What's New in Planning: An Ever Changing Agenda

Martin is a planning and environmental lawyer with unrivalled practical experience. He started out as a solicitor in local government responsible for planning and environmental law and advocacy before moving into private practice with major City law firms. He rose to become a partner and head of planning and environmental law with an international law firm. In 1995 he transferred to the Bar and joined the highly regarded Chambers of Lionel Read QC before moving to Thirty Nine Essex Street in 2002.Consequently Martin has gained considerable experience in a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters involving planning and environmental law, practice and procedure. He has direct experience of taking development projects through the planning process from conception to completion including providing strategic, legal and tactical advice, preparing and submitting planning applications and appeals including the drafting of supporting statements and correspondence, negotiating and drafting planning and other agreements such as section 278 highways agreements and representing clients in meetings and at inquiries and before the courts at all levels. Martin has extensive litigation experience, not only as an advocate but also in day to day case management.With experience gained from his time in the public sector Martin is equally at home advising and representing local planning authorities and other public bodies. He has advised planning committees in public meetings, assisted with the drafting of officers’ reports and drafted enforcement and other statutory notices including compulsory purchase orders.Martin also has extensive experience of providing corporate support on planning and environmental law including due diligence investigations in connection with UK and international transactions and advising and drafting warranties and indemnities and advising on issues of liability.He has regularly featured in the lists of highly rated planning and environmental lawyers (Legal 500, Legal Experts, Chambers & Partners) and is ranked in the Top 20 planning counsel in Planning magazine 2013. Apart from being a busy practitioner, Martin is one of the most prolific authors on planning and environmental law with hundreds of published articles and books to his name. . He is regularly commissioned to write topical legal articles for the leading professional journals and magazines such as the Solicitors’ Journal and PLC. For over 21 years, Martin has written the monthly Planning Notes column for the Estates Gazette, the property industry’s leading professional publication and is the case commentator for the Journal of Planning and Environmental Law. In addition Martin is a frequent speaker on planning and environmental law at leading professional conferences and he is an experienced seminar presenter for the leading professional training companies and also in-house for major professional firms. He has also been interviewed by Legal Network TV, College of Law TV and by BBC on a variety of topical planning issues.Martin’s clients include residential and commercial developers, major corporations, local authorities, national and international governments and agencies, investors, retailers and landowners as well as private individuals. Martin has advised the UK and foreign governments on planning and environmental legal issues.He is licensed to accept instructions direct from the public and from members of other related professions via the Bar’s Licensed Access scheme.Martin provides advocacy, strategic, tactical and legal advice to various business sectors including retail (town centre and out of town), leisure, residential, telecommunications, infrastructure, industrial/employment.