (Dennis) v LB Southwark and what it means for multiple planning permissions and ‘drop-in’ developments with Matthew Reed KC and Matthew Dale-Harris from Landmark Chambers.
Each session will provide attendees with the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts and experience. Whilst the event will be held across one day, all sessions will be recorded and made available to download, providing the opportunity either to engage for the whole day or to attend selected sessions on the day and then catch up in your own time. The Conference offers an ideal opportunity for planning lawyers, officers, and anyone working in a local authority planning team to get right up to date with the most important recent developments in planning law.
Barrister, Landmark Chambers
Ranked in the Directories as a leading junior, James is described by Legal 500 as “great to work with and a systematic thinker” (Legal 500, 2023). He appears regularly in the Planning Court, at public inquiries and local plan examinations on behalf of developers, local planning authorities, major utilities companies, public interest and campaign groups and private parties in planning and environmental matters. He also regularly acts in commercial disputes in the Technology and Construction Court in relation to development projects.
Before joining Landmark, James was part of the Global Environment Team at Allen & Overy LLP where he worked on various contentious planning and environmental matters in relation to a number of major national infrastructure projects.
Barrister, Landmark Chambers
Katharine has a diverse practice, encompassing planning, environment and public law, advising developers, local planning authorities, government departments, public interest and campaign groups and private individuals. Katharine regularly provides advice and representation in judicial review and statutory challenges to decisions at all stages of the planning process and has particular expertise in advising on issues arising from the material change of use of residential property, including as a result of HMO and Airbnb/short term rental usage. She has also provided advice in connection with nationally significant infrastructure projects and HS2. Katharine was appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel in 2021.
Partner, Trowers & Hamlins
Rory specialises in all aspects of planning, highways and compulsory purchase law.
Before joining Trowers & Hamlins, Rory worked across both the private and public sectors, most recently as the Principal Planning & Corporate Lawyer for the London Borough of Hillingdon.
Rory has a wealth of experience having lead on a wide range of major development and regeneration schemes including mixed-use developments, large-scale housing schemes, commercial developments as well as infrastructure projects. Negotiating complex S106 and Highways Agreements, dealing with compulsory purchase orders, and mitigating the risks on planning applications - Rory is able to advise on planning, highways and compulsory purchase matters from start to finish.
Rory also has extensive experience in contentious planning, having acted as advocate in a wide range of planning inquiries and appeals. He has a wealth of experience in advising on judicial review claims in the High Court, acting for both claimants and defendants.
Francis Taylor Building
James Pereira KC specialises in planning, environmental, local government and administrative law, compulsory purchase and compensation. He enjoys both contentious and non-contentious work, loves advocacy of any kind, and finds a great deal of pleasure working with others to realise his clients’ ambitions.
He is consistently ranked among the top silks by Chambers and Partners, the Legal 500 and Planning magazine.
James has broad experience of compulsory purchase and compensation work, in particular in the context of urban regeneration and major infrastructure projects. His caseload of compensation claims is usually in excess of £100 million. Chambers and Partners have described him as "a star of the CPO world".
He acts for both claimants and acquiring authorities in compensation claims, having gained invaluable experience handing the compensation claims arising from the Olympic Park acquisitions and the acquisitions for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. He acted successfully for the London Borough of Southwark in its challenge to the controversial Aylesbury decision, eventually securing the Secretary of State's consent to judgment. Additional CPO experience arises from work on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. As well as regular advocacy, he has a strong advisory practice in these areas, with particular focus on strategic case planning to maximise or minimise compensation as appropriate to the client.
He is an editor of the 2-volume loose-leaf encyclopaedia 'Compulsory Purchase and Compensation Service' (Bloomsbury Publishing), and a co-author of 'The Law of Compulsory Purchase” (now in its 4th edition).
Barrister, Francis Taylor Building
Daisy Noble was called to the Bar in 2015 and has been a member of Chambers since October 2018. She is consistently ranked as one of Planning Magazine’s top-rated junior planning barristers (2021 – 2024) and has been ranked in the top three in the under 35 category for the last two years.
Daisy is currently ranked in Legal 500 (2023 and 2024), gaining particular recognition for her work in major infrastructure planning and compulsory purchase and compensation. Daisy was nominated as Planning and Land Use Junior of the Year, Legal 500 Bar Awards 2023.
Daisy has already gained a great deal of experience in the field of compulsory purchase and compensation and has been recognised for her work in this area. She frequently advises in relation to both the promotion of CPOs and issues of compensation on behalf of both acquiring authorities and claimants. She has acted in Tribunal proceedings in relation to claims for compensation arising out of HS2, Crossrail, Thameslink and various road schemes.
