Christopher Boyle KC

Call: 1994

Silk: 2013

Christopher specialises in Town and Country Planning, Compulsory Purchase, Environmental and Infrastructure Law.

Contact Practice Managers

Planning

Environment

Cross-practice

Planning

Christopher was called to the Bar (Lincoln's Inn) in November 1994 and he was appointed King's Counsel in March 2013. He joined Landmark Chambers in 2007.

Christopher is a qualified mediator.

For over 25 years, he has specialised in Town and Country Planning, Compulsory Purchase, Environmental and Infrastructure Law, acting principally for developers, landowners and scheme promoters.

For over 20 years, Christopher's practice been dominated by the promotion of major housing schemes across the country, at section 78, local plan and now neighbourhood plan levels. These include past and present promotion of 2,500-8,500 houses at Braintree, 4,500 in the wirral and 400 at Newmarket Hatchfield farm and many schemes of around 100-500 units taking advantage of para’s 11 of the NPPF.

Christopher has a recognised expertise in the issues of housing, 5-year land supply and neighbourhood plan matters. At Dawlish he defeated the first ever neighbourhood plan to reach examination. His case Woodcock Holdings v SSCLG represents a milestone case in the approach to the then para. 14 of the NPPF.

His clients include many of the Country’s largest house-builders: Berkeley Homes, Barratt/David Wilson, Crest Nicholson, Persimmon, Gleeson Developments, Croudace, Wates and Rydon Homes among others. He also regularly acts for landpromoters landed estate and landowners directly promoting their own sites. His work with the Prince’s foundation and the Build Better Build Beautiful commission gives him an insight into the government’s ‘beauty agenda’.

Town centre regeneration CPOs and retail work has encompassed protecting and extending retail landownership for major investor/owners at Northleigh Park, Wigan, Telford Town Centre, Skelmersdale Town Centre, Eastbourne Town Centre and schemes for Lidl in East London as well as representing Tescos at Wigan Town Centre CPO, Scarborough Building Society at Leeds Town Centre CPO, John Lewis Partnership at Sheffield Town Centre CPO, Victoria Palace Theatre at Victoria Station LUL CPO, the landowner’s bank at Margate Dreamland CPO.

Christopher was a founder member of the Compulsory Purchase Association, wrote the PEBA Consultation response to the IPC/DCO process in the 2008 Act and has been involved throughout his practice in significant infrastructure promotion. This has included hybrid bill (Central Railways), TWA (eg the Second Tyne Tunnel; the £500m Mersey Gateway Bridge), and conventional planning and highways CPO.

Environment

Christopher has a significant practice in energy, waste, minerals and commercial operations. Most recently, promoted a major new EFW at Horsham. Environmental infrastructure includes a mineral-water bottling plant at Buxton and a waste water treatment plant on the Severn.

He has particular expertise in matters concerning European protected sites, advising developer interests in respect of habitats, species, nutrients, neutrality and off-setting. He is currently advising the Home builders federation on the issue of water neutrality.

He is used to working with and leading large multi-disciplinary consultant teams. He has a particular aptitude for understanding and leading detailed and technical environmental evidence and takes obvious relish in the opportunities presented by cross-examination.

Cross-practice

Landmark's barristers often work at the intersection of our core practice areas; bringing a wide range of skills, knowledge and experience to bear on a particular dispute or issue facing a client.

Our focus is always on achieving the best possible outcome for our client. By viewing the client's objectives in a holistic way - and not purely through the lens of one rigidly-defined legal area - we deliver the best possible advice and representation in complex matters that engage multiple specialist areas of law. 

Whether it's providing support as an individual cross-practice barrister or a cross-disciplinary team of Landmark counsel, we are able to draw on an outstanding array of complementary skillsets and knowledge bases. This often achieves a better result than instructing multiple barristers from different specialist sets. This also improves the quality of client care through increased levels of communication, quicker response times, and a coordinated approach to clerking and fees, made possible by our team-based cross-practice approach.

Please contact our practice management team for more information.

ADR

Energy

Public Works Projects

Specialisms

Planning Appeals, Inquiries and Hearings

Residential

Development Plans and other planning policy

Energy

Commercial/Retail

Compulsory Purchase and Compensation

Environment

Infrastructure

Green Belt

Heritage

Highways, Footpaths and Rights of Way

Minerals and Waste

Neighbourhood Planning

Planning Judicial and Statutory Reviews

Specialisms

Air Quality

Ecology and Biodiversity

Energy

Habitats and Species

Protection of the Countryside

Waste

Water

Specialisms

ADR

Energy

Public Works Projects

"
Clients love him, inspectors love him, judges love him."

Chambers and Partners

Chambers Top Ranked UK Bar 2024 Uk leading silk 2024

Qualifications and achievements

Qualifications

  • BA (Hons)(Oxon) - Juriprudence (Merton College, Oxford)

Memberships

  • Compulsory Purchase Association (Founding committee member 2006)
  • Planning and Environmental Bar Association (Secretary 2006-2013)
  • The Georgian Group (Chairman 2015-2020)

Recommendations

Practice Managers

Contact our friendly and helpful Practice Managers for more information about our barristers and services or to make an enquiry.

Kevin Squires New background

Kevin Squires

Senior Practice Manager

020 7421 1351

Jason Allen new

Jason Allen

Senior Practice Manager

020 7421 1306

Noel Pudney new

Noel Pudney

Assistant Practice Manager

020 7421 1398

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