Planning

Bexley Beaumont: An award-winning boutique law firm with an inclusive and collaborative team culture and an uncompromising approach to quality aligning the interests of both clients and lawyers. Senior experienced lawyers with a wealth of commercial acumen acting as trusted advisors providing legal solutions across all commercial disciplines.

Planning is becoming more complicated and navigating the maze of planning can be fraught with difficulties and can result in substantial delays and escalating costs. Our respected and senior experienced planning team acts for both public sector (including local authorities and housing associations) and private sector clients on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters. We are also act for industry ranging from manufacturers, promoters of land, large volume and small-scale developers and SMEs.

We are focussed on delivering excellent client service. Our team only consists of partners so clients benefit from their senior experience and knowledge and at a materially lower cost due to our business model. We know the importance of spending time with you to understand your business, matter and objectives. We offer practical planning advice with commercial solutions and strategic support at all stages of the planning process.

We have an impressive track record ranging from advising on complicated and sometimes controversial strategic developments to high value individual homeowner projects. We offer commercial and pragmatic advice on all transactional and contentious planning matters. We also offer support and guidance on strategies involving land allocation and at all stages from the initial planning due diligence to the acquisition of a site and subsequent construction.

We also have a wealth of experience in advising on the promotion of, and opposition to, major infrastructure projects. We can support anyone who is adversely affected by any such project, giving pragmatic advice enabling them to secure significant concessions from the promoter. We have advised on some of the most significant projects over in the last twenty years, including HS2, Crossrail and the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

Our areas of expertise are:

Contentious and non-contentious planning matters, highways and local government law issues
Strategic planning advice and support for allocation
Complex section 106 agreements and CIL matters
Planning enforcement matters
Lawful Development Certificates
All types of planning appeals and challenges to local plan process
High Court challenges, Judicial review and Injunctions
Compulsory Purchase Orders/Transport and Works Act Orders
All types of Highway infrastructure agreements and licences
Stopping up Orders (Highways and Planning)
Public rights of way issues
Road Traffic Regulation orders

Notable High Court and Court of Appeal Cases:

Success in Court of Appeal of Judicial Review challenge to edge of town retail scheme - Salford Estates (NO.2) Ltd V Durham County Council and Quora (Peterlee) Ltd 2019.

Judicial Review R V on the Application of Whettingsteel exparte Breckland District Council 2016

R on the Application of James Jeremy Kershaw V Cherwell District Council 2012 - Judicial Review - Successful - considerably out of time application to quash planning permission.

Acting on a case which has become high profile Court of appeal case of Fidler v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government [2011] EWCA Civ 1159. Mr Fidler (the man who built a castle behind straw bales), which has attracted an unprecedented amount of media attention. This case has led to the change in law (Localism Act 2011) on planning enforcement by introducing a further safeguard for LPAs when considering enforcement action.

RE Matthews (on the application of) v Tamworth BC [2007] EWHC3278 Admin - Quashing of part of a local plan (S287 TCPA)

Satnam Millennium Ltd (on the application of) V Warrington Borough Council [2007] EWHC 2648 (Admin) - Quashing part of local plan (S287 TCPA)