Who We Are

Elizabeth Christie

Elizabeth spent nine years at Herbert Smith Freehills before becoming one of Town’s founding partners.

She has a wide-ranging planning practice, including advising on tall buildings, build to rent, heritage issues, and major regeneration schemes.

Experience:

22 Bishopsgate Limited Partnership
22 Bishopsgate

SH Reading Master LLP
Station Hill, Reading

Lendlease and London & Continental Railways
International Quarter, Stratford City

British Land
Broadgate Estate

Imperial College
140 Wales Farm Road, North Acton

Francis Crick Institute
Francis Crick Institute

Danescroft
Clock House and Access House, Bromley-by-Bow

Brockton Capital
Post Building, Camden

Labtech
Hawley Wharf, Camden Lock Market, Stables Market, Buck Street Market

Mary Cook

Mary is a leading planning barrister and a regular panel member of the Have We Got Planning News For You show. Prior to Town she was a member of Cornerstone Barristers where she served as Joint Head of Chambers. She is one of Town’s founding partners.

Experience:

Development Schemes & Strategic Land Advice
Mary regularly offers early strategic advice on the promotion of regeneration schemes, considering the prospects of changing policy contexts, testing the robustness of the planning strategy and ultimately shaping the planning application and considering the need for and adequacy of EIA screening and/or scoping opinions. She has considerable experience in schemes involving Green Belt issues, flood risk issues, protected species and their environments, daylight and sunlight assessments, complex transport assessment issues as well as statutory and locally listed buildings and conservation areas. She regularly works in conjunction with colleagues at Town.

Local Plan Examinations & Neighbourhood Plans
Mary is currently appearing at examinations promoting a new garden village in York and advising on viability issues relating to the Cranbrook Local plan in Devon; the redevelopment of previously developed land in the AONB and Green Belt in Kent; allocations for a commercial warehouse and a Rail Freight Terminal in the Green Belt in Central Bedfordshire; and urban extensions in Leicestershire and the Black Country and working to secure numerous housing allocations.

Mary has particular experience in Retirement and Care Homes
Acting and advising Churchill Retirement Living, Inspired Villages Group, Elysian Residences and Carebase.

Schools, Colleges & PBSA
Advising various establishments on their development plans and related planning applications involving listed buildings, conservation areas and MOL in Camden and Haringey and in the Green Belt.

Hotels
Currently advising on three hotel projects in London at various stages in the development pipeline and a significant commercial leisure scheme.

Commercial
Currently advising B2/B8 operators in the Green Belt on expansion prospects and B8 shed scheme on M1 and owners of former airfields transforming them into a mixed-use scheme.

Residences
Mary is advising on a number of appeals for housebuilders, land promoters and landowners in Dorset, South Somerset and Guildford.

Duncan Field

Duncan advises on major infrastructure projects and regeneration schemes around the UK. He was previously head of planning law at Norton Rose Fulbright and was also a specialist planning partner at Wragge & Co and SJ Berwin. Duncan led the team that won the Real Estate Team of the Year at the British Legal Awards in 2016 and Planning Law Firm of the Year at the UK Planning Awards in 2017.

Experience:

London City Airport
Advising on the development of the airport over the past 20 years including its latest infrastructure project known as the City Airport Development Programme and the associated planning permission and compulsory purchase orders.

The Crown Estate
Advising on its regeneration programme for Regent Street and St James’s in Central London over the past 20 years involving the development of landmark buildings for a mix of uses including retail, offices, hotels, residential and extensive public realm improvements.

Hinduja Group and OHL Desarrollos
Acting for the Hinduja/OHL joint venture in relation to the redevelopment of the Old War Office in Whitehall, Central London as a luxury hotel with apartments.

Olympus Property Holding Limited
Advising on the proposed refurbishment and regeneration of the Olympia Exhibition Centre to deliver improved exhibition and conferencing facilities, offices, hotel accommodation, retail, leisure and new cultural uses.

DP World London Gateway
Advising London Gateway Port in relation to the implementation of the Harbour Empowerment Order for its deep-sea container terminal and planning permission for the adjacent logistics park, including use of compulsory purchase powers for the widening of the A13.

