Environment

Francis Taylor Building is consistently recognised as a leading set for environmental law and is ranked in the top tier by both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500.

Francis Taylor Building is consistently recognised as a leading set for environmental law and is ranked in the top tier by both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500. The latest Chambers and Partners notes that “members of FTB have a wealth of experience handing regulatory issues and criminal liability cases. Its barristers act for large companies, environmental campaign groups and individuals. Barristers at the set have recently been involved in numerous high profile cases including advising on the environmental issues involved in the planning application for increasing capacity at London Luton City Airport and another regarding noise nuisance outside Reading Station”. The Legal 500 notes that “solicitors are impressed by the standard of advice and the positive, collaborative attitude of the barristers”.

Members regularly appear in leading cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court as well as undertaking public and statutory inquiries, Crown Court and magistrates’ court work. Members have also appeared at the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg and in the past, the Court of Justice of the European Union and the House of Lords. Recent Supreme Court cases include Coventry v Lawrence, R (Morge) v Hampshire CC, Manchester Ship Canal v United Utilities, Fish Legal & Shirley v Information Commissioner and Dover DC v CPRE Kent.

Members are instructed to act for government, regulators, industry, corporate clients and private individuals and groups on wide ranging issue relating to the regulation of the environment including:

Nature conservation and the protection of habitats and species
Nuisance
EIA, SEA
Climate change
Air quality
Emissions trading
Pollution
Contaminated land
Water resources management
Waste
Conservation
Flooding
Environmental crime
Environmental Information
Environmental permitting and regulation
Environmental aspects of ESG
International environmental law

Members act in public, private and commercial proceedings.

Academic Panel member Professor Áine Ryall is Chair of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee having previously been Vice-Chair from November 2021 and a member of the Committee from 2015.

Recent and significant cases in which members have appeared include:

Climate Change

R (FoE, Jordan & Paulley) v SSEFRA [2024] EWHC 2707 (Admin), Application for Judicial Review
No Gas Caverns case is No Gas Caverns Ltd & Anor, Application for Judicial Review (Rev1) NIKB 84
R (on the application of Hillingdon LBC et al) v Mayor of London [2023] EWHC 1972 (Admin)
Mozambique: R (Friends of the Earth) v Secretary of State for International Trade & Ors [2023] EWCA Civ 14
R (Feedback) v Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [2022] EWHC 3269; [2023] EWCA Civ 1549
R (Cox) v Oil and Gas Authority [2022] EWHC 75 (Admin)
R (Friends of the Earth) v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [2022] EWHC 1841 (Admin)
R (ClientEarth) v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [2021] EWCA Civ 43
Elliott-Smith v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [2021] EWHC 1633 (Admin)
R (oao Friends of the Earth Ltd) v Heathrow Airport Limited [2020] UKSC 52
Friends of the Earth and Others v. Secretary of State for Transport [2020] EWCA Civ 214
R (Packham) v Secretary of State for Transport [2020] EWCA Civ 1004

Air Quality

R (Shirley) v Secretary of State [2019] EWCA Civ 22

Nuisance

Newcastle under Lyme BC v Walleys Quarry Ltd
Coventry v Lawrence [2015] UKSC 50, [2014] UKSC 12 & [2014] UKSC 46, [2014] UKSC 46 and [2014] UKSC 13 (PDF)
Coventry v United Kingdom 6016/16 [2022] ECHR 816
Reading Borough Council v Great Western Railways and Network Rail Limited
Sokol v (1) Caudwell Properties (2) Cantillon
Austin v Miller Argent [2015] 1 WLR 52 (CA)

SEA, EIA and Habitats Directive

R (Clarke-Holland) v Home Secretary & Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities [2023] EWHC 3140 (Admin), [2023] EWHC 1881 (Admin)
R (Keir) v Natural England [2021] EWHC 1059 (Admin)
Pearce v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [2021] EWHC 326 (Admin)
Canterbury City Council v Secretary of State [2019] EWHC 1211 (Admin)
R (Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust) v Secretary of State for Transport and Another [2019] EWHC 1786 (Admin)
Holiday Extras v Crawley BC [2016] EWHC 3247 (Admin)
R (Bain) v Secretary of State for Transport CO/642/2021
R (Evans) v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2013] EWCA Civ 1635
Bowen-West v SSCLG [2012] EWCA Civ 321; [2012] Env LR 22
Loader v Secretary of State [2012] EWCA Civ 869
R (Morge) v Hampshire CC [2011] UKSC 2
R (Barker) v Secretary of State & Bromley LBC [2006] EUECJ C-290/03
R v Secretary of State ex parte Wells [2004] ECR I-723, ECJ Case C-201/01
Berkeley v. SSETR (HL) [2001] 2 AC 603

Waste

R (New Earth Solutions (West) Ltd) v Environment Agency [2022] EWHC 1883 (Admin)
R (Protreat Ltd) v Environment Agency [2018] EWHC 1983 (Admin); [2018] P.T.S.R. 2090
R (Thames Water Utilities Ltd) v Bromley Magistrates' Court (Case C-252/05) [2007] 1 WLR 1945 and [2008] EWHC 1763 (Admin); [2009] 1 WLR 1247
OSS Group Ltd v Environment Agency [2007] EWCA Civ 611; [2007] Bus LR 173

Water

R (River Action) v Environment Agency [2024] EWHC 1279 (Admin)
R (Wildfish Conservation) v SSEFRA and R (Marine Conservation Society and others) v SSEFRA [2023] EWHC 2285 (Admin)
R (River Action) v Environment Agency (AC-2023-CDF-000045)
R v Thames Water Utilities Ltd [2015] EWCA Crim 960; [2015] 1 WLR 4411

Members have authored some of the leading text books on SEA, habitats and statutory nuisance:

05

Nov' 24

Planning Permission for Soil Storage Facility Quashed for Breaches of EIA Regulations

Planning permission for a soil storage facility in Somerset has been quashed by consent in the High Court for breaches of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment ) Regulations 2017.

28

Oct' 24

High Court Dismisses Challenge to Third National Adaptation Programme

On Friday 25 October, the High Court (Mr Justice Chamberlain) dismissed the application for judicial review brought by Friends of the Earth and others challenging the legality of the third National Adaptation Programme (‘NAP3’), which sets out the actions that government and others will take to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

"Our go to set for planning and environmental matters. Never let us down. Extremely capable advocates."

Legal 500, 2025

"An excellent set with standout expertise in this area of law." "It has real strength-in-depth in the environmental area." "The set is always able to provide advice from somebody who is experienced in any area of environmental law, however obscure."

Legal 500, 2024

"Francis Taylor Building is my first choice set. I have worked with a mix of juniors and silks and have consistently received a great service. I know that whatever the subject matter, there will be a barrister with the requisite expertise and/or experience."

Legal 500, 2022

"A consistently high-performing set with a wealth of counsel to choose from."

Legal 500, 2022

"The service is efficient and friendly." "It is a very strong chambers, and the clerks should get a special mention as they facilitate that."

Chambers and Partners, 2022