30 04 2024
Meet our team in Leeds during UKREiiF week 2024
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Throughout his career he has been rated highly in professional directories. He was nominated for Chambers and Partners; Planning Junior of the Year in 2016. Chambers and Partners (2024) say he is “well respected by the client. They trust him with the detail of a complex case”; he is “meticulous, extremely popular with clients and very reassuring. He was described (2023) as "savvy and tenacious”; “his appeal work is pragmatic and highly effective;" “his energy levels and commitment are off the scales. He leaves nothing to chance;" "He is thorough, self-sufficient, client-focused…”. The Legal 500 (2024) say that: “Scott is extremely user-friendly and approachable. He is impressive on his feet with a brilliant advocacy style. He is well-liked by clients, with a calming manner which is a key strength. He will always go above and beyond what is required, meaning he will always get stuck in. He is a genuine pleasure to work alongside”.
Scott’s practice covers major infrastructure and energy-related proposals, including cases covered by the NSIP regime. His work has covered a range of developments including railways, nuclear power stations, gas storage facilities, onshore and offshore wind farms and solar arrays.
His substantial and varied housing experience includes advice on housing need and supply, as well as the wide range of issues commonly associated with residential proposals, including affordable housing and viability. He appears regularly for both housebuilders and local authorities at planning inquiries.
His extensive regeneration experience has included public inquiries into city centre regeneration schemes, often involving issues relating to compulsory purchase, residential and retail development, office and employment floorspace, listed buildings and conservation areas, section 106 obligations and detailed technical issues relating to noise, air quality and transport.
He has considerable expertise of cases involving tall building proposals, particularly in London, which often raise heritage issues.
He has significant experience in promoting and objecting to development plans at examination stage, and in advising on emerging policy.
He advises and acts frequently on environmental issues including EIA and habitats.
Notable cases Scott has been instructed on include:
He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in November 1996 and to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2005. He is Chair of Chambers’ Pupillage Committee.
Scott’s planning experience is more fully described in the adjacent links. His main practice areas are set out below.
Tall Buildings and London
Scott has extensive related expertise in cases involving tall building proposals, particularly in London, which often raise heritage issues. He acted for:
He has also acted for developers in relation to the redevelopment of the Tolworth Tower site in Kingston incorporating further tall buildings. Other cases in London (beyond the regeneration cases mentioned above) include acting for Chelsea Football Club in relation to the planned redevelopment of its stadium and advising on development affecting safeguarded wharves on the Thames including Peruvian Wharf.
Regeneration, Retail and CPO
His experience has from the early years of practice included public inquiries into city centre regeneration schemes. These cases have often involved issues relating to compulsory purchase, residential and retail development, office and employment floorspace, listed buildings and conservation areas, section 106 obligations and detailed technical issues relating to noise, air quality and transport.
He has advised developers and local authorities in relation to some of the most significant development proposals in London in recent years, including the regeneration of the Earls Court/West Kensington Opportunity Area (development across 57 acres including 7,500 homes) and the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station (including over 2,500 homes).
Other work has included:
Plan-making
Scott has significant experience in promoting and objecting to development plans at examination stage, and in advising on emerging policy. Recent cases include acting for Cheshire East Council in relation to its Site Allocations and Development Policies Document, for North Yorkshire County Council, the North York Moors National Park Authority and York City Council on their Joint Minerals and Waste Plan, and York City Council on its Local Plan.
Scott has extensive related expertise in cases involving tall building proposals, particularly in London, which often raise heritage issues. He acted for:
He has also acted for developers in relation to the redevelopment of the Tolworth Tower site in Kingston incorporating further tall buildings.
Other heritage cases include:
Scott’s practice covers major infrastructure and energy-related proposals, including cases covered by the NSIP regime. His work has covered a range of developments including railways, nuclear power stations, gas storage facilities, onshore and offshore wind farms and solar arrays. He has advised or acted for:
TWAO work has included acting for the University of Cambridge in connection with proposals for a new station to serve the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, as well as English Heritage and the University of Manchester in relation to proposals by Network Rail for new railways infrastructure as part of the “Northern Hub”.
