Year of call: 1985
Gary Grant is a specialist practitioner in Planning and Environmental Law.
He has been consistently ranked within the legal directories for Planning Law. He is very experienced and his practice is split between court work, inquiries and work involving the support of plan making authorities, including at pre-submission stage.
Gary also has an extensive advisory practice within his fields of expertise including recent experience of complex points arising in the plan making context and pre-application advice on tall-building proposals.
Gary is an experienced trainer and has presented papers to specialist training events held by RTPI and many other organisations. He is a qualified Civil and Commercial Mediator.
Gary has a wide level of experience of central government work from working on the AG’s Regional Panel and has experience of highways, compulsory purchase, land, environmental, enforcement, contractual and regulatory matters associated with planning and environmental law.
Advising and appearing for and against Authorities involved in the promotion of highways and transportation projects. Promoted highways orders for the Secretary of State in 2003 and 2005, advised a County Authority in 2010 respect of objections to high speed rail links to Heathrow and in 2015 advised and appeared for Manchester United in respect of their representations to the Manchester Metro extension inquiry.
Public law challenges emerging from planning disputes. Recent instructions include resisting judicial review proceedings of LPA decisions not to take enforcement action and grant planning permission in respect of equestrian uses in Oxfordshire, Challenge to a Committees consideration of para 32 NPPF, resisting judicial review of use of Housing Act CPO powers and resisting judicial review of a decision to recommend main modifications to a Local Plan and consideration of the ambit of s113 of PPCA 2004.
Cases
2018/2019
Leading objection against Orders promoting Mixed Use Compulsory Purchase Order (including Student Housing) in Middlesborough Town Centre.
2016
Objection to the confirmation of a CPO under planning powers in respect of a leisure building at Seaton Carew seafront adjoining conservation area.
2015
Advising Manchester United Limited in respect of representations to the Manchester Metro extension Inquiry.
2011
Advising Highways Agency on various development proposals in South West and have an impact on trunk road network, including at North West Quadrant Plymouth and Swindon Gateway. Appearing at Inquiry.
2010
Advising Surrey County Council in respect of “Airtrack “ proposals to extend high speed rail commuter services to Heathrow.
Advising upon and dealing with development proposals within a wide range of environmentally sensitive designations including AONB, SACs, Ramsar sites and conservation areas, including cases involving issues of sensitive design.
Enforcement appeals and environmental prosecutions, including in 2015 a prosecution of a noise abatement notice in respect of a clay pigeon shoot.
2017
Resisting proposals at a planning appeal into proposals for a new Care Village on the site of a disused Poultry Farm in Wychavon, opposed on grounds which included the impact of major development in the AONB.
2016
Planning appeal at Public Inquiry in Stratford for housing in rural village raising impact on county level grassland habitat and the evaluation of mitigation proposals.
2015
Great Heck: advising local planning authorities on nationally publicised environmental concerns and enforcement issues arising from storage and management of waste at site in Yorkshire.
2015
Prosecuting a noise abatement notice breach in respect of clay pigeon shooting before the Lay Bench.
2014
Appeal inquiry for Magna Business Park (Poole) raising issues of nightjar habitat within SPA SAC and Ramsar and employment policy ( for LPA ).
2013
Enforcement appeal inquiry concerned with conversion works of barge hull to large houseboat on the foreshore of SSSI ,SAC and Ramsar at Hayling Island (Havant) (for LPA ).
R
( on the application of Gazelle Properties Ltd ) v BANES [2010] EWHC 3127 (Admin).
Gary has expertise in Section 78, Call In and other Inquiries dealing with the full range of planning and environmental issues and covering a wide range of land uses. Recent inquiries include urban extensions (housing and mixed use), retail proposals, waste recycling proposals, business park proposals and housing in a national park.
Gary provides legal support for development plan examinations and for CIL examinations both for the Plan Making Authority and for objectors.
Advising, drafting and appearing in planning related litigation including injunctions.
Advisory
Chambers UK 2025
“Gary Grant builds excellent rapport with clients and is always well prepared for inquiries with skilfully prepared arguments.”
Legal 500 2024
‘Gary has an eye for detail and thinks outside the box. He is a strong team player and really good at helping to manage client expectations.’
Legal 500 2023
“Gary provides calm, clear, and commercial advice, which is invaluable to clients. He can always be relied on to engage with clients sensitively, and to depose opponents’ arguments elegantly, but definitively.”
Chambers UK 2021
“He provides detailed and forensic advice and builds good rapport with clients.”
Legal 500 2021
“He combines a calm but effective advocacy style at planning inquiries with excellent written advice and a a good rapport with clients.”
Legal 500 2020
“A calm, considered and skilled advocate. ”
Chambers UK 2020
“He focuses on the main issues and is popular with clients.” “Really skilled, very calm and considered, really responsive and flexible.”
Chambers UK 2019
‘A sound and sensible operator.’
Legal 500 2018
‘A highly effective advocate.’
