EXPERTISE
- Town & Country Planning
- Chancery Law
- Administrative and Public Law
Planning Appeals
Local Plan Examinations
Other Areas
- Judicial Review
- Drafting s.106 and other legal agreements
- Injunctions and interim remedies
- s.210 Injunctions and s.215 Amenity Notices
- Breach of advertisement regulations
- Breach of condition on planning permissions
Chancery
- Lands Tribunal matters
- Property disputes including boundaries, easements and restrictive covenants
Village Greens & Commons
- Registration, upgrading and modification of public rights
- S.16(9) applications to de-register and exchange common land
Nicola worked as a Chartered Town Planner for 12 years in local government and the private sector before being called to the Bar in 1999. She has an extensive practice in Town & Country Planning, compulsory purchase, local government and administrative law, acting in public inquiries and the courts.
Nicola has advised and appears for a wide range of private clients, developers and Local Authorities on all planning matters and Judicial Review. She also advises all parties in criminal cases arising from planning breaches.
Nicola specialises in rights of way, village greens and commons law; acting for all parties at highway inquiries and in applications to modify definitive maps, applications to register village greens and applications to the relevant Minister under s.194 of the Law of Property Act 1925 and exchange common land under s.16(9).
Nicola acted for the East Riding of Yorkshire Council over a 6 year period in numerous hearings in planning inquiries, the High Court and Court of Appeal to successfully remove 73 park homes unlawfully placed on land and used as permanent accommodation by vulnerable people.
Nicola also advises local authorities in relation to unauthorised encampments by Gypsy and Traveller groups and is successful in securing emergency interim injunctions to prevent occupation taking place.
Nicola has a substantial number of private sector clients with land and moors in the north Pennines, advising on development required for recreational shooting and agriculture.
MEMBERSHIPS
- Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute
- Chartered Town Planner
- Planning and Environmental Bar Association
LECTURES & SEMINARS
Nicola regularly talks at seminars to private clients and local authorities on planning issues including renewable energy environmental protection. She also delivers bespoke in-house training for local authority officers and members.
Nicola is a Bar Council accredited lecturer and has lectured in planning practice at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Durham University and to the Local Government Association on numerous topics.
EDUCATION
- BA (Hons) Town & Country Planning – University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
- BVC – University of Northumbria.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Nicola accepts Licensed Access and Direct Access cases.
