Ian is a Partner in the Planning team in the Real Estate department. The Planning team advises private and public sector clients, leading commercial and residential landowners, developers and investment funds on a broad range of planning and environmental matters across all sectors and asset classes.
He has significant experience across a range of sectors including residential, aviation, commercial, retail and leisure. His expertise spans complex strategic and infrastructure development projects, heritage properties and high-value homeowner projects. Ian is skilled in handling both contentious and non-contentious matters and has been involved in several landmark legal judgements. He regularly advises in relation to planning appeals/call-in inquiries, statutory challenges, Court proceedings, complex planning and highway agreements, environmental impact assessment and CIL.
Ian is identified as a leader in his field in Chambers & Partners 2025 and is included in the Hall of Fame in Legal 500 2025. Ian is also regularly ranked as one of the leading planning solicitors in the UK in the annual survey carried out by Planning magazine.
Key Experience
- Acting for Pinewood Studios Limited in connection with the expansion of Pinewood Studios and Shepperton Studios (both within the Green Belt).
- Acting for Corinthian Land in securing planning permission on a residential-led urban extension in south Canterbury including up to 4,000 new homes.
- Advising Slough Borough Council in connection with a new Simplified Planning Zone at Slough Trading Estate and the proposed redevelopment of Slough town centre.
- Acting for Taylor Wimpey in connection with their interests in Village 7 (1,500 new homes), which forms part of the proposed new Gilston town (10,000 new homes.)
- Acting for Peel in promoting the development of land at Hulton Park to facilitate a world-class golf resort.
- Acting for Halley Developments in respect of significant residential developments at Bourn Airfield and Chelmsford Garden Community.
- Advising Project Genesis Limited in respect of the proposed regeneration of the former steelworks in Consett.
- Advising CEG in promoting Dunton Hills Garden Village.
Career History
Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Partner, Clyde & Co LLP
Partner, Macfarlanes LLP
Partner, Jones Day
Associate, Jones Day
Associate, Berwin Leighton Paisner
College of Law, Chester, LPC
Anglia University, Law (LLB Hons)