Stuart is a Partner in the Planning Team.
Stuart has experience of planning from both the private and public sector. He has a particular expertise in development work both for housing and commercial clients as well as in enabling development and enforcement work. He is experienced in the full breadth of planning work, from assisting in the strategic promotion of sites through the development process including judicial review where necessary.
He is also experienced in compulsory purchase and a member of the CPA.
Clients include national and local / regional housebuilders and developers,, local planning authorities, land promoters, development companies, retail developers and occupiers, investment funds and private individuals.
His public sector work has included advising both district (s.106, affordable housing and viability, planning inquiries and enforcement matters) and county-level planning authorities (waste, coal, minerals, highways) and has been acquired in both a “shared service” and a unitary environment.
Examples of how Stuart has supported clients include:
- Providing strategic advice and acting on the renegotiation of s.106 agreement’s including the reduction of obligations by £1 million for viability reasons as well as sites with complex political issues to be negotiated such as “agent of change”;
- Providing strategic CIL advice post-lockdown, including obtaining deferrals pursuant to COVID legislation;
- Preparing Article 4 directions for a Local Authority client, uniquely pairing them with a bespoke Local Development Order to grant back the permitted development rights being removed in a heritage sensitive manner;
- Advising on the planning strategy for contaminated, difficult sites with a history of enforcement;
- CPO – has acted for a variety of Claimants including with reference to HS2 and land owner promoters and is experienced in preparing disputed cases to be heard in the Upper Tribunal;
- Enforcement – has experience both as a prosecutor (for the local authority) and in defending alleged offenders. Track record of success in Enforcement Notice appeals and has obtained various LDC’s proving lawfulness by time immunity or implementation;
- Renewable energy – has acted on numerous wind farm inquiries including an IPC application which related to the infrastructure for an offshore wind farm as the electricity comes onshore as well as having advised in relation to an Energy from Waste plant, a Biomass plant and various solar projects.