Planning and Environment

Working within an expansive real estate legal team, our planning and environmental lawyers 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 numerous regeneration and infrastructure projects, as well as ambitious mixed-use schemes – including Garden Villages. Our clients include investors, developers, social landlords, central and local government, universities, and NHS Trusts.

Our planning lawyers advise residential and commercial property clients on large strategic sites, providing guidance on site promotion to allocation, planning strategy, and conducting 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 such as the redevelopment of local authority owned land. Our expert planning lawyers frequently represent clients at appeals and inquiries, and deal with both statutory planning challenges and judicial review.

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

Featured experience

  • 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.
  • A waste management company, Buckinghamshire - advising on the impacts of the HS2 proposals on its operations. Our advice was instrumental in preparing the case for the relocation of railway sidings away from its site and on to a more environmentally beneficial site. We presented the evidence in the House of Commons on several occasions.
  • New Neighbourhood, South Gloucestershire - acted for one of three main developers of the Cribbs Patchway New Neighbourhood area of South Gloucestershire with approximately 5,700 dwellings, c.50 hectares of employment land, open spaces, schools and community facilities. The matter included negotiation and drafting of s.106 Agreement with infrastructure contributions over the course of 25 years and setting up of a steering group comprising the Council and each main landowner to oversee expenditure and delivery of infrastructure by the Council.
     

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

Quiénes somos

¿Por qué elegir DAC Beachcroft?

Somos un bufete comercial de amplia base que presta servicios a una gran variedad de sectores, con una sólida herencia en seguros,
salud e inmobiliario. Combinamos excelentes conocimientos jurídicos y experiencia de vanguardia para diseñar soluciones en
que se adapten a las necesidades de nuestros clientes, a menudo con un uso inteligente de la tecnología.