Local Government

Chambers is highly ranked by the leading independent legal directories for its work across a broad spectrum of local government work including in particular for planning, licensing, local government finance and compulsory purchase.

The Legal 500, 2024 notes that FTB is "one of the leading local government sets with experience across the board in local government law" and a "fantastic set to work with." Chambers and Partners 2023 comments that Francis Taylor Building has "very good level of expertise across the board" and "good-quality work".

Chambers' expertise includes all aspects of local government law and procedures:

Local government powers
- Planning
- Licensing
- Local government finance including rating and the Council Tax
- Compulsory purchase
Highways, Commons and Open Spaces
Election law
Education
Assets of Community Value
Public Procurement
Public health and environment
Maladministration
Standards in local government

Members of chambers have been involved in cases involving the Commissioner for Local Administration, the Parliamentary Commissioner and the Standards Board for England. In Hong Kong members have acted for public utilities and developers on major matters.

Junior members of Chambers also attend secondments at local and public authorities where they advise and appear on a variety of different local government issues.

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Apr' 25

Update: Court of Appeal Quashes in Greenfields v Isle of Wight Council

Following the judgment in Greenfields (IOW) Limited v Isle of Wight Council [2025] EWCA Civ 488, which overturned the High Court's decision and held that the decision to grant planning permission was unlawful as a result of the Council's failure to publish the section 106 planning obligation (see here), the Court of Appeal has now confirmed that the consequence of that error is that the Planning Permission should be quashed.

16

Apr' 25

Court of Appeal Overturns High Court and Finds Isle of Wight Permission for 473 Dwellings Unlawful: Greenfields (IOW) Limited v Isle of Wight Council [2025] EWCA Civ 488

Following a two day hearing earlier this month, the Court of Appeal (Singh and Lewis LJJ) has handed down judgment in Greenfields (IOW) Limited v Isle of Wight Council [2025] EWCA Civ 488 overturning the decision of the High Court and finding that the grant of planning permission for 473 dwellings, a café, doctors’ surgery and other associated infrastructure at Westridge Acre Park on the Isle of Wight was unlawful on grounds of a failure to publish the section 106 planning obligation.

"One of the leading local government sets with experience across the board in local government law" and a ‘" fantastic set to work with."

Legal 500, 2024

"very good level of expertise across the board" and "good-quality work."

Chambers and Partners, 2023

"Areas of particular strength for the set's members include cases relating to local government finances and council tax, as well as complex public health, licensing and highways matters. The team is also regularly called upon to advise on ratings and land valuation matters, and offers considerable expertise in relation to compulsory purchase orders and compensation."

Chambers and Partners, 2022

"The team is highly regarded for its expertise in rating matters, and handles instructions relating to local government finances, council tax, licensing and compulsory purchase orders and compensation."

Legal 500, 2022

"The set as a whole has extremely knowledgeable and hard working barristers with a wealth of experience and offers a good range of barristers within different price ranges."

Legal 500, 2022

29

Apr' 25

Update: Court of Appeal Quashes in Greenfields v Isle of Wight Council

16

Apr' 25

Court of Appeal Overturns High Court and Finds Isle of Wight Permission for 473 Dwellings Unlawful: Greenfields (IOW) Limited v Isle of Wight Council [2025] EWCA Civ 488

03

Jun' 25

Webinar: Planning For Datacentre Need

In this 1 hour lunchtime webinar on Tuesday 3 June, Dr Christopher Ford (Director of Planwell), Martin Carpenter (Director of enplan) and Annabel Graham Paul (Barrister, FTB) will dive into datacentre planning in light of the Abbots Langley appeal decision.

How do we plan for datacentres?
What is the need to be met and where do datacentres need to go?
How do we understand the technical requirements of different types of datacentres?

These are critical issues facing local planning authorities and planning consultants advising not only datacentre developers but others who may be competing over the same pieces of land, as well as environmental and countryside interest groups. Currently, there is no national or local plan-led solution for where the need should be met as well as no centrally produced figure for data centre need in the UK leaving these big questions to be determined at LPA plan-making and individual decision-taking level.

There will be the opportunity for Q&A at the end.

Book Here

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May' 25

Virtual Breakfast Briefing: High Court Ruling on ‘Overplanting’ of Solar Farms Below 50MW

The High Court yesterday handed down judgment in Ross v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Renewable Energy Systems Ltd [2025] EWHC 1183 (Admin), rejecting the statutory review challenge to an Inspector’s decision to grant planning permission, on appeal, for a 49.9MW solar farm in Nottinghamshire.

The central issue for determination related to the interpretation of National Policy Statement EN-3 insofar as it relates to overplanting (i.e. the situation where the installed capacity of the facility is larger than the generator’s grid connection agreement).

In a judgment that will have important implications for the solar industry, Eyre J rejected all 6 grounds of challenge. He found that the Inspector was correct to conclude that overplanting which went beyond that necessary to address module degradation was not inconsistent with EN-3; provided the overplanting was justified and account was taken of the full effects of the development (including overplanting), there was no separate requirement to consider whether the overplanting was reasonable; and that the potential loss of energy as a consequence of clipping was not an obviously material consideration which the Inspector was required to take into account. Read the full news item here.

Hereward Phillpot KC and Isabella Tafur, who acted for the Second Defendant developer will discuss the implications of this judgment for the solar industry at virtual Breakfast Briefing this Friday.

Practical Information
The webinar will be held on Zoom. There is no charge to attend but places must be reserved in advance using the 'Book Here' button below.
Date: 23 May 2025
Time: 8.30-9.30am

Book Here