PD Ports
Advising on the 1.5 million TEUs Northern Gateway Container Terminal at Teesport.

London Legacy Development Corporation
Advising on the post-Games transformation of the Olympic Stadium.

Clare Fielding

Clare is particularly known for substantial London projects. She regularly advises on complex planning strategy, viability issues, Community Infrastructure Levy, JR risk, and on property-related corporate transactions. Her style is collaborative, problem-solving and people-centred. She is closely involved in the leadership and management of Town and regularly speaks on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Legal 500 2021 said: “Clare is very pragmatic, and her work is a very good example of the public and private sector working together. She’s very good on strategy.”

Experience:

Battersea Power Station Development Company
Redevelopment of Battersea Power Station, LB Wandsworth

Sellar
Shard Place and Canada Water regeneration, LB Southwark

Derwent London
White Collar Factory, LB Islington

St James
White City Living and Centre House, White City, LB Hammersmith and Fulham

Greenwich Hospital
Redevelopment of Greenwich Market, RB Greenwich

Minerva plc
St Botolphs and the Minerva Building (Canon Street), City of London

Stanhope/Schroders JV
Croydon Gateway CPO inquiry, LB Croydon

Arsenal Football Club
Emirates Stadium and associated regeneration, LB Islington

Michael Gallimore

Mike was head of planning at Hogan Lovells before joining Town Legal. He is widely recognised as a leading planning lawyer developing his reputation through a number of high profile projects. Mike has over 30 years’ experience spanning regeneration and mixed use schemes, new housing settlements, office, retail and leisure projects as well as new infrastructure. Legal 500 has described him as “an industry expert” who “takes the time to understand his clients’ requirements”.

Experience:

Argent (King’s Cross) Limited
The redevelopment of King’s Cross Central

Argent Related
Brent Cross Town

Canary Wharf Group and Qatari Diar
The redevelopment of the Shell Centre on the South Bank

St George
1 Blackfriars, Grand Union Alperton and Royal Exchange Kingston

Joseph Homes
The Albion Waterside development in Gravesend

Pocket Living
Various London projects

Groveworld
Redevelopment of the former Royal Nose, Throat and Ear Hospital on Gray’s Inn Road

Helioslough Limited
Radlett Strategic Rail Freight Interchange

London Legacy Development Corporation
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Mayfield Market Towns Limited
Mayfields new settlement

U+I
The redevelopment of 8 Albert Embankment

Raj Gupta

Raj specialises in all aspects of compulsory purchase law and is particularly well-known for his expertise in contested land compensation proceedings and in infrastructure planning. Before joining Town, Raj led Pinsent Masons’ compulsory purchase team for three years having previously spent ten years at Eversheds. Raj is an elected member of the national committee of the Compulsory Purchase Association and is ranked in Chambers Directory.

Experience:

Claims against HS2
Acting on a number of high value claims Including for Freightliner, IM Group, Canfield, Curzon Park, Booker Group and Grinsaem including in relation to certificates of appropriate alternative development.

Car Giant
Assisting Car Giant in successfully objecting to the OPDC’s proposals to develop its land.

East West Rail
Acting for a number of landowners in objecting to Network Rail’s proposals and negotiating agreements to protect their interests.

Compulsory Purchase Orders
Acting for a number of developers and acquiring authorities in promoting CPOs, including negotiation of site assembly agreements and securing confirmation following inquiry.

London Development Agency/Greater London Authority
Promoting the Olympics CPO and acting on compensation claims arising from it.

Transport for London
Advising on securing and implementing powers for various projects including the East London Line Extension and the Silvertown Tunnel and on landmark compensation claims including Spirerose and Urban Edge.

Meeta Kaur

Meeta is a UK qualified lawyer and chartered town planner. She specialises in large scale mixed-use redevelopment and regeneration schemes, including urban extensions, both in London and across the country. She advises on all aspects of planning and associated areas, including highways, compulsory purchase, CIL, heritage, affordable housing and scheme viability, on both the contentious and non-contentious side. Before Town, Meeta spent 12 years at King & Wood Mallesons (previously SJ Berwin) and before that was a planning officer at Westminster City Council.

