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Our people
Robin Barnes
Profile:
Robin is a Senior Associate in the Planning team. Robin has experience in all aspects of town and country planning and is a member of the Strategic Land & Development sector team.
Professional experience:
- Advising promoters, developers and institutions generally in respect of planning applications, variations, development constraints, permitted development, and lawful use.
- Negotiating s.106 agreements for various asset classes, including office, retail, residential, hotels, student accommodation and shopping centres. A recent example includes a development comprising 458 houses with associated public open space, infrastructure and sports facilities.
- Negotiating s.278 and s.38 Highways Agreements with local authorities for highway works, as well as oversailing licences.
- Providing due diligence on large scale sales and purchases, including for our lender clients, as well as firms without a planning expertise.
- Developed an excellent track record for successfully opposing planning applications, including proposed residential developments in Rye and Shellfield, both in East Sussex where the applicants in each case had already secured a favourable officer’s recommendation. Robin recently successfully opposed an application for the redevelopment of a six-storey office block into a nine-storey boutique hotel with an open bar/restaurant on the top floor at 61-71 Victoria Street on grounds of carbon inefficiency, and that retrofit options should be explored first. Robin has also successfully opposed the construction of a helipad adjacent to an equestrian centre in Hampshire, which would have been 170m away from the gallops where the horses exercised daily.
- Robin is experienced in dealing with planning appeals. This year he successfully appealed refusal of planning permission for outbuildings at a modernist mansion. The council had taken enforcement action in respect of a pool house, a summer house, and garages to house a classic car collection. Having obtained planning permission in respect of all but the garages, Robin successfully argued that these fell under PD rights as they were located on what should constitute the rear elevation of the building, rather than the principal elevation.
- Regularising the use of various properties, including caravan parks and a former farm for use by a national charity for Sahaja communal yoga events, attracting approximately 300-400 people at a time.
- Successfully bringing Judicial Review proceedings to challenge the decision of West Oxfordshire District Council to approve a Masterplan as a material planning consideration, without consulting our client, a landowner within the scope of the Masterplan.
- Advising developers in respect of enforcement action taken by local authorities, including at public enquiry.
- Advising developers and owners of their obligations in respect of development in conservation areas, to listed buildings, TPOs and other heritage assets. Robin recently successfully appealed in respect of enforcement proceedings for the installation of a security system at a Listed Building in Kensington.
Professional history:
- Trained at Cannings Connolly Solicitors, 2015
- Associate, Maples Teesdale, 2018
- Senior Associate, Maples Teesdale, 2023