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 environmental 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.
Matthew’s recent 2022/23 work has comprised:
• A housing development project involving 3000 houses in the north of England
• An appeal relating to a major minerals site in Essex
• A new road compulsory purchase project in the Midlands
• Energy from waste power stations in Essex and north London
• A transport and works act order in southern England
• Development agreement arbitrations relating to schemes in London
• Developments affecting grade 1 listed buildings
• Habitat regulations cases
• Local plan promotion for a London Borough
• Local plan objections in the Midlands.
In the field of environmental law, Matthew is ranked in Chambers and Partners as a leading silk. During 2022/3, he has been dealing with many of the issues arising from nutrient loading in the river system, whether from point source or diffuse pollution, advising local authorities, NGOs and private organisations on the issue.
In 2023, Matthew’s property practice has generally related to the cross-over between planning and property, having been involved in litigation on a number of development agreements and options. He has also advised on cases addressing the enforceability of restrictive covenants and easements.
• History at King’s College, Cambridge
• MA in Law at City University
• Middle Temple Jules Thorn Scholar
Memberships
• Planning and Environment Bar Association
• United Kingdom Environmental Law Association
• Compulsory Purchase Association
• Parliamentary Bar Mess