Meeta is vice chair of the board of trustees of the Royal Town Planning Institute, a non-executive Director of Public Practice and an advisory board member for Women in Planning.

Experience:

St William Homes
Mixed use residential-led redevelopment of Fulham, Poplar, Bow Common and Marian Place Gasworks.

Chinese Estates
Mixed use commercial development of 120 Fleet Street including the Grade II* listed former Daily Express Building.

British Land
Clarges Estate in Mayfair, Putney High Street in Putney, Blossom Street in Shoreditch, Eden Walk in Kingston and the Leisure Hall extension to Meadowhall Shopping Centre.

Far East Consortium
Redevelopment of listed Hornsey Town Hall, Haringey.

Meyer Bergman
Retail-led redevelopment of Vinopolis.

Berkeley (East Thames)
Kidbrooke Village estate regeneration.

Northants
Wellingborough North urban extension.

Hanwood Park
Kettering East urban extension.

Victoria McKeegan

Victoria trained and qualified at Slaughter and May and then worked with Duncan Field in the Planning Team at Norton Rose Fulbright prior to joining Town in 2019. She acts on a wide range of planning matters including planning applications, planning appeals, drafting and negotiating planning and highways agreements, environmental impact assessment, judicial review/statutory challenge, enforcement and heritage matters, and the planning aspects of real estate, corporate and financing transactions. She works on projects both in Central London and further afield.

Experience:

Telford Homes
Chapel Place, Ilford
Bus Layover Site, International Way, Stratford
Mill Road, Ilford

St William Homes
Bow Common Gasworks, Tower Hamlets
Marian Place Gasworks, Tower Hamlets

St Joseph Homes
Land NE Bury St Edmunds, Great Barton, West Suffolk

Olympus Property Holding Limited
London Olympia

London City Airport
City Airport Development Proposals

BentallGreenOak
Southside, 105 Victoria Street (the former ‘Army and Navy’), Westminster

The Crown Estate
St James’s Market, Westminster

Dominvs Group
181 Talgarth Road, Hammersmith

Blue Orchid Hotels
55 Broadway, Westminster

The Portfolio Club
The Wellington Block, Covent Garden, Westminster

Simon Ricketts

Simon specialises in planning, compulsory purchase and related public law issues in relation to major mixed-use development schemes across England. Before co-founding Town, he was head of planning and environmental law first at SJ Berwin and then King & Wood Mallesons. He has been ranked as the country’s most highly rated planning solicitor for the last eleven years running in Planning magazine’s annual survey. He is author of the Simonicity planning law blog.

Experience:

British Land
Blossom Street, Shoreditch.

Lands Improvement Holdings
Houghton Regis urban extension.

Stansted Airport
Increase in passenger numbers.

Fawley Waterside
Former Fawley power station site development, Hampshire.

Richborough Estates
Suffolk Coastal Supreme Court proceedings.

The Collective
Old Oak co-living.

Mount Anvil
Whitechapel Central.

Capital and Regional
Walthamstow town centre.

London Eye
London Eye retention.

Patrick Robinson

Patrick spent thirty-eight years at Herbert Smith Freehills before becoming one of Town’s founding partners. He operates across all areas of contentious and non-contentious planning work, bringing to the subject the broader experience of a development real estate lawyer’s background.

Experience:

22 Bishopsgate Limited Partnership
22 Bishopsgate.

HB Reavis
Elizabeth House, Waterloo.

Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Brompton Hospital.

Hines
18 Blackfriars Road.

British Land
Broadgate.

Stanhope
Royal Street.

Trustees of the Tate Gallery
Tate Modern.

Stansted Airport
Increase in passenger numbers.

Louise Samuel

Louise joined Town in October 2019 after 16 years at Linklaters. She has a wide range of planning experience, including town extensions and energy/infrastructure projects, but Louise particularly enjoys advising on tall buildings and other complex developments within central London.

