Landmark Chambers

Stephen adopts a strategy led, solution seeking approach to assist his private and public sector clients. Those he works with include many developers, land owners, housebuilders, minerals and waste operators, local residents and he also works frequently with local authorities and parish councils. To seek to provide the best possible assistance to his clients, he seeks to keep up to date on all decisions and relevant happenings, along with emerging procedural, legal and policy changes.

Stephen’s practice as a specialist planning barrister also includes extensive experience of village greens, highways, advertisements, heritage assets and compulsory purchase and compensation. His work covers hearings, inquiries, criminal and civil courts, including advising and appearing in judicial review and statutory challenge proceedings.

Stephen’s experience covers the whole range of residential, retail, leisure/community and commercial developments (including urban extensions as well as major regeneration schemes), as well the other specific types of development and projects, including major infrastructure projects and in particular waste and energy facilities; his work covers the regulatory aspects (under the various regimes and Directives) as well as the planning issues. He has for several years for example been acting for the promoter of a new settlement of up to 10,000 houses together the extensive associated infrastructure in the south-east of England, which has required many technical as well as planning solutions.

Stephen’s work spans all planning and related aspects including �� developing strategy before and after the necessary consents are sought; in relation to development plan proposals; advising on responding to officers and other consultees; getting around objections; considering conditions or covenants to cover concerns; legal agreements; assisting in written representations as well as hearings, including appearances and in preparing for and appearing at inquiries.

Stephen is very familiar with and enjoys the challenge of “technical” aspects of development such as highways, noise, air quality, dealing with nitrates from residential schemes, contamination and archaeology. He also has extensive experience in design issues in relation to the whole range of development types.

This work covers not just planning application appeals and call-ins but also enforcement notice appeals, certificate of lawfulness appeals, listed buildings enforcement notices.

Stephen’s village green work involves him in advising commons registration authorities and sitting as an inspector; advising and appearing at inquiries on behalf of applicants and objectors; he has also appeared in the High Court and Court of Appeal in relation to these matters.

As well as promoting schemes, Stephen has also always worked with local authority teams – including in relation to applications, appeals and formulation and promotion of development plans, which he has done throughout his career.

• LLB (Hons) at Warwick University

• M.A. in environmental planning (MRTPI course) from Nottingham University in 1981

Memberships 

• Planning and Environmental Bar Association

• Administrative Law Bar Association

• United Kingdom Environmental Law Association