Morag Ellis QC is widely recognised as a leading expert in planning and local government law in England and Wales. Areas of practice include: Planning - Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects; urban regeneration schemes; residential, retail and employment development; waste, minerals, wind farms / renewable energy; Development Plans; Conservation Areas / Listed Buildings; Enforcement Town / Village Greens Public Rights of Way / Footpaths Compulsory Purchase / Compensation; Ecclesiastical Law
With her broadly based practice,
Morag is well placed to provide strategic advice / representation on all
aspects of development projects. Recent examples include:
- Promoting a new stretch of motorway, the
M4 Corridor around Newport, for the Welsh Government (new Welsh
environmental legislation, SSSIs, bridging over Port of Newport)
- Strategic advice to national housebuilders
on People over Wind and the implications for NPPF
- Appearances at Guildford and Runnymede
Examinations in Public, promoting release of residential land from the
Green Belt
- Planning appeals and advisory work for
Taylor Wimpey throughout England and Wales including St Albans (Oaklands
College - Very Special Circumstances in Green Belt), Wokingham, the West
Midlands, Peterborough and Cardiff
- Planning appeals and advisory work for
Pegasus Life later living including sites in the New Forest, Bath and
Harpenden (National Park, World Heritage Sites, heritage policy and
design, C2/C3)
- Advising and appearing for Unite in
relation to student accommodation projects in major UK cities including
hearing against LB Southwark (national, local and London policies for
specialist C2 student accommodation)
- Ports related elements of promoting Lake
Lothing Crossing DCO
- Conjoined planning appeal and Commons and Public
Right of Way diversion inquiry into a quarry proposal (recovery of
secondary aggregate) near Pontypool, S Wales (Ancient Woodland, Welsh
environmental legislation, need for minerals)
- Appearing for LB Camden at inquiries
concerning Hampstead Heath: Athlone House inquiry and subsequent High
Court proceedings (MOL and inappropriate development exceptions in NPPF)
and enforcement inquiries concerning North and South Fairground
(travelling showpeople's sites )
- Appearing in the Court of Arches for the
parish and LB Tower Hamlets in Christ Church Spitalfields (enforcement in
respect of school built in breach of Disused Burial Grounds
Act)
- Appearing at Town and Village Green inquiries for, amongst others, the Welsh Government ; and chairing such inquiries for Hampshire County Council (statutory incompatibility, disqualifying events, locality and neighbourhood)
Morag is a member of the Silks’ Panel to the Welsh Government and immediate past Chairman of the Planning and Environment Bar Association. She gave evidence to the Parliamentary Select Committee on the National Policy Statement on Ports and the Welsh Government Senedd on the review of TAN 8 (Renewable Energy), as well as being invited to give evidence to the Independent Advisory Group advising the Welsh Government on the reform of planning law, subsequently sitting as a member of the Interim Planning Advisory Group advising the Welsh Minister on changing culture in Welsh Planning.
Morag is highly rated in published guides to the profession.
Morag is Commissary General of the Diocese of Canterbury and Deputy Chancellor of the Diocese of Southwark. She is a member of the Archbishops' Panel of Clergy Discipline Chairs, a member of the Legal Advisory Commission to General Synod, a member of the Rules Committee of General Synod and has recently been appointed as a Church Commisssioner.
Morag is a lay member
of the RTPI Disciplinary Appeals Panel