Ruth Stockley

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Year of Call: 1988

Profile

Ruth practises in all aspects of town and country planning, highways and rights of way, environment, compulsory purchase, village greens, taxi licensing, education, local government, administrative law and judicial review.
She has represented developers, local authorities and third parties in a wide range of public inquiries including major retail, housing, commercial and leisure developments as well as windfarms, mineral extraction and landfill proposals. She has also appeared in numerous rights of way inquiries, enforcement inquiries and development plan inquiries.

She regularly appears before the Administrative Court in statutory appeals and judicial review proceedings. She also appears before the Lands Tribunal in compulsory purchase and compensation cases, and in all the general civil and criminal courts in highway and other public law related matters. In addition, she has appeared before the Traffic Commissioner.

In non-statutory village green inquiries, she has sat as an Inspector on many occasions, and has also represented both applicants and objectors at such inquiries.
Ruth is an editor of Sweet and Maxwell's Encyclopedia of Highway Law and Practice, and she regularly delivers papers to various planning, highway, traffic and village green conferences.

 

Recommendations

Chambers UK 2012: Ruth Stockley's environment expertise is supplemented by her extensive planning knowledge. Market commentators praiseher sense of reason and add: "She is good on her feet."

Chambers UK 2012: Ruth Stockley is known for her academic comprehension of planning law. She has experience of acting on retail, residential and leisure developments for local authorities, developers and third parties.

Chambers UK 2011:  Ruth Stockley is admired for her town and country planning expertise, especially that pertaining to landfill, village green and wind farm matters. 

Chambers UK 2011: Ruth Stockley commands a vast amount of loyalty amongst her clients, who return to her time and again because of her wide  knowledge of town and country planning, highways, village greens and compulsory purchase matters.

Chambers UK: Ruth Stockley is applauded for her stream of landfill and wind farm work and is noted for having a broad and through understanding of planning law, with her knowledge of highway matters billed as "absolutely second to none - she can just pluck the relevant facts out of the air".

Chambers UK: "Sound, client-focused and reliable," Ruth Stockley was the subject of a stream of good feedback. 

Chambers UK : "approachable, practical and sensitive advocate".

Legal 500 2010: "consistently recommended for planning instructions"

Legal 500: "consistently recommended".

Legal 500: "In an excellent group, solicitors consistently mention Ruth Stockley".

Legal 500: ".....highly rated".

Legal 500 "Popular juniors include Ruth Stockley".

Legal 500: "The extremely strong team includes the knowledgeable Ruth Stockley."

PLANNING

Ruth has extensive experience in all aspects of planning work, regularly appearing at public inquiries for developers, local planning authorities and third parties, and undertaking advisory work. She has presented cases at planning appeals, call in inquiries, enforcement appeals and at development plan inquiries.

She is regularly involved in housing inquiries, often concerning national house builders, and recent cases include the re-development of a former College Site in a Conservation Area for substantial residential development. Reported cases include Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council v. Secretary of State for the Environment Transport & Regions [2001] EWHC Admin 587 involving an appeal against an inspector's decision to grant planning permission for residential development.

A significant amount of Ruth's inquiry work involves retail development. She has acted for and against various retail proposals, many involving major retail operators.

Recent cases involve the development of a new superstore on an edge of centre site opposed by the local highway authority and the local planning authority, and the successful resistance of the relaxation of a bulky goods restriction on an existing out of centre retail park. She has also been involved in the public inquiries into the redevelopment of New Brighton and the development of the Trafford Centre.

Ruth's planning work also regularly involves inquiries for development concerning landfill proposals, waste treatment and mineral extraction, and she has presented cases at a number of windfarm inquiries. Recommendations in that particular area include Chambers UK 2010: "Ruth Stockley is applauded for her stream of landfill and wind farm work".

Ruth has also promoted and resisted major infrastructure schemes, and was involved in the inquiry into the new container terminal at Seaforth Dock on the River Mersey.

In addition, Ruth regularly appears at compulsory purchase inquiries both promoting and objecting to orders. She also undertakes advisory work and appears in the Lands Tribunal in relation to land compensation issues.

Previous cases include the promotion of a compulsory purchase order under the Highways Act 1980 for Leeds City Council to enable the implementation of the A65 Quality Bus Corridor Scheme; the promotion of a compulsory purchase order under the Housing Act 1985 for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council involving the demolition of dwellings in a housing market renewal area; and the promotion of a compulsory purchase order under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for East Riding of Yorkshire Council to enable the residential re-development of an area in need of regeneration.

Ruth has also appeared in the criminal and civil courts in relation to planning issues, including presenting cases involving the contravention of enforcement notices, applications for planning injunctions, breach of advertisement regulations and breach of tree preservation orders.

Ruth has particular experience in the field of commons and village greens. She undertakes advisory work and appears both for applicants and objectors at village green inquiries.

In addition, Ruth regularly sits as an Inspector at village green inquiries for registration authorities. She has recently done so in relation to applications submitted in Lancashire, Oldham, Trafford, Durham, Shropshire, Walsall, Bournemouth and East Sussex.

Ruth has delivered a number of papers on commons and village greens, and also provides training in these areas.

Ruth also regularly advises and appears in the Administrative Court in judicial review applications and statutory appeals relating to her areas of practice.

Reported cases relating to planning include R. (on the application of Hampson) v. Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council [2005] All ER (D) 383 concerning the judicial review of a grant of planning permission; Alfred McAlpine Homes (Yorkshire) Limited v. Kirklees Metropolitan Council (2000) 79 P. & C.R. 352 involving an application to suspend the operation of a UDP policy pending the outcome of a challenge to the Plan; and Fugler v. Secretary of State for the Environment [1993] E.G. 48 (C.S.) relating to an appeal against a planning inspector's refusal to grant planning permission.

 

Publications

Ruth is an editor of Sweet and Maxwell's Encyclopedia of Highway Law and Practice.

 

Memberships

Planning and Environment Bar Association

Administrative Law Bar Association

Former President of Manchester Law Library

Northern and North Eastern Circuits

 

Career & Education

University: Nottingham

Degree: LLB (Hons)

Year of Call: 1988 (Lincoln's Inn)

Joined Chambers: 1988

 

Other

Direct Professional Access: Yes