Planning and environment

Birketts LLP

Birketts LLP has an 'innovative and creative' planning and environmental law group that has a stellar client base of national and regional housebuilders, local authorities, and private businesses in sectors such as agriculture, waste, chemicals, minerals, and transport, as well as infrastructure clients including Northumbrian Water. Tom Newcombe in Cambridge (who 'always has a practical solution to any issue') and the 'always attentive and professional' Deborah Sharples in Ipswich are the lead partners. Legal directors Nicola Doole and Nikki Fonseka, and senior associate Chloe Glason are also active in the practice. Fonseka handles planning obligations and planning enforcement matters, while Doole has vast experience in negotiating complex section 106 agreements.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘Tom Newcombe is my ‘go to’ planning lawyer and always has a practical solution to any issue, no matter how complex.’
'Tom Newcombe - always available to help, even if it is just a chat. Approachable and affordable.'
‘Deborah Sharples is excellent, always makes herself available and always attentive, and professional’
‘Birketts provide a fully comprehensive 'London' service. This includes the very able Planning and Environment team who are innovative and creative in their approach to client issues. Their commercial knowledge and client engagement are excellent.’
‘Deborah Sharples is a standout practitioner whose attention to detail and strategic skills are evident from the start. An excellent communicator.’
‘Birketts has been invaluable in their knowledge of new and developing areas of environmental legislation and their experience of applying it to our commercial negotiations. What made Birketts stand out in the tendering process was their ability to foster strong and sympathic working relationships with our new business and their confidence in working through tough negotiations.’
‘We work predominantly with Deborah Sharples who delivers a highly personalised service which is efficient, timely and managed in a very pleasant and collaborative way.'
'Every member of the team is incredibly personable, which makes this firm incredibly effective and also a pleasure to work with.'

Key clients

Hopkins Homes Limited
Vistry Group
Countryside Partnerships (now part of Vistry Group)
Brentwood Borough Council
Breckland District Council
Crest Nicholson PLC
Hill Residential
Mersea Homes Limited
Welcome Break Services PLC
Persimmon Homes
Denbury Homes
Stonebond Properties Limited
Anderson Group
The Broads Authority
Kings Lynn and West Norfolk District Council
M7
Broxbourne Borough Council
Marden Homes Limited
South Norfolk Council
Flogas Britain Limited
Broads Authority
Norfolk Environmental Credits Limited
Davis Commercials Limited
Tutis Energy Limited
Exmoor National Park
Banham Poultry (2018) Limited
George J Goff Limited
BW Farms Limited
Allison Homes Limited

Work highlights

Advising Welcome Break Services on all the highway and rights of way agreements/consents/licences to be entered into in relation to a new motorway service station on the A1(M)
Advised Countryside Properties (UK) Limited and L&Q New Homes Limited and London and Quadrant Housing Trust regarding the cross-boundary redevelopment of Beam Park Dagenham, which has been uplifted to include 4,000 homes; two primary schools and nurseries (Use Class D1); a new railway station; and supporting uses including retail, healthcare, and a multi-faith worship space.
Advising Brentwood Borough Council (including at hearings, negotiations and regarding a management plan) following the service of an abatement notice on Thames Water concerning a sewage treatment works.

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