01 07 2022
Proposal to convert the Grade I listed Custom House to a hotel refused on appeal
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Neil has extensive experience in planning, compulsory purchase, parliamentary and environmental work. He was joint head of Landmark Chambers from 2015-2018. He sits as a Deputy High Court Judge, including in the Planning Court.
Major planning inquiries include Custom House (Grade 1 listed building in the City of London), The Tulip (305 m tall visitor attraction in the City of London), Cribbs Causeway (retail), Burgess Business Park (residential and commercial mixed use) King’s Lynn incinerator proposal (energy from waste), Leeds NGT (Transport and Works Act).
He has deep knowledge and experience in residential schemes at section 78 appeals and at local plan examinations.
He has acted for retirement housing developers over many years.
He acted in Parliament on petitions in relation to Crossrail and HS2. In 2023 he appeared for the Greater Manchester local authorities on the HS2 Phase 2b Bill. He promoted the Middle Level Act 2018 in the House of Commons and House of Lords opposed bill committees.
Court appearances include:
Supreme Court:
Court of Appeal:
High Court:
Chambers and Partners 2023
"He is outstanding. Neil combines a very pragmatic and approachable style with superb legal skills and technical expertise."
"He is calm and measured and an excellent technical lawyer."
Legal 500 2023
‘Neil takes complex issues and simplifies them so that they are easily understood by clients, inspectors, judges and opponents! He is able to address the most bizarre left field questions and answer them easily and in a reassuring way.’
Neil has promoted a number of town centre, housing and other compulsory purchases orders including the English Partnerships Liverpool Pathfinder CPO, the Arsenal Football Club CPO, housing CPOs in Stockton, town centre CPOs including Blyth, and the 2015 Sugar House Lane CPO (a 9.6 ha site in East London). He appeared for the major objector at the Coventry City Centre South CPO inquiry in 2023. He also appears in the Lands Chamber on compensation cases. He has advised on compensation and appropriate alternative development issues arising from the HS2 scheme.
Neil advised Intergen on section 36 Electricity Act applications and applications to vary section 36 consents to construct and operate 900 MW power stations, and related applications at Spalding and at Coryton including gas and electricity connections and (300 MW) battery storage.
He advised on the Keadby section 36C Electricity Act application.
He has advised on offshore wind projects with Habitats Directive implications.
He has advised on depleted field gas storage and salt cavity gas storage. He appeared at the Holford gas storage planning inquiry.
He has advised on storage of nuclear fuel, on biomass generating stations, and on carbon capture and storage.
He has particular experience in Habitats and EIA cases. He represented Hampshire County Council the successful party in the Morge litigation in the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court. He has also dealt with habitats issues (appropriate assessment) at planning inquiries for residential, business uses, and energy from waste.
Neil has been involved in many cases involving development proposals which affect heritage assets and their settings, ranging from proposals in the setting of World Heritage Sites to development in conservation areas. He acted for English Heritage and Westminster City Council in their application for judicial review of the failure by the Secretary of State to call in the Elizabeth House scheme which would affect the Westminster WHS, and has advised on many tall and other buildings in and around the City of London, both for the City Corporation and for developers, including the Tulip inquiry 2020, and the Custom House inquiry 2022.
Neil acted for the promoters of the Leeds NGT trolley vehicle system at the Transport and Works Act order inquiry in 2014, for the Wolverhampton tram extension in 2015, the Birmingham Eastside tram extension in 2017, and the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill tram extension 2019.
He is advising on the Cambridge guided bus route schemes.
He is acting for the Greater Manchester authorities on the HS2 Phase 2b Bill.
He promoted a scheme for a marshalling yard and wharf side facilities for Red Funnel in the Isle of Wight (2017 inquiry).
Neil has wide experience of section 78 appeals, including experience of inquiries and hearings in the virtual format.