Scott acted for the Systems Operator for Northern Ireland in promoting major proposals for a 138-km long interconnector linking the electricity networks of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. He advised the Department for the Environment regarding the proposed modification of its planning agreement with George Best City Airport.
Scott is currently acting for clients petitioning against the HS2 Phase 2b: High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill 2022.
Scott’s substantial housing experience involves a variety of cases and includes acting for developers promoting Sherford, a new 5,500-home community east of Plymouth city centre.
Scott has advised developers and local authorities in relation to some of the most significant development proposals in London in recent years, including the regeneration of the Earls Court/West Kensington Opportunity Area (development across 57 acres including 7,500 homes) and the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station (including over 2,500 homes).
Recent work has involved regular appearances acting for both housebuilders and local authorities at planning inquiries and advising on housing need and land supply issues, in relation to both proposals and the preparation of development plans, including the following:
Scott has for many years acted in a variety of retail cases, including public inquiries into city centre retail-led regeneration schemes. Clients have included Tesco, Sainsbury's and the Co-op, acting in relation to edge- and out-of-centre schemes. Regeneration work has included:
Scott also has experience of proposals involving the application of policy relating to the loss of employment land (Tolworth complex, Kingston - change of use of Tolworth House and development of two tall buildings within mixed use scheme including 500 new homes).
His experience has from the early years of practice included public inquiries into city centre regeneration schemes. These cases have often involved issues relating to compulsory purchase, residential and retail development, office and employment floorspace, listed buildings and conservation areas, section 106 obligations and detailed technical issues relating to noise, air quality and transport.
He has advised developers and local authorities in relation to some of the most significant development proposals in London in recent years, including the regeneration of the Earls Court/West Kensington Opportunity Area (development across 57 acres including 7,500 homes) and the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station (including over 2,500 homes).
Other work has included:
Scott’s practice covers major infrastructure and energy-related proposals, including cases covered by the NSIP regime. His work has covered a range of developments including railways, nuclear power stations, gas storage facilities, onshore and offshore wind farms and solar arrays. He has advised or acted for:
Scott has extensive experience of advising on section 106 obligations (including those relating to affordable housing and the application of the CIL regime). This has included advice to BT and the BBC on the CIL implications of prospective redevelopment proposals on their estates.
Scott has significant experience in promoting and objecting to development plans at examination stage, and in advising on emerging policy. Recent cases include acting for Cheshire East Council in relation to its Site Allocations and Development Policies Document, for North Yorkshire County Council, the North York Moors National Park Authority and York City Council on their Joint Minerals and Waste Plan, and York City Council on its Local Plan.
Scott’s practice covers major infrastructure and energy-related proposals, including cases covered by the NSIP regime. His work has covered a range of developments including nuclear power stations, gas storage facilities, onshore and offshore wind farms and solar arrays. He has advised or acted for:
Scott advises and acts frequently on environmental issues, including EIA and habitats. Case work has included representing:
Recent work has included advising on environmental considerations relating to consenting processes for quarrying and mining proposals in Northern Ireland.
Scott regularly advises on minerals and waste issues. He represented North York Moors National Park Authority, North Yorkshire County Council and York City Council on their Joint Minerals and Waste Plan, which included policies relating to hydraulic fracturing in the plan area. He has also advised the Authority in relation to proposals for polyhalite mining in the Park.
He acted for the mining operator on a challenge to a permission for gold mining in Northern Ireland: In the Matter of an application by William Donnelly [2018] NICA 44.
Recent work has included advising on environmental considerations relating to consenting processes for quarrying and mining proposals in Northern Ireland.
Scott has acted in multiple significant planning appeals, inquiries and hearings. See the highlights section below for notable examples.
Scott has acted in multiple significant planning Judicial Reviews and Statutory Reviews. See the highlights section below for notable examples.
