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.
 

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.

04
Nov' 24
A Boat Is Not a Building for CIL Purposes

Lord Justice Lewison has refused permission to appeal from the decision of Mrs Justice Lang refusing Newham LBC permission for judicial review ([2024] EWHC 2321 (Admin)). 

Read more
31
Oct' 24
Holland Park ‘Mega-Basement’ Judicial Review Dismissed:  R (Davies) v RBKC [2024] EWHC 2711 (Admin)

The High Court has handed down judgment dismissing a judicial review of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s decision to grant planning permission and listed buildings consent for the construction of a “monumental” basement beneath a detached five storey house on London’s Holland Park.

Read more

"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
04
Nov' 24
A Boat Is Not a Building for CIL Purposes

Lord Justice Lewison has refused permission to appeal from the decision of Mrs Justice Lang refusing Newham LBC permission for judicial review ([2024] EWHC 2321 (Admin)). 

Read more
31
Oct' 24
Holland Park ‘Mega-Basement’ Judicial Review Dismissed:  R (Davies) v RBKC [2024] EWHC 2711 (Admin)

The High Court has handed down judgment dismissing a judicial review of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s decision to grant planning permission and listed buildings consent for the construction of a “monumental” basement beneath a detached five storey house on London’s Holland Park.

Read more

King's Counsel

Simon Bird KC

Call: 1987 | Silk: 2009

Robert McCracken KC

Call: 1973 | Silk: 2003

Andrew Tait KC

Call: 1981 | Silk: 2003

Michael Humphries KC

Call: 1982 | Silk: 2003

Gerald Gouriet KC

Call: 1974 | Silk: 2006

David Matthias KC

Call: 1980 | Silk: 2006

Morag Ellis KC

Call: 1984 | Silk: 2006

Richard Glover KC

Call: 1984 | Silk: 2009

Douglas Edwards KC

Call: 1992 | Silk: 2010

Gregory Jones KC

Call: 1991 | Silk: 2011

Suzanne Ornsby KC

Call: 1986 | Silk: 2012

James Pereira KC

Call: 1996 | Silk: 2014

Saira Kabir Sheikh KC

Call: 2000 | Silk: 2014

Hereward Phillpot KC

Call: 1997 | Silk: 2015

Alexander Booth KC

Call: 2000 | Silk: 2016

Jeremy Phillips KC

Call: 2004 | Silk: 2018

Richard Honey KC

Call: 2003 | Silk: 2021

Meyric Lewis KC

Call: 1986 | Silk: 2023

Junior Counsel

Philip Petchey

Call: 1976

Timothy Comyn

Call: 1980

James Rankin

Call: 1983

Gary Grant

Call: 1994

Leo Charalambides

Call: 1998

Emyr Jones

Call: 1999

Kate Olley

Call: 1999

John Jolliffe

Call: 2005

Professor Pavlos Eleftheriadis

Call: 2006

Cain Ormondroyd

Call: 2007

Annabel Graham Paul

Call: 2008

Hugh Flanagan

Call: 2008

Rebecca Clutten

Call: 2008

Ned Westaway

Call: 2009

Isabella Tafur

Call: 2009

David Graham

Call: 2010

George Mackenzie

Call: 2011

Alexander Greaves

Call: 2012

Caroline Daly

Call: 2013

Charles Forrest

Call: 2014

Merrow Golden

Call: 2014

Horatio Waller

Call: 2014

Daisy Noble

Call: 2015

Charles Merrett

Call: 2016

Esther Drabkin-Reiter

Call: 2017

Brendan Brett

Call: 2017

Conor Fegan

Call: 2018

Jonathan Welch

Call: 2019

Michael Rhimes

Call: 2019

Michael Feeney

Call: 2021

Mark O’Brien O’Reilly

Call: 2021, 2023 (Ireland)

Associate Members

Charles Holland

Call: 1994