James Corbet Burcher

James Corbet Burcher is a specialist planning barrister, with particular expertise in residential and commercial development.

He has particular experience of High Court litigation, having appeared in over 50 reported cases, from the High Court to the UK Supreme Court. He regularly appears at planning inquiries and hearings and local plan examination hearings.

His client base is diverse, including national and regional housebuilders, land promoters, care home operators, manufacturing businesses and logistics operators. He also advises and acts for a number of local planning authorities.

James has a particular specialism in new/frontier areas of planning legislation and policy. He has been involved in many of the first cases in emerging areas: notably NPPF interpretation, neighbourhood planning, self-build and custom housebuilding, digitisation/planning data reforms and, most recently, Grey Belt policy. He is the author of the first guide to planning applications/appeals in the Grey Belt (published 2025).

His work is informed by an interest in international planning systems and comparative analysis with the UK. He has written and presented on this topic at a number of international conferences in the past decade.

He is a member of the Bar Council IT Panel and Legal Services Committee, following 5 years as a member of Bar Council.

No5 Chambers: 2012-present

PEBA

ALBA