TWAO work has included acting for the University of Cambridge at the TWAO inquiry regarding proposals by Network Rail for a new station to serve the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
Scott also acted for English Heritage and the University of Manchester in relation to the TWAO inquiry regarding proposals by Network Rail for new railways infrastructure in Manchester as part of the “Northern Hub”.
Scott is currently acting for clients petitioning against the HS2 Phase 2b: High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill 2022.
Scott advises and acts frequently on environmental issues, including EIA and habitats. Case work has included representing:
Recent work has included advising on environmental considerations relating to consenting processes for quarrying and mining proposals in Northern Ireland.
Scott advises regularly on air quality issues relating to applications for planning permission and development consent, as well as the preparation of development plans. He has extensive expertise in the technical aspects of air quality assessment and the application of law legal duties and policy relating to air quality.
He acted for Wealden District Council in cases involving the application of the Habitats Directive in cases involving traffic emissions, air quality and impacts on the ecology of the Ashdown Forest Special Area of Conservation (Wealden DC v SSCLG [2017] EWCA Civ 39; Wealden District Council v SSCLG, Lewes DC and South Downs NPA [2017] EWHC 351 (Admin)).
Scott advises clients regularly on climate change assessments for the purposes of environmental impact assessments to support applications for planning permission and development consent. His infrastructure work often involves advising on GHG emissions and compliance with national policy statements. [And add in a link to the Infrastructure Page.
Scott has extensive experience of advising on ecology and biodiversity, particularly in the context of Habitats Regulations assessments prepared to support applications for planning permission and development consent, as well as the preparation of development plans. He acted for:
RES UK and Ireland Limited, in judicial review proceedings in Northern Ireland concerning the interpretation of policy applicable to the impact of wind farms on priority habitats: Re Res UK and Ireland Ltd’s Application [2018] NIQB 16.
Scott’s practice covers major infrastructure and energy-related proposals, including cases covered by the NSIP regime. His work has covered a range of developments including nuclear power stations, gas storage facilities, onshore and offshore wind farms and solar arrays. He has advised or acted for:
Scott regularly advises on the preparation of environmental impact assessments to support applications for planning permission and development consent, often in relation to major infrastructure projects or city centre regeneration schemes. He acted for the National Trust in Northern Ireland on a judicial review challenge to a Ministerial to grant permission for a new golf resort close to the Giants’ EIA submitted with the application: An Application For Judicial Review By The National Trust [2013] NIQB 60. See pages on Scott's planning profile here.
Scott has extensive experience of advising on ecology and biodiversity, particularly in the context of Habitats Regulations assessments prepared to support applications for planning permission and development consent, as well as the preparation of development plans. He acted for:
RES UK and Ireland Limited, in judicial review proceedings in Northern Ireland concerning the interpretation of policy applicable to the impact of wind farms on priority habitats: Re Res UK and Ireland Ltd’s Application [2018] NIQB 16.
Scott regularly advises on minerals and waste issues. He represented North York Moors National Park Authority, North Yorkshire County Council and York City Council on their Joint Minerals and Waste Plan, which included policies relating to hydraulic fracturing in the plan area. He has also advised the Authority in relation to proposals for polyhalite mining in the Park.
He acted for the mining operator on a challenge to a permission for gold mining in Northern Ireland: In the Matter of an application by William Donnelly [2018] NICA 44.
Recent work has included advising on environmental considerations relating to consenting processes for quarrying and mining proposals in Northern Ireland.
Scott has extensive experience of advising on ecology and biodiversity, particularly in the context of Habitats Regulations assessments prepared to support applications for planning permission and development consent, as well as the preparation of development plans. He acted for:
RES UK and Ireland Limited, in judicial review proceedings in Northern Ireland concerning the interpretation of policy applicable to the impact of wind farms on priority habitats: Re Res UK and Ireland Ltd’s Application [2018] NIQB 16.
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.
A fantastic reputation for his wide-ranging planning practice."
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