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.

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 in the planning team at Linklaters. She has a wide range of experience across the UK, including securing consent for town extensions and energy/ infrastructure projects, but Louise particularly enjoys advising on complex development within central London. She has acted on a number of London’s iconic tall buildings (including One Undershaft, 40 Leadenhall, 122 Leadenhall and 20 Fenchurch Street) and major City HQs (including for Bloomberg, UBS and Goldman Sachs).

Experience:

BentallGreenOak
Bury House, City of London; and 105 Victoria Street (Southside), Westminster.

CIT Group
Finsbury Tower (HYLO), Islington; Vinegar Yard, Southwark; and Colechurch House, Southwark.

Delta Properties
Finchley Road (Camden); and The Rookery at the Hyde (Barnet).

Galliard plc (and JV, Starbones Limited)
Chiswick Curve, Hounslow; Holly House, Hounslow; and Leegate Shopping Centre, Lewisham.

Great Portland Estates plc
New City Court and Minerva House, Southwark; French Railways House, Hanover Square and Rathbone Place, Westminster; and 50 Finsbury Square, Islington.

Native Land
Bankside Yards and Neo Bankside, Southwark; Regent House, Kilmuir House and New Burlington Gate, Westminster; and St Mary’s Wharf, Guildford.

Sydell Holdings
The Ned, City of London; and Nomad London (formerly Bow Street Magistrates Court), Westminster.

The Ritz Hotel (London) London
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.

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.

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

Since qualifying in 2016, Amy has acted for a variety of clients, including local councils, developers and funders in respect of contentious and non-contentious work. Her experience includes legal analysis of planning applications, drafting and negotiating planning and highways agreements for large scale mixed-use developments, compulsory purchase advice and judicial review claims.

Experience:

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

North Warfield Consortium
Providing general planning advice and assisting with the drafting of a planning agreement in respect of an application for a large mixed-use scheme in Bracknell.

Quintain
Provided the planning due diligence on a 4,000 dwelling revised masterplan for Wembley Park.

Quantum Group
Advising on the appeal in respect of a mixed-use scheme in LB Richmond-upon-Thames.

Dover District Council
A CPO compensation claim in respect of a compulsory purchase order enabling the regeneration of the centre of Dover.

Sainsburys
Assisting with various planning matters advising Sainsbury’s, specifically drafting and negotiating highways agreements relating to development of their stores.

London Mutual Insurance Society
Providing advice and legal analysis of a planning application for an office and residential redevelopment in London.

Grafton Group PLC
Successfully opposing the CPO for its site at Orchard Wharf, east London.

Threadneedle UK Property Authorised Investment Fund
Provided the legal due diligence on the planning aspects of several purchases.

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

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. She has advised on a number of development projects and infrastructure schemes and on a variety of planning matters. Her experience includes advising on planning applications, enforcement and heritage matters, drafting and negotiating planning and highways agreements, and advising on the planning aspects of real estate, corporate and financing transactions.

Experience:

The Crown Estate
Advising on the development of St James’s Market Phase 2 to the south of Piccadilly Circus comprising offices, new retail and dining space, with additional new public realm as well as the related development of affordable housing units at 33 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London.

Olympus Property Holding Limited
Advising on the £1 billion redevelopment and refurbishment of the London Olympia Exhibition Centre which will deliver improved exhibition and conferencing facilities, offices, hotel accommodation, retail, leisure, entertainment and new cultural uses.

Blue Orchid (St James) Limited
Advising on the conversion of the Grade I listed Broadway Complex at St James’s Park Station (the former TfL headquarters) into a high-quality hotel development with ancillary uses.

St William Homes LLP (part of Berkeley Group)
Advising on the proposed residential-led development for up to 1,450 homes, a new sixth-form centre and flexible commercial uses at the former Bow Common Gasworks in Tower Hamlets.

Telford Homes
Advising on the proposed development of a site on International Way, Stratford, for two towers of 27 storeys comprising 380 residential units, alongside office and commercial space.

In 2020, Victoria had an article published in Planning magazine, was a panellist on a joint Town/Landmark Chambers webinar regarding permitted development rights and published a podcast for The Planning Brief (a joint Town Legal /Landmark Chambers initiative).

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.

Juliet Munn

Juliet is a Senior Associate 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.

