planning post Pickles

Guthrie McGruer is head of Blake Lapthorn's planning team based in Oxford.  He undertakes advocacy in planning inquiries and is skilled in negotiating consents with planning authorities where his inside knowledge of the system and its complexities is invaluable.  Guthrie acts for developers, land owners and local authorities.  His expertise extends to both contentious and non-contentious areas including drafting complex planning and highway agreements, High Court challenges, advising on environmental impact assessments and a specialist knowledge of compulsory purchase procedures.

Henry Gordon-Lennox is a dually qualified barrister and solicitor who is experienced in contentious and non-contentious planning work having previously worked in local government and the Environment Agency.  He undertakes advocacy work at public inquiries, hearings and Magistrates’ courts.  He also liaises directly with local authorities to overcome obstacles to planning consents, as well as negotiating and drafting planning obligations.  Henry provides advice on all aspects of the planning system, including the listed building regime, to all types of clients from householders to commercial organisations and local authorities.  

Steven Sensecall is the head of Kemp & Kemp Property Consultants' planning team, which comprises six qualified planners working for a wide variety of public and private sector clients for whom the firm provides planning consultancy services on a national basis. Regular appearances at Planning Inquiries, Local Plan Inquiries and Structure Plan Examinations in Public as both an advocate and as an expert witness. Recent commissions/successes include the securing of planning permission at the Harwell International Business Centre for the Diamond Light Source – a circa £350 million investment by the UK Government and its partners in Science and Technology; appearing as advocate for the Oxford Preservation Trust at the Westgate Centre Public Local Inquiry in Oxford; securing an allocation in the Vale of White Horse District Council’s Emerging Local Plan for 2,500 new dwellings at Grove in Oxfordshire; and securing a Local Plan allocation for Müller UK for some 31 hectares of new development at Market Drayton in Shropshire.

Huw Mellor joined Kemp & Kemp Property Consultants in 2003.  One of four partners, Huw has a team of four qualified planners providing planning consultancy services to a wide variety of public and private sector clients for whom the firm provides planning consultancy services on a national basis.  Huw has appeared at various Public and Local Plan Inquiries as both expert witness and advocate and appeared last year at the High Court as expert witness on behalf of a national hotel chain. Huw has a background in planning in Local Government and is the proverbial gamekeeper turned poacher.