39 Essex Chambers

Barrister whose work includes: appearances at a substantial number and variety of public inquiries including major planning, compulsory purchase and highways inquiries, parliamentary committees and proceedings before a District/Appointed Auditors representing a wide range of parties and interests including property developers, major retailers, statutory authorities, development corporations, county and district planning authorities and amenity groups; appearances in a substantial number and variety of High Court cases in the field of planning, environmental and administrative law; major inquiries include : Stansted/T4; T5; London Heliport; numerous regional and local airport aviation and other proposals; Manchester sub-regional shopping; many superstore, retail warehousing and other retail schemes including recent proposals in Northern Ireland; Westminster Designated Sales Auditor’s hearing; Cambridge new settlements; London Bridge City major office development on Thames frontage near Tower Bridge; new opera house at Tower Bridge; M25 line and compulsory purchase orders; M25; M20; M3 and M40 MSA’s; Royal Docks; Bristol Temple Meads and Trafford Park Village CPO; numerous town centre development CPOS; numerous subject plan, local plan and UDP inquiries representing the plan-making authority or objectors or supporters; parties represented include : Rolls-Royce, BP, Shell, Manchester Ship Canal Co/Peel Investments, Royal Opera House, London Bridge City, UK Waste, Safeway, Sainsbury, Boots, Costco UK, MEPC, Royal Insurance, BZW/Barclay’s Bank, Cowie Group, London Transport, Civil Aviation Authority, LDDC, Trafford Park Development Corporation, North West Water, Department of Transport, Local Government Commissioner, Snowdonia National Park Authority, many county and disctrict authorities and London boroughs; leading High Court cases include: Olivers/Thrasyvoulou in House of Lords establishing the application of the principal issue estoppel in planning matters, Bolton v Secretary of State in House of Lords representing MSCC and establishing the nature of the requirement to give reasons in planning decisions and the right of MSCC to develop the Trafford Centre after many years of public inquiry and litigation process (it also set out the principle upon which more than one set of costs may be awarded in statutory challenge/judicial review proceedings), De Rothschild v S of S and Royal Insurance v S of S establising guiding principles for decision makers and materiality of viability in CPO cases.

Called 1975, Gray’s Inn; QC 1990; Chairman of Panel, Examination in Public of First Alteration to Devon Structure Plan 1986; Secretary, Local Government and Planning Bar Association 1990-93; English Assistant, Lycee Clemenceau, Nantes, France 1962.

PEBA.

Mercers School; City of London School; New College, Oxford (1964 BA Modern Languages).

Golf, sailing, skiing, music.