Planning

Frequently a business’s most valuable asset is its land. What that land is worth, however, will be dictated by what a business can do with it, and whether it can be used as the business requires.

As a consequence understanding both practical and legal aspects of the UK Town and Country planning system and how to use it to its best advantage will often be crucial to the success of a business.

Team and market reputation

Our experienced planning team acknowledges that businesses seeking the highest quality of legal advice require planning lawyers who understand their aims and needs and can advise on strategy in addition to law and policy.

Headed by Nigel Hewitson, our planning team is in a unique position to fulfil these requirements, bringing experience from previous work within local government, English Heritage, and other well-respected legal practices.

Scope of work

We advise on a wide range of stand-alone contentious and non-contentious planning issues including:

• planning permissions and conditions;
• planning and infrastructure agreements (section 106 Agreements (planning obligations), section 278 Agreements (highway works) and section 38 Agreements (adoption of highways));
• compulsory purchase rights and the acquisition of land;
• planning due diligence on real estate and corporate deals;
• listed buildings and conservation issues;
• highways advice;
• local government law;
• freedom of information;
• public inquiries and planning appeals;
• judicial review proceedings in the High Court; and
• enforcement orders and appeals.

Our planning expertise on transactional matters includes carrying out due diligence and advising on risk allocation and lender liability issues.

Clients and experience

Our planning team works with developers, businesses and public authorities to find practical and commercial solutions to their planning needs.

The team has recently provided advice in relation to the following matters and deals:

• DP World: Advice in relation to all planning and environmental aspects and issues relating to the development of a £1.5 billion container port at the former Shell Oil refinery site on the Thames.
• Multi Development UK Limited: Acting on the redevelopment of Wolverhampton City centre.
• Peabody Trust: Advice in relation to a major mixed use planning application to regenerate a 10-acre brownfield site in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
• Bouygues UK Limited: Advice in relation to planning issues arising from a PFI project to redevelop Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex (£170m project).
• London Development Agency: Compulsory purchase advice in relation to the Olympic site.