No5 Barristers' Chambers - Excellence is at the heart of everything we do.
Background

Planning

"No5 are a go-to chambers for planning matters."

Legal 500 2025

"No5 has matured into a great set with broad and deep expertise. Their training programme is well established and the clerks are good and efficient, unstuffy and very pleasant to deal with."

Legal 500 2025

"The clerks are quick to respond and quick to understand needs."

Chambers UK 2025

"The clerks are excellent. They will always confirm within the hour whether counsel has the availability to take on the advice that you need and give a good estimate of costs."

Chambers UK 2025

"No5 has a wide range of expertise across junior to senior level, making for good availability. No5 offers valuable local authority seminar opportunities at value which brings engagement and understanding."

Legal 500 2025

"No5 Barristers' Chambers is truly a very professional chambers and always provides excellent service."

Legal 500 2023

"No5 Barristers' Chambers is a good set. The KCs and the juniors are very able, and the clerking is exceptional."

Legal 500 2023

"No5 has a wealth of talent and expertise."

Chambers UK 2023

"The clerking is very good and very accessible at all levels. They are always keen to help."

Chambers UK 2018

Chambers has a long-standing reputation for quality advisory and advocacy services in Planning Law, dating back more than half a century.

Our members have been instructed in some of the most important cases (Tesco v Dundee, BDW Trading v Secretary of State, Richborough Estates v Cheshire East BC) and many of the most significant and controversial planning proposals including new town settlements, large scale employment, nuclear power stations, sports stadia, new roads and green energy.

The team ‘has an established reputation for excellence in planning law’ and offers advisory and advocacy services at all levels, from leading KCs to very junior barristers. Our members provide advice from the very conception of a development to its conclusion, whether that be achieving planning consent, at appeal or through to legal challenges in the courts. We assist at every stage in the process, from pre application to planning committee, during an appeal process and through the courts.

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Members act on behalf of developers, land promoters, housebuilders, energy providers, local authorities and private individuals, including local action groups.

Get in touch

For more information:


Expertise

Planning Barristers

Peter Goatley KC

Call 1992 | Silk 2020

Richard Humphreys KC

Call 1986 | Silk 2006

Paul Cairnes KC

Call 1980 | Silk 2016

Christopher Young KC

Call 1997 | Silk 2018

Tobin Byers

Call 2017

Hugh Richards

Call 1992

Scott Stemp

Call 2000

Rowena Meager

Call 2007

Jack Smyth

Call 2007

Jessica Allen

Call 2019

Sioned Davies

Call 2019

Anna Stein

Call 2023

Paul Cairnes KC

Call 1980 | Silk 2016

Planning Clerks

Marc Forrest-Thomas

Practice Director, Planning & Environment

Craig Wain

Consultant

Emily Haughton

Emily Haughton

Junior Regulatory & Planning Clerk

Related News, Resources and Events

Events


Local Planning Authority Seminar


Date: 17 Nov 2025Time: 9:30am - 1pm GMT

Location: No5 Barristers' Chambers

Events


Annual Planning Seminar 2026


Date: 23 Mar 2026Time: 8:30am - 4pm GMT

Location: Eastside Rooms

Past Events


Greenbelt Summit

The LURA 2023 spells out change for planning. It aims to bring planning into the 21st Century, to get us building again and to deliver…

News, Podcasts


The Planning Podcast Ep 056 – Unpacking CG Fry in the Supreme Court

Following the much-anticipated hand-down by the Supreme Court of judgment in CG Fry v SSHCLG [2025] UKSC 35, Daniel Henderson is joined by James Corbet…

News


Planning and Environment group appoints new Heads of Group

No5’s Planning and Environment group is pleased to announce the appointment of Thea Osmund-Smith and Hugh Richards as our new joint Heads of Group, and…

News


Quarry Mews Ltd v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government [2025] EWHC 1968 (Admin)

Today (1st August 2025), the High Court has handed down judgment in the case of Quarry Mews Ltd v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and…

Publications


Important judgment on the siting of crematoria, and reminders of key principles of statutory interpretation handed down today

Today, the Supreme Court has handed down judgment in the case of Wathen-Fayed v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government [2025] UKSC…

Past Events


Bristol Planning Seminar

No5’s Planning and Environment group invite you to join them for their Bristol Planning Seminar on Monday 22nd September 2025. The morning will cover essential updates…

Publications


Town and Village Greens: Landowner Statements and Regulatory Failures by the CRA

A recent decision of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, as commons registration authority (“the CRA”), has confronted an issue that was foreshadowed by…

Publications


Moakes v Canterbury City Council

In the recent case of Moakes v Canterbury City Council [2025] EWCA Civ 927, the Court of Appeal provided some important guidance on procedural unfairness,…

Publications


Significant decision on flood risk and emerging Local Plans at Reg.19 stage: APP/U1105/W/24/3357849 Land East of Colestocks Road, Feniton

Following a recent appeal in Feniton, East Devon, Inspector Dawe has provided important guidance on the consequences that follow from a failure to comply with…

News


No5 shortlisted for Legal 500 Awards 2025

No5 is pleased to have been shortlisted for three categories in the 2025 Legal 500 Bar Awards. We are shortlisted in the following categories Immigration…

Publications


R (Hilltop Experiences Ltd) v Norfolk County Council [2025] EWHC 1447 (Admin) [12 June 2025]

Norfolk County Council’s decision to grant planning permission for a household waste recycling centre (“HWRC”) within a designated AONB was challenged by the Claimant. The…

News


Hugh Richards and Jessica Allen appear in the Court of Appeal in Smar Holdings Limited v SSEFRA

Today, the Court of Appeal will hear an appeal by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (‘SSEFRA’) against the decision of…

News


Overplanting in solar farm proposals – key points from Ross v SSHCLG and Renewable Energy Systems Ltd [2025] EWHC 1183 (Admin)

This case produced some important conclusions on how to approach overplanting in solar farm proposals. Of the six grounds of challenge, this article focuses primarily…

Publications


Private nuisance amenity value cases – an important new test from the High Court

Fearn v. Tate Gallery Trustees [2024] AC 1 dealt with those types of private nuisance where there has been a ‘sensible’ interference with the use…

Publications


Solid foundations: avoiding problems with invalid applications

In my previous article I considered the requirements necessary to have a valid application for planning permission. In this article I go on to consider…

Publications


Solid foundations: avoiding problems with registration and validation

An application is made for planning permission. The Local Planning Authority (‘the LPA’) receives the application, registers and validates it, and proceeds to determination. Simple!…

View all Planning related news

Clerk Team

Marc Forrest-Thomas

Practice Director, Planning & Environment

marct@no5.com

Emily Haughton

Emily Haughton

Junior Regulatory & Planning Clerk

emilyh@no5.com

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