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. He moved to Town on qualification. Charlie has experience advising on a wide variety of section 106 agreements and highways agreements. He has also provided planning due diligence support to large commercial real estate transactions, including reporting on the terms of complex section 106 agreements, and has run the planning disclosure process on the sale of an iconic central London commercial property. Charlie is able to advise on a range of planning matters including community infrastructure levy (CIL) liability, heritage matters, listed building consents and planning enforcement.

Cobi Bonani

Cobi trained at a green belt local authority where she completed a 12-month seat in planning law. Upon qualification, she moved to a local authority-owned alternative business structure gaining further legal experience in highway law.

Cobi has advised on various aspects of planning law including drafting and negotiating planning agreements, advising on planning enforcement; permitted development rights; lawful development certificates, the use classes system and planning committee. Cobi’s experience in highway law, includes advising on vehicular and pedestrian rights; enforcement action; closures, diversions and oppositions and drafting and negotiating highway agreements.

Cobi is the former Junior National Lead of Lawyers in Local Government (2021/2022) and currently sits as a Council Member of the Law Society representing junior lawyers 0 to 6 years PQE in England and Wales.

Jed Holloway

Jed trained at K&L Gates LLP and moved to Town on qualification. He has experience advising a variety of clients, including local councils and developers, in respect of contentious and non-contentious work. His experience includes advising on a broad range of complex mixed-use and infrastructure planning applications, section 106 agreements and highways agreements. He also advises on community infrastructure levy (CIL), use classes, environmental impact assessment, judicial review and statutory challenges to planning decisions.

Experience:

Fawley Waterside
Former Fawley power station site development, Hampshire.

Battersea Power Station Development Company
Battersea Power Station.

Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
Chelsea Farmer’s Market site.

Pocket Living
Residential developments across London.

Native Land
Regent House, Westminster.

LPA training sessions
Delivering planning training sessions to London borough council teams.

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

George Morton Jack

George has wide experience of planning and environmental law, advising both developers and local authorities. He has advised extensively on town and country planning matters – including section 106 agreements, environmental impact assessment, heritage agreements and judicial review – and on nationally significant infrastructure projects, from railways to offshore wind farms, nuclear power and electricity transmission projects. George has also advised on Parliamentary law and process, including Hybrid Bill procedure and petitions.

Experience:

Stansted Airport Limited
London Stansted Airport.

The West of England Councils
Portishead Branch Line (MetroWest Phase 1).

Network Rail
Highways & level crossings.

ScottishPower Renewables
East Anglia THREE Offshore Wind Farm.

Sedgemoor District Council
Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

Amy Penrose

Amy trained at Dentons UK, Middle East and Ireland LLP and moved to Town shortly after qualification. She has experience advising a wide variety of clients, including local councils, housing associations and developers, in respect of contentious and non-contentious matters.

Her experience includes advising on complex mixed-use and infrastructure planning applications and variations, section 106 agreements and highways agreements. She also advises on permitted development rights, the use classes system, environmental impact assessments, judicial review and enforcement proceedings.

Experience: 

Vanbrugh Court Residents’ Association v London Borough of Lambeth
Judicial review of planning permission granted for upwards extension.

Native Land
Bankside Yards, Southwark.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
Paddock Wood development area.

Housing associations
Delivering planning training sessions to London based housing associations.

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.

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 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, 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:

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

CIT
Negotiating section 106 agreement and providing legal support in relation to mayoral call-in of Vinegar Yard development.

Negotiating section 106 and section 278 agreements in relation to multiple office lead developments in the London Borough of Islington.

Galliard Homes
Negotiating section 106 agreements in relation to residential-led developments in Birmingham.

Legal & General
Providing strategic advice in relation to land draw down requirements for large development site.

Pocket Living
Providing planning advice and negotiating section 106 agreements on a number of 100% affordable residential schemes.

Compulsory Purchase
Completing deeds of advance payment and providing legal advice throughout compulsory purchase compensation matters.

Tom Brooks

Aline Hyde

Chatura Saravanan

Hannah Benjafield

Charlotte Burfield

Ellie Corstorphine

Gavin Curtis

Arnold Dopo

Ella Harding

Holly Holt

Alphie Ibrahim

Seema Jones

Carole Lamb

Kelly Mahoney

Oliver Pickett

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.