Cornerstone Barristers

Planning and environment; licensing; local government law.

Specialist in planning and environment, compulsory purchase, licensing and local government law in both England & Wales and Scotland.  Also undertakes a wide range of contract/commercial work.

In last 10 years Supreme Court cases include Multilink Leisure Developments v North Lanarkshire Council (lease interpretation), Morge v Hampshire (resisting interim relief application), Welwyn Hatfield v SOSCLG (deceit and planning), Tesco Stores Ltd v Dundee City Council (interpretation of policy and sequential test), Uprichard v Scottish Ministers (local plan challenge) and Trump v Scottish Ministers (implied conditions). Numerous other related Court cases in both jurisdictions.

Likewise numerous planning inquiries, including recent significant experience in windfarms, waste to energy facilities and acted for Guildford Borough Council promoting its local plan.

Licensing work at all levels in both jurisdictions.

James advises on all aspects of local authority law, including governance, elections, highways and procurement.

Called England and Wales 1984; Queen’s Council (England and Wales) 2008; admitted Scotland 2008; Joint Head of Chambers (Cornerstone Barristers) 2011-14; Standing Junior to Scottish Ministers (2013); Chair of Scottish Planning Local Government and Environmental Bar Group 2015.

Planning and Environment Bar Association (PEBA); Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA); National Infrastructure Planning Association (NIPA); UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA).

Magdalene College, Cambridge.