Barrister specialising in planning, environmental, local government, public law, parliamentary and public affairs. Significant cases include in the House of Lords Burkett (time limits in judicial review) and in the Court of Appeal: SAVE Britain’s Heritage (demolition), Mellor, Goodman, Berkeley (No 2), Champion, Prokopp, Smout, Younger Homes, (environmental impact assessment); Newlyn Dean (Green Belt); R (Young) v Oxford City Council (enabling development); Ashton (standing); Majed (legitimate expectation); O’Grady (waste); Tata Steel (JR discretion); Hirose (private nuisance); Hethel (local authority decision-making); Jeffrey (discontinuance). He acts on major infrastructure, including High Speed 2, Crossrail Bill, Littlebrook Power Station, underground gas storage, incinerators and wind farms, major development projects, including Bishopsgate Goods Yard, Battersea Power Station and Spitalfields Market, Olympics CPO, retail, housing, enforcement and waste inquiries, compulsory purchase and compensation; extensive Environmental permitting experience including judicial reviews and inquiries; appeared in commons, village green and access proceedings; considerable rights of way/road traffic order experience. Additionally, Richard has drafted over 1,500 tabled amendments to Public Bills and acts on art market matters, particularly regulatory controls including exports, treasure and listed buildings.

Called to the Bar 1993, Middle Temple; QC 2013; publications include ‘Historic Environment Law’ (Institute of Art and Law), ‘Planning Enforcement’ (Bloomsbury Professional), co-author, Contaminated Land’ (CLT), ‘Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004’ (Law Society); contributor to ‘Archaeology in Law’ (Sweet & Maxwell); Environmental Law’ (OUP); case editor ‘Journal of Planning and Environmental Law’. Awarded OBE in 2014 for services to planning and environmental law.

Fellow, Society for Advanced Legal Studies; former deputy chairman, Advisory Panel on Standards for the decision making Planning Inspectorate. Member PEBA, ALBA, CPA, NIPA, UKELA, PAIAM.

Nottingham High School; Jesus College, Cambridge (MA; LLM).