Daisy is currently a board member of the Compulsory Purchase Association.
Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers
James specialises in environmental law, planning law and linked compulsory purchase order (CPO)/compensation work (including Part I Land Compensation Act 1973), related areas (including energy, aviation, traffic regulation and highways/public rights of way (PRoW)) and also civil liability. His work often involves the overlap between his practice areas (e.g. environmental law, common law nuisance and Part I claims; planning protection for heritage assets and occupiers’ liability).
James’ work is primarily domestic, but internationally he has specific expertise in large scale toxic torts.
James appears regularly at public inquiry and in the High Court and Court of Appeal. He is equally comfortable working alone or as part of a team.
In addition to major planning, CPO/Part I and high-value catastrophic civil claims, James has substantial experience of very heavy group litigation (the Abidjan Group Litigation and, more recently, the Jalla Litigation (both toxic tort dumping/spillage claims), the Accident Group Litigation (insurance) and the criminal proceedings into the Hatfield rail disaster).
James’ administrative law experience includes considerable work petitioning parliament (HS2) and also appointments as an investigating officer into allegations of misconduct in public office.
James was named Environmental and Planning Junior of the Year at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2015.
Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers
Celina regularly acts for and advises local authority and private sector clients in all aspects of Planning and Environmental law including the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) regime, Highways Law, Sewers and Drains and National Infrastructure. She appears in Planning Inquiries representing appellants; planning authorities and third parties as well as in; the High Court and the Court of Appeal in respect of statutory review challenges and judicial review cases.
She also undertakes both prosecution and defence work in respect of planning and environmental enforcement in Magistrates’ and Crown Courts as well as Enforcement Notice appeals.
She specialises in all aspects of Compulsory Purchase and compensation, acting for and advising acquiring authorities seeking to promote such Orders or objectors and affected landowners. Her career had a significant grounding in national infrastructure, airports and highways projects and she continues those specialisms today – “dedicated, very analytical and keen for precision… She is very much considered to be a leading figure in the legal planning world.” Chambers Directory 2023.
Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers
Daniel Stedman Jones specialises in planning, environmental and energy law. He represents developers, companies, central and local government authorities, landowners and local residents at inquiry and in court up to the Supreme Court.
Daniel is the deputy head of 39 Essex Chambers' Energy Group, a co-editor of Sweet & Maxwell’s Planning Law: Practice and Precedents and a contributor to Harwood on Planning Permission (forthcoming).
Managing Associate, Sharpe Pritchard
Emily is a highly experienced lawyer specialising in town and country planning law, regeneration, and nationally significant infrastructure projects. She has substantial experience across planning, highways, and administrative law and has acted for local planning authorities, highway authorities, and public and private developers.
Emily advises the public and private sectors in respect of complex nationally and locally-significant developments, supporting clients throughout the process advising on pre-application matters, heads of terms, and policy compliance, before negotiating extensive and complex agreements. She has negotiated agreements securing key obligations to make nationally significant developments possible and has also worked on several compulsory purchase orders for estate regenerations and highways schemes.
Landmark Chambers
Matthew appears in all the courts of record including the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, Divisional Courts and the High Court as well as the criminal courts, Parliament and the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber). He acts for developers, local authorities and NGOs. He has appeared in over 50 reported Court cases and 100 significant inquiries and hearings.
Matthew's practice ranges from planning to environment law, property and local government.
In the planning sphere, Matthew has since 2008 been consistently ranked as a leading barrister in the planning sections of Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500. He is also ranked as a leading silk for planning work and in the top 10 silk for commercial and retail work in the Planning Magazine’s 2024 Legal Survey. Matthew is the consultant editor of the compulsory purchase volume of Halsbury’s Laws.
Barrister, Landmark Chambers
Matthew is a planning and environmental law specialist. He is ranked by Legal 500 as a leading junior in both Planning and Environmental Law and has been appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel of Junior Counsel. He is the Editor of the Environment section of the Civil Court Practice and assists the editors of the Planning Encyclopaedia.
Matthew’s planning practice focuses on housing and infrastructure work (as well as CPO). He has acted for a range of developers including national housebuilders such as Taylor Wimpey and land promoters like Catesby Estates as well as specialist and boutique developers like Optivo and Acorn Developments.
He also has a busy practice working for local authorities and regularly appears in development management and enforcement appeals around the country. As panel counsel, he regularly acts for the DHLUHC, DEFRA and the Environment Agency.
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