Louise has acted on a number of London’s iconic tall buildings (e.g. the Cheesegrater, Walkie-Talkie, Can of Ham, Gotham City, One Undershaft, Bury House) and global HQs (e.g. UBS, Bloomberg and Goldman Sachs); and also has a strong hotels practice, e.g. The Ned (Soho House hotel at Bank), The Nomad (Covent Garden), The Ritz, 10 Trinity Square and all Park Plaza and The Other House London hotels. Often due to the scale of the proposals, Louise’s projects tend to have a strong heritage angle. Louise has significant appeal experience, with a number of schemes granted consent following major public inquiries. She is currently awaiting the Secretary of State’s decisions in relation to the conjoined New City Court tall building appeals.

Experience:

BentallGreenOak
105 Victoria Street, Westminster; Bury House, City of London

Brookfield
Milton Gate, City of London

CIT Group
Finsbury Tower (HYLO) and Garrett Street, Islington; Vinegar Yard and Colechurch House, Southwark; Grosvenor Gardens House, Westminster

Great Portland Estates plc
New City Court, Southwark; 50 Finsbury Square, Islington; French Railways House, Westminster; Minerva House, Southwark

Hines
18 Blackfriars Road, Southwark

M&G/Nuveen
40 Leadenhall and 40 Holborn Viaduct, City of London

Native Land
Bankside Yards, Southwark; Debenhams, Guildford

Park Plaza Hotels
Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth; Park Royal, LLDC; and Victoria, Westminster

Starbones Ltd (with Galliard plc)
Holly House, Hounslow

The Ritz (London) Limited
The Ritz, Westminster

Spencer Tewis-Allen

Spencer advises on all aspects of planning law and has acted on schemes which are complex, high profile and often contentious with a strategic mind and focus on viability matters. Spencer also acts for both local authorities and developers so brings a dual perspective and appreciation to his advice.

Spencer has written the first comprehensive legal planning guide for Lexis Nexis on “Viability in Planning”. He has also written a chapter on Planning Law Due Diligence in “Risk and Negligence in Property Transactions” published by the Law Society with follow-up to this due for release in 2022 and has been published in Estates Gazette, Planning Magazine and the Planner. He also hosts a regular Clubhouse event with his colleague, Simon Ricketts, on all things planning.

Experience:

Spencer is fast becoming a go to specialist in large scale and complex developments (including the build to rent sector) across England acting for both developers and local authority clients, including:

Advising the owners of the Battersea Power Station on its £8 billion regeneration, one of the country’s most complex and high-profile development projects which is to include an extensive residential, office and retail offering as well as associated infrastructure such as a new tube station;

Acting for Capital and Regional on the development of The Mall, Walthamstow – a real place maker in Walthamstow, with permission granted in July 2018 and a new scheme secured in October 2021 to include two tall towers for build to rent;

Advising Arun District Council in relation to two new strategic settlements (one for up to 4300 homes and the other for up to 2500 homes, and the associated infrastructure for both). Legal matters include dealing with fragmented landownership issues to achieve equalisation of planning obligation costs across the site, drafting section 106 agreements and all other associated planning matters which may arise per application;

Advising Tunbridge Wells Borough Council on the new developments at Paddock Wood;

Advising Socius on build to rent development at Saxon Court, Milton Keynes which will include a 34-storey tower.

Advising Galliard on a number of key developments including Soho Loop, Birmingham, Former Honey Monster Factory (Ealing), Creekside, Deptford Wharf (Lewisham) and the Leegate Centre (Lewisham);

Acting for St William (Berkeley Group) on redevelopment of Fulham Gas Works and Marian Place, Bethnal Green; and

Advising Satnam Millennium on a recovered appeal for the development of 1500 residential units in Warrington which was allowed by the SoS in November 2021.

Martin Dawbney

Martin is a consultant specialising in business rates law, having spent over 30 years at Herbert Smith (latterly Herbert Smith Freehills) as a property lawyer with an ancillary rating practice. His work ranges from day-to-day advice on rates mitigation schemes and liability disputes to running complex cases before the Valuation Tribunal for England (VTE) and the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber). He has particular expertise in the issues arising from the Supreme Court decision in Woolway v Mazars and subsequent legislation.

Experience:

Euro Tunnel
Advice relating to the establishment of a rateable value for the (UK section of the) Channel Tunnel.

