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 Secretary of State for Transport v Curzon Park Ltd & Others, a high-stakes compulsory purchase compensation case. One instructing solicitor notes that the set has "a number of high-quality barristers and KCs."

Francis Taylor Building is renowned for its dedication to planning work. 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. One highlight this year was the Sizewell C New Nuclear Power Station Judicial Review litigation. One solicitor remarks: "All member of Francis Taylor Building are experts in their field."

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 has included several local plan examinations, DCO and infrastructure matters, residential development proposals and environmental concerns. Several members of chambers have been involved in high-profile cases relating to HS2, the planned new high-speed railway, and the new nuclear power station Sizewell C. One source says the set is "able to support everything that we need."

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 R (on the application of Thurston Parish Council) v Mid Suffolk DC and Bloor Homes, a Court of Appeal planning policy interpretation case. Solicitors interviewed unanimously agree that Cornerstone Barristers provide "barristers with the range of skills required to handle the diverse and often complex nature of instructions."

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. The set's recent work has included Stephen Smith v Secretary of State for Levelling Up. "For planning and property matters they are a good set," says a source.