SILK PROFILE

Ruth Stockley KC

UK Bar 2026

Kings Chambers

Ranked in 2 practice areas

Planning

Northern/North Eastern (Bar)

6 years ranked

Environment

Northern (Bar)

14 years ranked

About

Provided by Kings Chambers

UK Bar

Practice Areas

All aspects of town and country planning; highways and public rights of way; traffic regulation; compulsory purchase; environment; commons and village greens; taxi licensing; local government and judicial review.

Regularly advises and acts for developers, landowners, local authorities and third parties at public inquiries, with extensive experience in appearing at planning inquiries relating to residential, employment, retail, leisure, energy and waste schemes and enforcement notices, as well as CPO, public rights of way and village green inquiries, and at statutory appeals and judicial review proceedings in the Planning Court and the Administrative Court.

Frequently appears in various tribunals, including the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) on compensation issues, the First Tier Tribunal relating to listing of Assets of Community Value, and the Traffic Penalty Tribunal on traffic regulation, and has also acted as Independent Advocate to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

A specific expertise in highways, public rights of way and traffic regulation in which she is widely regarded as one of the UK's leading authorities. Having been an Editor of the Highway Law and Practice Encyclopaedia for over 30 years, she has been appointed to General Editor, and is co-author of the leading text, "Highway Law". Has a particular interest in the inter-relationship between highways and planning.

Regularly sits as an Inspector at non-statutory village green inquiries.

Delivered numerous papers at planning and at highways conferences, and has provided training to planning inspectors.

Career

University: Nottingham; degree: Law (LLB); called: 1988 (Lincolns Inn).

Professional Memberships

Planning and Environment Bar Association; Administrative Law Bar Association; Chambers’ Ambassador to the Bar Council; Previous Chairman of the Manchester Incorporated Law Library Society.

Publications

General Editor of Sweet and Maxwell’s Encyclopaedia of Highway Law and Practice and co-author of Highway Law.

Work Highlights

Appearing at the Supreme Court for the successful party in the landmark village green case of Barkas v. North Yorkshire County Council.

Acting as independent advocate to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal in the review into road user charging for the Mersey Gateway Bridge.

Advising Transport for the North on the first Strategic Transport Plan for the North.

Significant reported cases include:

KBC Developments v Wavin [2023] EWHC 153 (Ch), ransom strip claim to development site;

Tchenguiz v Westminster City Council [2022] RTR 27, statutory challenge to anti-terrorism traffic regulation orders;

Easteye v Malhotra [2020] EWHC 2606 (Ch), implied dedication of a highway;

Fielder v Harrogate Borough Council [2020] UKUT 288 (AAC), Upper Tribunal interpretation of Assets of Community Value Regulations;

Venuscare v Cumbria County Council [2019] EWHC 3268 (Admin), successful resistance of statutory challenge to traffic regulation order;

Nottingham City Council v. Bus Lane Adjudicator [2017] EWHC 430 (Admin), successful resistance of judicial review of traffic penalty tribunal’s decision;

Surrey County Council v. Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead [2016] EWHC 2901 (Admin), statutory challenge to a weight restriction order;

Barkas v. North Yorkshire County Council [2014] UKSC 31 [2015] A.C. 195, Supreme Court landmark village green decision;

Barrow Borough Council v. Cumbria County Council [2011] EWHC 2051, successful judicial review of a Site Allocation Policies Development Plan.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

UK Bar

Planning - Northern/North Eastern (Bar)

Band 1

Individual Editorial

Ruth Stockley KC is a respected planning barrister, renowned particularly for her expertise in highways law. She is well known as an editor of the Encyclopedia of Highway Law and Practice. Her practice also spans environment, compulsory purchase and village greens. She has advised on a number of transport-related matters.

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Environment - Northern (Bar)

Band 2

Individual Editorial

Ruth Stockley is a well-regarded barrister with a broad practice spanning areas such as environment, and town and country planning. She has a wealth of public inquiry experience, and regularly handles proposals for solar farms and transport infrastructure. She is also experienced in the handling of disputes concerning rights of way and highways and has recently dealt with significant transport-related cases. She regularly advises developers, local authorities and other parties.

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Strengths

Provided by Chambers

Ruth is extremely good at reading a room and adopting her approach to the type of room she is in.
PlanningUK Bar
Ruth Stockley is absolutely the go-to person on highways law.
PlanningUK Bar
Ruth Stockley possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience on public rights of way; she is an expert in that niche area.
PlanningUK Bar
Ruth Stockley is an exemplar on highway matters.
PlanningUK Bar
She possess a wealth of knowledge and experience.
EnvironmentUK Bar