Keating Chambers added planning and environmental regulatory work to its market leading construction, procurement, PFI/PPP, energy and infrastructure practice, with the addition of planning and environment silk Charlie Banner KC in July 2020. This means that we barristers at Keating Chambers are uniquely well placed to offer our clients assistance during the entire lifetime of their projects, from environmental and planning consenting, to public procurement, regulatory and project finance issues, to commercial disputes arising during or after the construction of the project.
Types of disputes
Our planning and environment practice serves the full range of sectors affected by the UK regulation of these fields, including residential, retail, commercial, industry, energy, transport, utilities, major urban development (including prime London).
Planning
Our planning practice covers the full range of planning work in England & Wales and Northern Ireland, including:
- Strategic advice at the outset of a project’s conception, shaping the proposal to maximise the prospects of obtaining consent.
- Advice on planning applications.
- Planning appeals and called-in applications.
- Local Plan Examinations (including working with local authorities in the preparation of their Local Plans, and working with site promoters/developers to promote their proposals through the Local Plan Process).
- Compulsory purchase orders.
- Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects progressed under the Development Consent Order procedure under the Planning Act 2008.
- Parliamentary Bills.
- Judicial and statutory reviews in the High Court and Appellate Courts.
- Neighbourhood Plans.
- Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and other heritage issues.
- Green Belt and other designations such as AONB.
- Enforcement and injunctions.
- Marine Planning and Harbour Orders.
- Section 106 disputes.
- Development agreements and overage.
- Public procurement, competition and state aid in the planning/development context.
Environment
Our environmental practice is similarly comprehensive and includes:
- Environmental Permitting.
- Environmental Impact Assessment.
- Strategic Environmental Assessment.
- Waste regulation.
- Water regulation (including water quality and regulation of water abstraction).
- Air quality.
- Climate change.
- Contaminated land.
- Environmental-related nuisance actions.
- Flooding and drainage.
- International environmental law, including the Aarhus Convention, the Kyiv Protocol and the Escazu Convention.
- EU environmental legislation.
Projects
Example projects include:
- Heathrow Third Runway.
- The Thames Tunnel ‘Super Sewer’.
- New Settlements at Dunsfold, Long Marston, Lubbesthorpe and North Essex.
- Candy & Candy developments adjacent to Holland Park and Regent’s Park.
- The High Speed Two (HS2) Railway.
- The Elizabeth Line (Crossrail).
- Casement Park Stadium.
- Keuper Gas Storage Project.
- The North-South Ireland Interconnector.
- Runcorn Energy From Waste.
- Arc 21 Energy From Waste, Northern Ireland.
- Numerous planning appeals promoting residential developments for national housebuilders including Barratt David Wilson, CALA, Crest Nicholson, Persimmon Homes, Taylor Wimpey and Vistry, as well as SME developers, land promoters and landowners.
- Acting for local authorities in the plan making process and defending planning appeals.
- Acting for the UK Government on nationally significant planning matters such as the recent judicial review challenge relating to the expansion of London Stansted Airport.
Industry Recognition
The legal directories recognise individual barrister expertise in the areas of planning law and environmental law. Additionally, Charlie Banner KC has for many years appeared in Planning Magazine’s “Top 10 Planning Barristers” list, most recently featuring in the top two in 2024.
Thought Leadership
Members of Keating Chambers’ are renowned thought leaders and often contribute to the development of technical knowledge through publishing authoritative texts, delivering webinars and lectures, and taking part in high-profile legal conferences worldwide.
Have We Got Planning News For You is a popular webinar series, delivered by Charlie Banner KC and four other planning specialists. The well-received show discusses hot topics in UK town & country planning and often features high profile special guests. The Keating podcast series also includes an episode where construction law met planning law in the Court of Appeal, with Charlie Banner KC and John Steel discussing the decision of Clin v Walter Lilly.
