Planning and Environmental Law

The Planning and Environmental Law team at Garden Court Chambers draws on the wide breadth of experience and expertise of a number of practitioners in order to provide clients with a highly professional and dedicated service.

""Garden Court Chambers' planning set specialises in representing travellers in seeking planning permission and challenging enforcement actions. Marc Willers 'displays immense planning knowledge as well as practical input. He has the skill to defuse areas of conflict and point the way forward for settlement'. David Watkinson is 'an outstanding barrister with an excellent understanding of the law, and provides quality advice'.
The Legal 500 2011

"Marc Willers of Garden Court Chambers is pre-eminent in the area of gypsy and traveller related planning law. One peer found that 'he fights cases which seem difficult in ways that make them look easy."
Chambers UK 2012

"Marc Willers at Garden Court Chambers is 'approachable, knowledgeable and articulate', and specialises in representing Gypsies and Travellers seeking planning permission, with recent High Court appearances including Lushey Stanley v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government."
The Legal 500, 2010

Planning Law

Members of the team undertake planning and enforcement notice appeals before the Planning Inspectorate as well as those relating to compulsory purchase orders. They are experienced in dealing with cases concerned with nature conservation, habitats, low impact development, sustainability and climate change, waste, historic landscapes and listed buildings. In addition members have considerable experience and expertise in defending enforcement proceedings in both criminal and civil courts and in challenging planning and enforcement decisions in the Administrative Court, the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords (now the Supreme Court).

In recent years members have represented developers seeking permission for housing, marinas, waste management sites, agricultural development, equestrian centres, garden centres and mobile home parks, as well community and interest groups concerned with the preservation of the environment. The team has been involved in a number of high profile cases, including the challenge to the compulsory purchase order made in respect of the Olympics site.

In addition a number of our team have a particular expertise in representing Romani Gypsies and Travellers seeking planning permission for caravan sites and defending planning enforcement action taken against them.

Environmental Law

Members of the team also provide expert environmental litigation advice and representation, covering all aspects of environmental law, and undertake nuisance actions, toxic tort actions, complex multi-party actions, planning inquiries and regulatory challenges.

Members of the team have been involved in much high profile litigation. They have appeared at many important public inquiries, representing environmental pressure groups and aggrieved individuals. For instance, members were involved in the inquiry involving the THORP reprocessing plant inquiry and the NIREX inquiry which concerned the siting of a nuclear waste dump. They have also defended GM crop protesters and climate camp protesters in criminal proceedings.

Civil Clerks

If you would like more information about our Planning & Environmental Law team email the clerks civilclerks@gclaw.co.uk
or call us on 020 7993 7600

The team

Members of the Planning and Environmental Law team are listed below - click on their names to go to their profiles.

Barrister Year of Call Email Address Richard Harvey 1971 Send Email Stephen Cottle 1984 Send Email Marc Willers 1987 Send Email Valerie Easty 1992 Send Email Stephen Knafler QC 1993 Send Email Michael Paget 1995 Send Email Shiraz Aziz 1997 Send Email Alex Offer 1998 Send Email Tim Baldwin 2001 Send Email Irena Sabic 2002 Send Email Stephen Marsh 2005 Send Email Alex Grigg 2007 Send Email Claire McGregor 2009 Send Email