Harrods and Selfridges
Acting on tribunal cases in respect of the 2000 and 2005 lists.

A media client
Advising on a proposed judicial review and ultimate settlement in the light of retrospective liability imposed under the 2010 list in the light of the Mazars decision. This included acting for a major international law firm on a similar issue, which was also settled.

Native Land
Advising on the use of a Guardian arrangement to mitigate rates liability in respect of a commercial building awaiting demolition and redevelopment, including acting on the case before the VTE. The case was ultimately decided in favour of the ratepayer by the Upper Tribunal.

A major developer
Advising on the relationship between business rates and the Community Infrastructure Levy, in particular assisting in maximising the CIL exemption in respect of in-use buildings.

Olympic Legacy
Acting in a case before the Upper Tribunal concerning the rateable value of the Velodrome in the 2010 list.

Steve Quartermain CBE

Steve joined Town in June 2020 having stepped down as the Government’s Chief Planner, a post he held since 2008. Steve has over 40 years of practical and policy experience having previously held senior roles in Local Government, the last 12 years of which saw him run all front line services including an economic development function. The council was adjudged an excellent council and the planning services awarded Beacon Council status.

As Chief Planner Steve has been at the heart of the Government’s planning reform agenda, most notably the NPPF and planning practice guidance reviews; he managed the casework function and was responsible for the design brief.

Steve was made a Commander of the British Empire in 2015 for services to planning infrastructure.

Steve brings the breadth of his practical and strategic experience on planning and related matters to Town.

Juliet Munn

Juliet is a Legal Director at Town, having qualified at King & Wood Mallesons (formerly SJ Berwin) in 2011 and worked in the planning and environment teams in both London and Sydney. Juliet acts on both contentious and non-contentious matters for developers, landowners, interest groups and corporate bodies and advises on all aspects of planning and environmental law.

Experience:

Fawley Waterside
Advising on the proposed redevelopment for a new residential community, marina and related commercial development, of the former power station in the New Forest, Hampshire.

Oaktree Capital 
Acting for the successful appellant in 6 day inquiry for an apart-hotel scheme in Whitechapel, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, covering a number of planning issues including sunlight and daylight and heritage issues.

Quantum Group
Acting for the appellant in an inquiry for a new extra care community with open space and sports facilities in the London Borough of Richmond upon-Thames, covering a number of planning issues including affordable housing, the public benefit of the provision of sports provisions and townscape.

Stansted Airport
Acting in relation to the proposed increase in passenger numbers at Stansted Airport from 35 to 43 million passengers per annum, including defending a judicial review brought by Stop Stansted Expansion.

Newcastle Harbour, New South Wales
Advising on dredging activities at Newcastle Harbour, Australia’s oldest port.

Judicial review
– R (on the application of HS2 Action Alliance Limited) v The Secretary of State for Transport & Another [2014] UKSC3.
– Ashdown Forest Economic Development LLP v Wealden District Council [2016] Env.L.R. 2.
– R (Luton Borough Council) v Central Bedfordshire Council & Other [2015] EWCA Civ 537.

Dougal Ainsley

Dougal joined Town in June 2023 having qualified at Bircham Dyson Bell and worked at Lewis Silkin. He has also worked as a senior planning lawyer for Southwark Council. He has worked on a wide range of infrastructure and mixed-use schemes in London and across the UK. In particular, he has experience of drafting and negotiating planning and highway agreements, advising on enforcement matters and acting on infrastructure examinations, planning appeals and judicial review claims.

Paul Arnett

Paul joined Town in February 2019 after 4 ½ years at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and the Department for Transport. In Government, Paul advised on the revised NPPF, the Letwin Review, the CPO reforms in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 and Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017, and numerous high profile called in and recovered planning matters. Since joining Town, Paul has worked on a wide variety of large- scale mixed use schemes across the country advising on all aspects of planning, infrastructure, and compulsory purchase law.

