James is a Partner in the Planning team.
James is an experienced chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and has extensive experience leading high profile planning applications, securing planning permission for various large scale housing, commercial, and purpose built student accommodation schemes. James is frequently retained by clients once planning permission is granted to oversee and manage the discharge of conditions process alongside discussions and, where appropriate, negotiations in terms of affordable housing and planning obligations.
A keen reader of planning law, James’s knowledge of developments in the courts allows him to advise clients on pertinent case law. This interest has served clients particularly well in several recent appeal decisions where James’ interpretation and reasoning of case law played an integral role in providing Inspectors with sufficient justification to consider the overarching planning balance in a positive light and duly allow the appeals.
James works closely with and constructively leads multi-disciplinary teams to increase the likely success of difficult applications by providing strategic input to ensure the planning and technical merits of individual schemes are thoroughly considered at the outset.