Planning and Environment

Working within one of the largest real estate legal teams in the country our planning and environmental specialists stand out for their skill in delivering bespoke solutions tailored to your specific needs. We have a proven track-record for taking a solutions and results-based approach, answering your questions and anticipating the challenges you might face during the full life-cycle of development projects.

Overview

We are involved with regeneration and infrastructure projects nationally, as well as some of the UK's most ambitious mixed-use schemes – including Garden Villages. Our clients include investors, developers, social landlords, central and local government, universities and NHS Trusts.

We advise residential and commercial property clients on large strategic sites - providing guidance on site promotion to allocation, planning strategy, and conduct legal reviews of major planning applications.

We are known for our expertise in drafting and negotiating complex Section 106 agreements, including viability review mechanisms, to support the most complex multi-phase schemes – including for redevelopment of local authority owned land. We frequently represent clients at appeals/inquiries and deal with statutory planning challenges/Judicial Review.

We also regularly advise on a broad spectrum of planning legal issues - highways, enforcement, permitted development rights, compulsory purchase, legal solutions for Biodiversity Net Gain and a wide range of environmental liability matters.

Featured experience

  • Lend Lease (Heygate Estate, centre of £1.5BN Elephant & Castle regeneration): advised on multi-party negotiations and drafting of section 106 agreement for outline application for Heygate Masterplan of 2,400 affordable new homes, new park and public realm and other legal agreements with Southwark Council, TfL and Greater London Authority, including CPO requirements.
  • Barking Riverside (JV between GLA and L&Q on largest housing development in the Thames Gateway): advised continuously for 10 years on the submission of all the planning applications for Barking Riverside (outline, full, section 73 and reserved matters) and the subsequent discharge of conditions and implementation of the project and masterplan.
  • Hyperscale Data Centre, Hertfordshire – advising on all legal planning aspects of a 4 year project to secure consent for Google's new UK data centre (33 acre site). DACB negotiated a bespoke infrastructure package with the local planning authority to secure outline approval with Section 106; also advising on complex highways/rights of way and enabling infrastructure issues supported by a multi-disciplinary DACB team including property, construction and tax specialists.

What our clients say

  • Strong on legal understanding of the complexities of planning and compulsory purchase, in particular permitted development issues.

    Legal 500 UK 2023 Edition, Planning

  • Very responsive and excellent technical knowledge. Proactive and involved rather than just an add-on to real estate work.

    Legal 500 UK 2023 Edition, Planning

  • Very responsive and excellent technical knowledge. Proactive and involved rather than just an add-on to real estate work.

    Legal 500 UK 2023 Edition, Planning

Planning and Environment key contacts

Who we are

Why choose DAC Beachcroft?

We’re a broad-based commercial firm serving a wide range of sectors with a strong heritage in insurance,
health and real estate. We combine excellent legal skills and cutting-edge delivery expertise to design
solutions that fit the needs of our clients – often involving clever uses of technology.