Planning

Chambers has a reputation for excellence in planning and related areas of law and is consistently featured in both Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500 for our expertise and leading role in the field.

Chambers and Partners 2026 notes that ““Francis Taylor Building is an exceptional planning set with excellent strength in depth, especially on infrastructure cases.” " The Legal 500 2026 comments that "Francis Taylor Building is impressive across the board with real strength in depth." "Excellent quality at all levels."

Members are instructed by both the private and the public sectors. Whilst private clients include many of the country's largest commercial operators, Chambers is also respected for its work on behalf of community and interest groups, small businesses and individuals.

Work in the public sector is for local government and for other public bodies.

Chambers undertakes work in all areas of planning law, appearing at:

Planning and enforcement appeal inquiries
Development plan inquiries
Examinations in public and in the law courts when challenges are made to administrative decisions

Members are regularly instructed in relation to a broad spectrum of schemes including:

Residential Housing
Retail
Leisure and sport
Commercial
Major infrastructure projects
Listed buildings
Advertisements
Trees
Minerals
Local plans
Section 106 and CIL agreements
Hemp farms, cannabis laboratories, processing plants and changes of land use
Restrictive covenants

09

Sep' 26

Planning, Public and Property Law Mentoring Scheme for Under Represented Groups 2026-2027

In 2021, Francis Taylor Building and four other planning, property and public law sets (Cornerstone Barristers, Field Court Chambers, Kings Chambers and Landmark Chambers) set up a mentoring scheme for underrepresented groups at the Bar.

04

Sep' 26

New Appointments for Five of Chambers’ Academic Panel Members

FTB is delighted to announce the appointment of 5 new members of its Academic Panel. The Academic Panel allows Chambers to foster closer links with the academic world and to exchange ideas on developments of interest in its particular areas of expertise.

“Francis Taylor Building is an exceptional planning set with excellent strength in depth, especially on infrastructure cases.”

Chambers and Partners, 2026

"Francis Taylor Building is impressive across the board with real strength in depth." "Excellent quality at all levels."

Legal 500, 2026

"The planning and environment clerks, led by senior clerk Paul Coveney, are a pleasure to work with. They are responsive and attentive to demands."

Chambers and Partners, 2026

"FTB are one, if not the, leading planning set. And with good reason, they have strength in depth and an excellent breadth in their members."

Legal 500, 2025

"Francis Taylor Building is an excellent set - very professional and are always the first choice of chambers. The clerks are friendly, approachable and know their areas and members well. They have good availability of members and always make clients feel valued."

Legal 500, 2025

‘FTB is one of the leading barristers sets for planning." "Chambers is full of excellent barristers and has a deserved strong reputation in the planning world."

Legal 500, 2024

"They are the doyens of the Planning Bar. On top of their game."

Chambers and Partners, 2023

"They have enormous strength in depth, and are a top set in the field. I would be confident in recommending this set to my most important clients. They are always thinking ahead to how this field of law might evolve and change."

Legal 500, 2023

"Excellent, with considerable strength in depth‘ when it comes to planning matters, with members who are second to none and excellent to work with."

Legal 500, 2023

"A very capable planning set we have sent the majority of our planning instructions to this year."

Legal 500, 2023

"Francis Taylor Building is an excellent set and always my first choice. Over the years I have worked with ten members (a mix of juniors and silks) and have always been impressed by the standard of FTB’s advice and the positive, collaborative attitude of the barristers."

Legal 500, 2023

"These chambers have extraordinary strength-in-depth with a wealth of talented barristers. It covers all areas of law but is particularly strong on planning and environmental matters. There is always someone available at the right level of expertise and seniority to assist. I have worked with several QC’s and junior barristers from these Chambers and they are all on top of their game.’

Legal 500, 2022

"Francis Taylor Building is renowned for its dedication to planning work. The set has the capacity to take on the full range of planning matters, from compulsory purchase and compensation issues to environment, highways, and town and village green law."

Chambers and Partners 2022

"Francis Taylor Building is my first choice set. I have worked with circa 10 barristers (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

"Their combined expertise of the planning sector is exceptional, including in particular their infrastructure and compulsory purchase capabilities."

Chambers and Partners, 2021

"The clerks at Francis Taylor Building are absolutely superb and very quick to get back to you." "The team is very agile and very commercial in terms of their approach and you can discuss things based on client needs."

Chambers and Partners, 2022

09

Sep' 26

Planning, Public and Property Law Mentoring Scheme for Under Represented Groups 2026-2027

04

Sep' 26

New Appointments for Five of Chambers’ Academic Panel Members

08

Oct' 26

Breakfast Briefing on the NPPF 2026: a rules based system for plans and decisions

This session will provide the essential introduction to the series, offering a structured overview of the August 2026 NPPF and its shift to a rules‑based system for both plan‑making and decision‑taking. The updated Framework now separates plan‑making policies from national decision‑making policies and introduces new provisions on preparing applications, information requirements, viability, conditions and obligations, other regulatory regimes, enforcement and development orders.

The Government describes these reforms as intended to make policy easier to use, support faster and simpler local plans, and provide a clearer basis for decisions. This briefing will examine the practical implications of those changes and what they mean for planning strategy, applications and delivery.

Francis Taylor Building is uniquely placed to provide early insight into what the updated Framework means in practice, drawing on our market‑leading planning expertise and the direct experience of barristers who advised on its development.

Practical Information

Date: 8 October 2026
Time: Registration over coffee and pastries from 8.00am; briefing from 8:30–9:45am
Venue: Francis Taylor Building, Inner Temple, London, EC4Y 7BY

21

Sep' 26

Breakfast Briefing on Green Belt after the 2026 NPPF: grey belt, golden rules and housing delivery

This session will clarify how the updated Framework approaches grey belt, emphasising that it is not a free‑standing permission in principle, and will set out the definitions, policy routes and decision‑making steps that now govern Green Belt release.

The briefing will explore the relationship between Green Belt policy, housing need and station‑led development, alongside the development obligations that may follow. It is designed for planning authorities, promoters, consultants and developers seeking a clear and authoritative explanation of how Green Belt policy now operates in practice.

Practical Information

Date: 21 September 2026
Time: Registration over coffee and pastries from 8.00am; briefing from 8:30–9:45am
Venue: Francis Taylor Building, Inner Temple, London, EC4Y 7BY