Experience:

Royal Mail Group PLC
Nine Elms Park, Wandsworth

IM Properties PLC
Peddimore employment park , Birmingham
Towcester employment park, Northampton

CIT Group
Vinegar Yard, Southwark

Church Commissioners
Tangmere CPO, Chichester

Barkwest Limited
Devonshire Square, Old Kent Road

Canton Limited
Colney Heath green belt appeal, St Albans

Amy Fender

Amy has acted for a variety of clients, including large commercial developers, local authorities and funders in respect of both contentious and non-contentious work in London and across the UK. Her experience includes legal analysis of planning applications, drafting and negotiating planning and highways agreements for a variety of developments, including large scale mixed use and multi-phased schemes, planning appeals and judicial review claims.

Experience:

U+I
Advising in relation to the multi-phased redevelopment of 8 Albert Embankment which included Lambeth Fire Station, from submission and throughout the Secretary of State’s call-in of the application.

Vistry Partnership
Negotiating the s.106 agreement in relation to Phase 1 of the Meridian Water scheme in Enfield.

Battersea Power Station Development Company
Providing strategic advice and drafting the planning and highways agreements concerning the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station.

AXA
Advising on all planning and highway matters relating to the 62-storey 22 Bishopsgate, recently opened in the City of London. This has included advising on all planning matters associated with the pre-letting of the building.

Mount Anvil
Advising in relation to a large mixed-use phased development in Ealing, in relation to the original permission and s.106 agreement and strategy to amend and enhance the scheme further.

Quantum Group
Advising in connection with the three week public inquiry for a new extra care community with open space and sports facilities in the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames.

North Warfield Consortium
Providing strategic planning advice to a consortium of developers and drafting the planning agreement in respect of an application for a large mixed-use scheme in Bracknell.

Susannah Herbert

Susannah joined Town in 2017 having formerly been an Associate at Herbert Smith Freehills. She advises on all stages of the planning process including local plan examinations, planning applications, appeals, s106 and highways agreements, varying permissions, and certificates of lawfulness and on a wide range of issues such as compulsory purchase, heritage, EIA, highways and nationally significant infrastructure projects.

Experience:

22 Bishopsgate Limited Partnership
22 Bishopsgate development

Stansted Airport
Increase in passenger numbers

Greystar
Student accommodation, Capital House

St William Homes
Residential-led mixed use redevelopments of gasworks sites

Stanhope
Ruskin Square, Croydon

Fidelity
3-10 Finsbury Square appeal

LDA
Regeneration of Crystal Palace call-in

EDF Energy
Hinkley Point C

Lucy Morton

Lucy trained and qualified and worked as an associate at Herbert Smith Freehills before joining Town. She has experience of advising on many aspects of planning law, including planning applications and variations, section 106 agreements, planning appeals, community infrastructure levy, heritage, environmental impact assessment and highways.

Experience:

Battersea Power Station Development Company
Battersea Power Station redevelopment. London Borough of Wandsworth.

HB Reavis
Elizabeth House redevelopment near Waterloo Station, London Borough of Lambeth.

Guinness Developments Limited
Residential-led mixed-use scheme in London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

London Strategic Land
New residential-led masterplan, Thurrock.

PPHE Hotel Group (Park Plaza)
Hotel schemes including a successful appeal by inquiry.

Sellar
Several mixed-use developments including residential, retail and office uses in London Borough of Southwark.

Quinn Estates Ltd
Mixed-use development in Kent.

M7 Real Estate
Planning agreements for a major residential scheme in Solihull.

Nikita Sellers

Nikita trained at Howard Kennedy LLP and moved to Town on qualification. She has experience advising a wide range of clients on complex mixed-use planning applications and variations, section 106 agreements, highways agreements, judicial review and planning appeal proceedings. She also advises on heritage matters, community infrastructure levy (CIL), the use classes system, environmental impact assessments, compulsory purchase and planning enforcement.

Experience:

HB Reavis
Mixed use office-led redevelopment of Elizabeth House, Waterloo.

St William Homes
Mixed use residential-led redevelopment of Poplar Gasworks.

PPHE Hotel Group (Park Plaza)
Successful appeal in respect of hotel scheme on Western Avenue.

Dominvs Group
Various, including a residential-led development in Enfield and a hotel scheme in Wandsworth.

U+I
Redevelopment of 8 Albert Embankment.

