Practice Summary

Richard was called to the Bar in 2007 and accepts instructions in all areas of Chambers work.


Planning and Environment

Richard’s practice covers all areas of planning and environmental law. He regularly appears at planning inquiries and in the criminal and civil courts in planning and environmental cases and has a broad advisory practice.

Inquiry work includes acting for developers, local authorities and local residents in a variety of different matters including:

  • At inquiries into multi-million pound residential schemes in Maldon, Hammersmith, Mid Sussex and Swale and elsewhere for local authorities, developers and third parties.
  • Enforcement inquiries, for both local authorities and land owners, relating to a range of developments including residential extensions and conversions, agricultural development, works to listed buildings, and various commercial enterprises.
  • For the local authority in an inquiry into the confirmation of a compulsory purchase order for a large scale retail led redevelopment of Clay Cross town centre (led by Christopher Lockhart-Mummery QC).
  • For a local pressure group opposing the inclusion of a new reservoir at Abingdon in Thames Water’s Water Resources Management Plan (led by Nathalie Lieven QC).

Richard has a growing High Court planning and environmental practice including:

  • For local authorities defending judicial review proceedings (both as junior and sole counsel) in respect of grants of planning permission for London City Airport, a windfarm development, a major new development in Ealing town centre and other cases.
  • For claimants in statutory appeals, judicial reviews and injunction proceedings, including successfully challenging grants of planning permission and Inspector’s decisions, and quashing the inclusion of land in a National Park.
  • For interested parties in resisting challenges which would materially affect the value of their investments.


Richard regularly appears in the criminal courts, prosecuting and defending proceedings for breaches of enforcement notices and other environmental offences in the magistrates’ and Crown Courts.

Richard has a busy advisory practice in all aspects of planning and environmental law. He provides strategic advice to developers and others on planning matters and environmental liabilities; advises local authorities in respect of compulsory purchase, enforcement and other matters; and advises householders on planning issues relating to their homes. Richard’s advisory work regularly includes mixed questions of property, public and planning/environmental law.

In 2011, Planning Magazine rated Richard as the joint 5th top planning barrister under 35.


Property

Richard’s property work relates closely to his planning and environmental practice and includes proceedings in respect of injunctions for nuisance and trespass arising out of the development of land; disputes in respect of s106 agreements and restrictive covenants; and disputes arising out of development agreements which are conditional upon planning consent being obtained. Richard also regularly appears in the county courts in mortgage repossession claims and in landlord and tenant disputes, and has appeared in magistrates’ courts in proceedings relating to the licensing of HMOs.


Public

Richard has a growing public law practice beyond his planning and environmental work. He advises and represents claimants and defendants in all areas of public law including:

  • Regularly acting for claimants in immigration matters in the First Tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal and High Court, and advising on all immigration issues.
  • In social security, acting for the Child Poverty Action Group (led by Richard Drabble QC) in House of Lords on the issue of social security entitlements for EU accession state workers; in the Court of Appeal and European Court of Justice on the interpretations of the Citizenship Directive; and in the Supreme Court on the recovery of overpayments. Richard has also appeared in the Upper Tribunal for claimants.
  • Acting for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service in its claim for a declaration in respect of the proper interpretation of the Abortion Act 1967 (led by Nathalie Lieven QC).
  • Successfully challenging (by way of judicial review) funding decisions by the Legal Services Commission.
  • Advising (with Nathalie Lieven QC) a public authority in respect of its procurement of a multi-million pound waste disposal contract.


Richard has also acted as legal adviser to educational appeal panels and appeared in rating cases.

Richard regularly gives lectures and training in all areas of his practice. Richard has taught public law as a tutor and lecturer at various universities, including at two Cambridge colleges and at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Prior to joining the Bar, Richard worked as a research assistant at the Law Commission during which time he worked on projects relating to the reform of the Housing Acts and the regulation of residential landlords, as well a monetary remedies in public law.

Richard is a member of the Planning and Environment Bar Association, the Administrative Law Bar Association and the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association.

QUALIFICATIONS

Richard graduated in 2004 from Jesus College, Cambridge with a BA in Law and was awarded an MA in 2008. He was a Foundation Scholar of Jesus College and a Squire Scholar of the Faculty of Law. He holds an LLM in Public Law (with distinction) from University College London where he was a Bentham Scholar. Richard was graded as “outstanding” on the BVC and was awarded a Bedingfield Scholarship by Gray’s Inn.

INQUIRIES

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