Graeme Keen KC

Planning

Graeme is a highly experienced Public Inquiry advocate who acts for developers, local government and other interested parties. His advisory and appeal work includes: housing; logistics; retail; heritage; highways; schools; major infrastructure projects; compulsory purchase; and enforcement. Much of his Inquiry work has involved appeals recovered by the Secretary of State. Graeme also acts both for and against local planning authorities at Local Plan Examinations and appears at Development Consent Order hearings. His court experience ranges from High Court work (including judicial review and statutory appeals) to the Magistrates Court (including defending prosecutions for breach of enforcement notices).

Graeme provides strategic advice on the preparation of development schemes and technical advice on the expert evidence required to support applications and appeals. He regularly works with large teams on projects, including expert witnesses in a wide range of disciplines.

Graeme is listed in Planning Magazine’s Top Rated Planning Silks 2023, Chambers and Partners and Legal 500.

On-going matters include:

The promotion (including at appeal) of several residential developments in, for example, Surrey, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset, Oxfordshire, Lincolnshire, London, (and includes sites in the Green Belt and National Landscapes (AoNB)), the promotion of logistics and industrial developments in Hampshire and Surrey, the promotion of land for allocation - for large scale residential and commercial development - in several emerging Local Plans. Advising on the promotion of two emerging Local Plans.

Compulsory Purchase and Compensation

Graeme has considerable compulsory purchase experience, in particular at Inquiry, where he has promoted CPOs for a wide variety of developments including: housing; an academy school; highways schemes; and regeneration projects (including: Liverpool, Preston, Slough and Blackburn). Graeme has also acted for objectors to CPOs, for example in relation to protecting commercial interests and heritage assets, including successfully opposing Manchester’s CPO of the former London Road Fire Station.

Commercial/Retail

Examples of Graeme's commercial/retail work include the following cases: Newlink Business Park; Project Newton; Earl Road Handforth Dean; Barracks Mill.

Development Consent Orders

Examples of Graeme's development consent orders work include the following cases: Sizewell C and East Anglia One North Off Shore Wind Farm.

Development Contribution: Section 106 and CIL

Examples of Graeme's Section 106 and CIL work include the following cases: Lemans Barn Farm, Broke Hill.

Development Plans and other planning policy

Examples of Graeme's development plans work:

• Local Plans promoted include: County Durham, Nottinghamshire Minerals, New Forest and Salisbury. 
• Promoting allocation of land etc. include: Crawley, Maidstone, Cranbrook and Wycombe.

Green Belt

Examples of Graeme's Green Belt work include the following cases: Great Moreton Hall and Treetops Guildford.

Heritage

Examples of Graeme's heritage work include the following cases: Great Moreton Hall, National Express Depot Stansted, Westleaze and the Hoover Building.

Highways, Footpaths and Rights of Way

Examples of Graeme's highways work include the following cases: Newlink Business Park; National Express Depot Stansted and Moor Street.

Minerals and Waste

Examples of Graeme's minerals and waste work include the following case: Nottinghamshire Minerals Plan.

Planning Appeals, Inquiries and Hearings

Examples of Graeme's planning appeals, inquiries and hearings may be found on his Planning page.

Residential

Graeme has been involved in multiple appeals, please see the list of cases and inquiries further down the page.

Environment

Graeme has been instructed on a number of high-profile Public Inquiries involving environmental matters (including: Dibden Bay, USAF Upper Heyford, Culworth Solar Farm and Broadbridge Farm) and Examinations in Public of Local and Minerals Plans (including the Durham County Plan and the Nottinghamshire Minerals Plan), involving the assessment and scrutiny of Sustainability Appraisals etc. He regularly advises on Environmental Impact Assessments and the content of Environmental Statements. Graeme also has expertise in defending environmental prosecutions in relation to matters such as waste disposal and pollution.

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.

Energy

Highways and Rights of Access