Megan Thomas is a specialist in town and country planning, public and environmental law and has been consistently recognised as a leading junior in her field since she was called to the Bar in 1987. She is at 6 Pump Court, Temple, London. She is on the Attorney General’s List of Specialist Advocates for Environmental Law. She has appeared in the High Court and Court of Appeal in the British Virgin Islands on environmental judicial review matters and is also a member of the Eastern Caribbean Bar.

She is currently the advocate for the Maidstone Borough Local Plan examination which began last October and has advised and participated in several local plan cases including waste and minerals plans.

Emerging Neighbourhood Plan cases have recently kept her busy including successfully defending the Faversham Creek Neighbourhood Plan in the High Court in March (R. (Swan Quay LLP) v. Swale Borough Council & Faversham Town Council [2017] EWHC 420 (Admin)).

She has a thorough knowledge and understanding of planning law aided by the fact that she is also a regular decision maker in planning appeals for the Planning Inspectorate.

She is instructed by leading developers, retailers and housebuilders as well as numerous local planning authorities. She is also experienced in compulsory purchase, highway and footpath law, stopping up orders and gypsy and traveller injunctions and inquiries. Her very recent court cases include R. (Swire) v. Canterbury District Council & Pentland Homes CO/490/2017, R. (Kent) v Kensington & Chelsea RLBC [2016] EWHC 2809 (Admin), Court of Appeal & High Court - R. (Lee Valley Regional Park Authority) v Epping Forest District Council [2016] EWCA Civ 404, Court of Appeal & High Court - R. (XPL Ltd) v Harlow Council [2016] EWCA Civ 378.

She has particular expertise in housing matters, having participated in many house building planning inquiries and having advised several local planning authorities on their 5-year land supply, Strategic Housing Market Assessments, Sustainability Appraisals and Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments. She advises on all typical planning considerations such as nature conservation particularly Ancient Woodland, hydrogeology, heritage, traffic management, landscape character and appearance, design, noise, outlook and light issues.

She has advised and appeared for Severn Trent Water Ltd in the first public inquiry under the Environmental Damage (Prevention & Remediation) Regulations 2009 following a pollution incident affecting land and water in a Site of Special Scientific Interest.