Ian enjoys an extensive national planning and public law practice. He is highly rated, consistently featuring in Planning’s list of top-rated junior barristers. He appears for both developers and local planning authorities at inquiries for housing, employment, retail, energy and waste schemes. He also appears at development plan examinations (both promoting and objecting to draft plans), and at CPO inquiries (as well as proceedings in the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) dealing with compensation issues arising out of compulsory purchase). On top of his busy inquiry practice, he appears in the High Court on judicial reviews, statutory planning challenges, and injunctive proceedings.
A few examples of recent inquiry experience include;
- securing residential consent for Story Homes on a greenfield site on the edge of a Lancashire village;
- securing residential consent for Hollins Strategic Land on a greenfield site in Nottinghamshire;
- successfully resisting appeals on behalf of Stratford-on-Avon District Council for the residential development of a site on the edge of a Warwickshire village.
A few examples of recent development plan examination appearances include;
- representing significant landowners promoting major residential and employment development in Cheshire East;
- representing a significant landowner promoting a major strategic urban extension in North Northamptonshire.
A few examples of recent High Court appearances include;
- successfully quashing an Inspector’s decision granting planning permission in section 288 proceedings on behalf of Manchester City Council;
- successfully resisting judicial review of a decision by Birmingham City Council to grant planning permission for significant residential development.