He has particular knowledge and experience of major city and town centre developments and heritage issues, and appeared at the 2014 Smithfield General Market inquiry, the 2015 Swiss Cottage tall building inquiry, the 2015 Farringdon East over site development inquiry, and Burgess Business Park 2019, the Tulip 2020, Park Plaza Hotel Park Royal 2020, Swindon Science Park 2021, Custom House 2022.
He also appears at hearings (e.g. Orbit Homes 2023, Sonning Care Home proposal 2023).
Commercial cases range from science parks (Swindon 2021, Cambridge 2022) and business parks, to offices in the City of London, to hotels (Park Plaza Park Royal 2020).
Retails cases include discount foodstores (for ALDI) to regional shopping malls (the Cribbs Causeway inquiry 2017).
He appeared in one of the first CIL judicial reviews (Orbital Shopping Park v. Swindon Borough Council) and regularly advises on CIL and 106 issues.
He has promoted and appeared at many local plan examinations.
He acted for the Mid Sussex Developer Forum 2016-2017, and for groups of developers at the Guildford local plan examination 2018 and Tandridge local plan examination 2019).
He as acting on the promotion of a major residential and commercial development in a local plan.
Supreme Court:
Court of Appeal:
High Court:
His housing cases range from local plan examinations (e.g. acting for the Mid Sussex Developer Forum 2016-2017, and for groups of developers at the Guildford local plan examination 2018 and Tandridge local plan examination 2019), city centre and town centre mixed use schemes to greenfield sites (e.g. Mitton inquiry 2022), and older persons housing (for Churchill Retirement Living). He has up to date experience of housing land supply issues in different regions.
He has particular knowledge and experience in dealing with viability, in particular in the Roden Street, Ilford inquiry 2017, Highbury Quadrant inquiry 2021, and numerous Churchill Retirement Living inquiries (including Hertford 2023).
Neil has experience of promoting and opposing private and hybrid Bills. He appeared for a number of petitioners on the Crossrail Bill, including five local authorities.
He acted for Staffordshire County Council, the LB of Camden, Euston Estate, Cemex and a number of other petitioners on Phase 1 of the HS2 Bill.
He is acting for the Greater Manchester authorities on the HS2 Phase 2b Bill.
He acted for the promoter of the Middle Level Bill Act 2018 in opposed bill committees in the House of Commons and in the House of Lords.
Neil has extensive experience in planning, compulsory purchase, parliamentary and environmental work. He was joint head of Landmark Chambers from 2015-2018. He sits as a Deputy High Court Judge, including in the Planning Court.
Major planning inquiries include Custom House (Grade 1 listed building in the City of London), The Tulip (305 m tall visitor attraction in the City of London), Cribbs Causeway (retail), Burgess Business Park (residential and commercial mixed use) King’s Lynn incinerator proposal (energy from waste), Leeds NGT (Transport and Works Act).
He has deep knowledge and experience in residential schemes at section 78 appeals and at local plan examinations.
He has acted for retirement housing developers over many years.
Neil has experience of advising on a wide range of issues including the steps necessary to engage section 203 Housing and Planning Act 2016 so as to authorise breaches of covenants and interference with rights to light.
He acted in Parliament on petitions in relation to Crossrail and HS2. In 2023 he appeared for the Greater Manchester local authorities on the HS2 Phase 2b Bill. He promoted the Middle Level Act 2018 in the House of Commons and House of Lords opposed bill committees.
Court appearances include:
Supreme Court:
Court of Appeal:
High Court:
Chambers and Partners 2023
"He is outstanding. Neil combines a very pragmatic and approachable style with superb legal skills and technical expertise."
"He is calm and measured and an excellent technical lawyer."
Legal 500 2023
‘Neil takes complex issues and simplifies them so that they are easily understood by clients, inspectors, judges and opponents! He is able to address the most bizarre left field questions and answer them easily and in a reassuring way.’
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.
Neil is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb).
He is outstanding. Neil combines a very pragmatic and approachable style with superb legal skills and technical expertise."
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