Starbones Limited (Galliard plc JV)
Mixed use redevelopment of Holly House, Hounslow.

VCI Property Holdings Limited
Call-in inquiry in respect of mixed use scheme, Vauxhall Cross.

Chris Todman

Chris worked in local government for eight years before joining Town, most recently for Westminster City Council / Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, with earlier experience at two green belt authorities. Chris has experience of advising on many aspects of planning law, particularly drafting and negotiating planning and highways agreements; planning appeals; judicial reviews; strategic advice; CIL advice; planning committees; and general development management, policy and enforcement issues. He was ranked in joint first place in Planning magazine’s planning law survey 2021, in the local authority planning lawyer category.

Experience: 

Fawley Waterside
Former Fawley power station site development, Hampshire.

Native Land
Bankside Yards, Southwark.

London Borough of Islington
Holloway Prison redevelopment, Islington.

Vistry Partnerships
Perceval House, Ealing.

Arun District Council
Strategic sites – BEW and West of Bersted.

British Land
Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Sheffield.

Oldrid & Co.
Downtown, Grantham.

Westminster City Council
8 Albert Embankment inquiry; St James’s Market / 33 Vauxhall Bridge Road; Broadway Complex; New World Payphones High Court proceedings.

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Newcombe House; 100 West Cromwell Road; William Sutton Estate; Thurloe Lodge Limited High Court proceedings.

Guildford Borough Council
Former Wisley Airfield; Howard of Effingham, Effingham.

Charlie Austin

Charlie trained at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, spending six months in each of the Real Estate Finance, Construction Disputes, Commercial Real Estate, and Planning & Environment teams there. Then joined Town Legal on qualification in April 2022.

Charlie’s practice area is continuing to grow, and in his first year post-qualification he has acted on a broad range of planning matters including enforcement, environmental impact assessment advice, planning appeals, planning and highways agreements, planning application reviews and strategy, due diligence in the context of property, corporate and finance transactions, and applications for certificates of lawfulness.

His practice is nationwide, but primarily London-centric, and he is currently acting for clients on some of the most high-profile City developments that are already in the planning pipeline or already in development.

Tom Brooks

Tom began his career in planning as a heritage consultant before qualifying as a solicitor at Town. He has developed experience of a wide range of contentious and non-contentious planning matters including negotiating section 106 agreements and acting in planning appeals. His court work has included judicial review claims as well as land compensation and rating cases in the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).

Tom maintains a keen interest in heritage matters and is a full member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC).

Experience: 

Clan (Guildford) LLP
Negotiation of section 106 agreement for residential and commercial scheme in central Guildford.

The Ritz Hotel (London) Limited
Strategy advice, planning application reviews and section 106 agreements for the proposed extension and refurbishment of the Grade II listed Ritz Hotel.

Battersea Project Land Company
Advising on listed building heritage partnership agreements between the landowner and local authority for the Grade II* listed Battersea Power Station.

Bessington Investments Limited
Appearing on behalf of a third party objector at a hearing for a planning and listed building consent appeal that was subsequently dismissed.

Jamie Davies

Safiyah Islam

Safiyah trained and qualified at Town. She has experience of advising a range of clients on complex mixed-use planning applications, section 106 agreements, planning appeal proceedings, judicial reviews and statutory challenges, and compulsory purchase compensation claims. She also advises on environmental impact assessments, planning enforcement, community infrastructure levy (CIL) and the use classes system.

Experience:

Land Improvement Holdings
Houghton Regis, Central Bedfordshire

British Land
Eden Walk, Kingston
5 Kingdom Street, Paddington
West One Shopping Centre, Oxford Street

Berkeley Homes
Manor Lane, Maidenhead

Pella Real Estate Partners and Orion Capital Managers
Former BT Centre, City of London

Labtech
Stables Market and Hawley Wharf, Camden

Canary Wharf Group
Wood Wharf, Tower Hamlets

Argent
Kings Cross Central
Brent Cross Town

Fabrix
Former Blackfriars Crown Court, Southwark

Emma McDonald

Emma trained at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP and moved to Town on qualification. She has experience advising a wide range of clients in respect of contentious and non-contentious work, including complex mixed-use planning applications, section 106 agreements, highways agreements and judicial review proceedings. She also advises on community infrastructure levy (CIL), the use classes system, environmental impact assessments and planning enforcement.

