Francis Taylor Building

Suzanne Ornsby KC specialises in planning law and has spent most of her career acting in three main capacities. Firstly, for local planning authorities in promoting their local plans and in defending their position at large public inquiries usually against volume housebuilders or land speculators.

Secondly, for high end niche developers in promoting residential schemes in the countryside or on previously developed land at local plan or at appeal. Thirdly, for water utility companies mainly in promoting their water resource management plans and advising on drought planning and drought orders. Suzanne has also been instructed on a number of other cases that are somewhat unusual and which are also identified below.

Suzanne is consistently recognised as a leader in this specialist field of work in the Legal 500 and in Chambers and Partners.

Suzanne is committed to training the future bar to ensure high standards of advocacy are maintained. She is a grade A advocacy instructor for the Middle Temple where she trains other barristers in the skills of cross-examination. She has also been involved in training planning Inspectors under the new Rosewell Procedure.

She is a Bencher of the Middle Temple and chairs the Pupillage and Tenancy Committee in Chambers.

Called 1986. Appointed Queen’s Counsel 2012.

Suzanne is a committee member of the Planning and Environment Bar Association, a member of UKELA, the Administrative Law Bar Association, the Compulsory Purchase Association; the Health and Safety Lawyers Association and the Criminal Bar Association.