England - East Anglia • Real estate

Howes Percival LLP

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The Norwich and Cambridge offices of Howes Percival LLP play a central role in the firm-wide planning practice, with Jay Mehta leading the local team. Exhibiting 'first-rate knowledge of planning law', the team handles a broad range of issues, including environmental impact assessments and NSIPs. Mehta 'makes light work of complex matters' and director Jamie Childs is 'commercial and pragmatic dealing with s.106 planning obligation agreements'. The practice advises a stellar roster of clients, notably including Flagship Group, Home Builders Federation and Turnstone Estates. Mehta recently assisted Persimmon Homes in concluding planning obligations relating to developments in Colchester, Harwich and Stanford-Le-Hope.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Howes Percival LLP combines first-rate knowledge of planning law with high levels of commercial awareness.’

  • ‘Jay Mehta provides us with expert planning advice and is a valued member of our external project team, advising us on all aspects of planning law.’

  • ‘Direct, concise and commercial. Shockingly prompt service.’

  • ‘Jay Mehta, makes light work of complex matters. Jamie Childs is commercial and pragmatic dealing with s.106 planning obligation agreements’

  • ‘Jamie Childs is knowledgeable, adaptive to innovative and new arrangements. Jamie is a great team worker.'

Key clients

  • Ptarmigan Land Limited
  • Allison Homes Norfolk & Suffolk Limited
  • Abel Homes Limited
  • Home Builders Federation
  • Luxus Homes Limited
  • BDW Trading Limited t a BDW Anglia
  • Endurance Energy Limited
  • Integritas Property Group
  • BDW Trading Limited t/a BDW Cambridgeshire
  • Minster Property Group Limited
  • Saffron Housing Trust Limited
  • Tilia Homes Limited
  • Pentaco Construction Limited
  • Linden (Linden (Highfields Caldecote) LLP & Linden (Thurston) LLP
  • Vistry Homes Limited
  • Suffolk County Council
  • Persimmon Homes
  • Taylor Wimpey UK Limited
  • Flagship Group (including Victory Housing)
  • Pigeon Group
  • Endurance Estates
  • Turnstone Estates
  • Breckland District Council
  • South Holland District Council
  • Braintree District Council
  • This Land Limited
  • East Cambs Trading Co Limited T/A Palace Green Homes
  • Big Sky Developments Limited T/A Big Sky Living
  • Axis Land Partnerships
  • Serruys Property Company Limited
  • NEEB Holdings
  • Eurovia Infrastructure Limited
  • Heritage Developments Limited
  • Laragh House Developments Limited
  • Enterprise Residential Development Limited
  • ESCO Developments Ltd
  • Norfolk Homes Limited
  • Lovell Partnerships Limited
  • Hundred Houses Society Limited
  • Wellington Construction
  • Bennett Plc
  • Fleur Developments Limited
  • Orchard Homes (East Anglia) Limited
  • Burgess Homes Limited
  • Building Partnerships Limited
  • Shockingly Fresh Limited
  • Crisp Maltings Group / Anglia Maltings (Holdings) Limited
  • University of East Anglia

Work highlights

  • Advised Persimmon Homes Limited on a number of legal agreements including those relating to a 950 dwelling development in Clacton, Essex and a 665 dwelling development in Caister, Norfolk.
  • Advising Saffron Housing Trust Limited on their flagship development project of 354 dwellings, 91 extra care apartments and additional extra care bungalows proposed in Harleston, Norfolk.
  • Advised the University of East Anglia on the locally controversial Phase 1 of its multi-phase redevelopment of its campus. Planning permission was granted in November 2022.

Lawyers

Leading individuals

Jay Mehta

Jay Mehta

Howes Percival LLP

Partner Jay is a specialist planning solicitor at Howes Percival. He is experienced in all areas of planning law and supports his clients with the delivery of strategic residential development including large urban extensions and allocations, in addition to commercial, agricultural and renewable energy projects. Recommended in the Legal 500, Jay’s clients include national house builders, promoters and local planning authorities who describe him as having “excellent judgement and very good attention to detail”. Over the years, Jay has accrued significant experience in judicial review and planning appeals. He has defended countless developers and local planning authorities against challenges to planning permissions, with continued success in the High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Many of these cases are now considered to be leading authorities on matters such as Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment. Jay is therefore relied on by many applicants and local planning authorities to guide them through the application process to ensure planning permissions may be secured robustly and the development may proceed without delay. Jay also has considerable experience in drafting complex section 106 agreements and highways agreements for schemes across the country, and provides regular advice on other matters such as enforcement, certificates of lawfulness, compulsory purchase, town and village greens, listed buildings consent and permitted development rights.

Next Generation Partners

Jamie  Childs

Jamie Childs

Howes Percival LLP

Jamie is a specialist planning solicitor at Howes Percival, with a particular focus on securing legally robust and deliverable planning permissions for clients. Described as a “rising star” in the Legal 500 (2022), Jamie’s experience includes advising on a number of significant, high profile and contentious residential development projects. Jamie also regularly advises on a wide range of commercial, energy and retail projects. Jamie is regularly instructed by national and regional housebuilders, land promoters, investors, landowners and local planning authorities. Jamie has a proven track record of negotiating complex planning agreements on some of the largest development projects in the region. Jamie also has substantial experience in judicial review matters and in providing specialist advice on Environmental Impact Assessment, permitted development rights, highways matters, rights of way, assets of community value and town and village greens. Jamie’s experience also covers advising on a range of licensing law matters. Jamie has particular experience in advising clients on applications for new or varied premises licenses. Jamie’s combined expertise in both planning and licensing matters means he often provides valuable practical and strategic advice to developers, owners and operators of licensed premises.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Jay Mehta

Other key lawyers

Jamie Childs