Experience:

Olympus Property Holding Limited
Regeneration of the London Olympia Exhibition Centre, Kensington

HB Reavis
Redevelopment of Elizabeth House, Waterloo

Capital & Regional Plc
Regeneration of The Mall, Walthamstow

Great Portland Estates
New City Court, Southwark
French Railways House, Piccadilly

Anna Sidebottom

Matt Speed

Matt trained at Pinsent Masons LLP where he qualified as an Infrastructure Projects and Concessions solicitor. Matt gained experience advising large contractor clients in relation to highways and street lighting PFI projects, offshore wind projects, transport projects and large-scale building developments.

After a year as a Projects solicitor, Matt moved to Town and has experience advising a variety of clients on complex mixed-use planning applications, infrastructure projects, section 106 agreements, compliance with planning conditions, planning appeal proceedings and judicial reviews. He also advises on planning enforcement, environmental impact assessments and CIL agreements.

Experience:

Canary Wharf Group
Advising Canary Wharf Group in relation to a ‘drop-in’ student accommodation application within the context of a wider masterplan outline planning permission.

CIT Group
Advising CIT in relation to planning strategy for two office developments in the London Borough of Islington, negotiating section 106 agreements and securing planning consent.

Negotiating section 106 agreement and advising in relation to mayoral call-in of Vinegar Yard.

Art-Invest
Advising Art-Invest in relation to securing planning permission for a large commercial development in Canada Water. Negotiating a complex section 106 agreement, navigating the relevance of third-party land.

PLATFORM_
Advising Platform_ in relation to a planning application for a large build to rent development in Milton Keynes.

St William Homes (Berkeley Group)
Negotiating section 106 agreement, CIL agreement and deed of indemnity for a mixed-use development on a gasholder site in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

London City Airport
Advising the airport in relation to its latest planning application for development.

Legal & General
Providing strategic advice in relation to land draw down requirements and managing site-wide planning compliance for large development site.

Pocket Living
Providing planning advice and negotiating section 106 agreements on several 100% affordable residential schemes in London.

Sophie Bell

Sophie joined Town from Addleshaw Goddard, where she spent time in both the Transactional Real Estate and Planning & Infrastructure Consenting teams. She brings experience negotiating highways and infrastructure agreements and working on planning appeals and public inquiries, and since joining Town she has advised on assets of community value, the use class system and flood and water management issues. Sophie is currently working on a number of planning application reviews for large mixed-use schemes within London.

Aline Hyde

Aline was previously a senior planner at a local planning authority in Surrey before joining Town to re-train as a lawyer. She brings up-to-date experience of plan-making and development management to the team to inform our planning law advice. Aline has recently advised on phasing, decision-making arrangements and engagement with local authorities, implementation, use classes, highways works and nutrient neutrality. She is currently working on a number of applications for judicial review and s288 statutory review and on the promotion of strategic sites across the country, instructed by developers, landowners, interested parties and individuals. As a planner, Aline appeared as an expert witness in an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State.

Experience:

Galliard
Soho Loop, Birmingham
Leegate Shopping Centre

Native Land
Bankside Yards

CIT Group
Finsbury Tower (now HYLO)
Garrett Street

Jack Curnow

Chatura Saravanan

Charlotte Burfield

Kenny Clarke

Ellie Corstorphine

Gavin Curtis

Arnold Dopo

Ella Harding

Holly Holt

Alphie Ibrahim

Seema Jones

Josh Klomp

Carole Lamb

Kelly Mahoney

Hannah Rose

Benita Wignall

James Wilson

James acts as non-exec Chair, bringing to bear an external perspective gained from 8 years as the International Senior Partner at Ince & Co and his experience in supporting senior leaders in law firms as a founding member of Tyler Wilson since 2016 where he has provided one to one business coaching and bespoke advisory services. James is accredited as a business coach, having graduated from the Meyler Campbell Executive Business Coaching course, and as a commercial mediator.