Practice Summary

Patrick Clarkson QC was called to the Bar in 1972 and took Silk in 1992. He is a specialist in planning, local government and parliamentary matters for both commercial and local authority clients. He is a Crown Court Recorder. He is a member of the Planning and Environment Bar Association and the Parliamentary Bar Association. He has recently served a three year term of office as Head of Chambers.

Patrick has been involved in numerous planning inquiries including the range of development issues for both developer and local authority. Retail clients have included all the top food retailers and a number of non food operators. Housing clients have included Bovis, Bloors, Trencherwood, Redrow, Wilcon, Berkeley Strategic, Prowtings, St James (Berkeley Homes/Thames Water,) Sunley Homes PLC and Ballymore. Commercial clients have included the Post Office/Consignia, Rover Group, Ford, ICI, Health Trusts, CIN, Property Holdings (Government), Jewsons, HM Prison Service, Wembley Stadium, Asian Sky and Candy & Candy. Local Authority clients have included many London authorities and others further afield such as Teeside, Birmingham, Stockport, Yorkshire, Canterbury, and Stoke on Trent. He is promoting the redevelopment of the Hayes Station goods yard and Minoco Wharf site in Newham for Ballymore.

He has acted in numerous cases in the High Court dealing with the administrative law aspects of planning, either through judicial review or High Court statutory challenge.

Parliamentary work has included many appearances for promoters of and petitioners against major infrastructure proposals (ports, railways, and roads), promotion of legislation for London local authorities dealing with a range of issues particular to those authorities and special parliamentary procedure involving compulsory purchase of public open space in Barnsley and Stoke on Trent. He advised Liverpool City Council and the London Local Authorities on the promotion of their Prohibition of Smoking in Places of Work Bills. He successfully promoted the London Local Authorities and TFI Act 2006 and appeared on petitions for the London Borough of Camden and Westminster City Council on Crossrail. He is promoting the 2008 London Local Authorities Bill.

Acted for Red Tree in the LDF process and recently granted planning permission to deliver 5000 new homes at Sherford, Plymouth. Advising on the planning implications of funding the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Advising on the relocation of Everton FC. Advising on a shortlisted Eco Town.

Patrick is listed in the Chambers & Partners Directory 2009 and Legal 500 2008 as a leading silk in planning:

"There was an abundance of praise for the outstanding Patrick Clarkson QC, to whom interviewees attribute 'a razor-sharp intellect and superb tactical brain.' Sources go on to state that he 'has a real feel for what the client needs and how to achieve it.' Clarkson frequently appears in public inquiries for both commercial entities and local authorities. He has recently been working on the relocation of Everton FC in combination with a major retail scheme." (Chambers & Partners 2010)

"Always a top performer at the inquiry level. A real street fighter, armed with formidable cross-examining skills" (Chambers & Partners 2009)

Patrick Clarkson QC stands out as a heavyweight planning barrister with excellent cross-examination skills, who is always a great performer at public inquiries. (Chambers & Partners 2008)

"enviably authoritative" (The Legal 500 2009)

"Never fails to impress inspectors" (The Legal 500 2008)