Aardvark specialises in planning law and environmental law.
Our areas of work include legal issues arising from:
All types of planning applications
Planning agreements
Community infrastructure levy
Permitted development
Heritage
Highways
Compulsory acquisition
Environmental assessment
Appeals
Public inquiries
Enforcement
Judicial review
Planning and restrictive covenant insurance
Village greens
Rights of light
Climate change
Contaminated land
Waste
Appointing environmental consultants
Reliance letters
Environmental insurance
Environmental warranties and indemnities in transactions
Sector focus
Aardvark works on projects large and small for a range of landowners and developers including quoted companies, private companies, funds, venture capital backed enterprises and private individuals.
Public sector
Aardvark works for public sector clients where our particular expertise and focus on outcomes is required.
Hot topics
Viability and affordable housing.
Compulsory purchase threat.
Use of Freedom of Information in planning.
CIL and s106 double dipping.
Planning ransoms arising from poor property due diligence.
Local Plan and Area Action Plan evidence issues.
Judicial review by NIMBYs and competing developers.
Office to residential and other permitted development.
Heritage and other types of enabling development.
Senior living and C2/C3 use.
Delay in the planning system including discharge of conditions and highways agreements.
SANGs.
Green belt.
Planning reform.
Examples of our recent work
5,000 residential unit urban extension in Kent.
3,800 residential unit urban extension in Hampshire on former MOD land (acting for the planning authority).
Town centre regeneration with 2800 residential units and major employment uses.
Regeneration scheme with 1760 dwellings and commercial development.
1,200 residential unit urban extension in Surrey on former MOD land (acting for the planning authority).
Mixed use developments in Stratford, Bromley-by-Bow, Wandsworth and Willesden.
Judicial review of neighbouring scheme for residential developer.
SANG planning obligations and commercial SANG transactions
Development proposals and enforcement in the green belt
8 senior living schemes.
Student housing schemes in London, Hampshire and Newcastle.
Residential schemes in Southgate, Enfield, Green Lanes, Vauxhall, Islington and Tower Hamlets.
Office scheme in Hammersmith.
East London performance venue.
Large logistics sheds.
Advice on community infrastructure levy.
Enabling development for a community stadium (acting for the planning authority).
Successful defence of judicial review.
Promoting sites through local plan review.
Public inquiry into relief road CPO proposals.
Multiple office to residential permitted development schemes.
Environmental advice for the disposal of a factory.
Heritage enforcement and development matters.
Our Approach
Our approach is to be focussed on your desired outcome and to build the solution from sound foundations.
We thoroughly investigate the background to your issue and use our experience and expertise to develop a strategy.
We work around problems and develop practical and cost effective solutions.
We clearly communicate our ideas and agree the next steps with you.
We implement the agreed strategy tenaciously.
We work with you and the rest of your advisers as part of the team.
We think carefully about what the other side might do and try to pre-empt their actions and avoid surprises.
We keep you informed of progress.
We are flexible and responsive.
We always try to do better and go the extra mile.
We build long term relationships with our clients.
Fees
Aardvark’s fees will be a pleasant surprise for clients used to paying the bills of large law firms. Our business model is to offer outstanding value for money together with a high level of service. We work on hourly rates that reflect the experience and expertise of our solicitors but also our lean and efficient administration. Aardvark will consider alternative fee arrangements.
Environmental Policy
Many of our clients care about sustainability. We minimise our environmental impact by careful use of business resources and minimising waste.
Affiliates
In addition to our own resources we can also work (with your prior approval) with a range of affiliates including counsel, other specialist solicitors and other technical experts.
Our Founders
Sebastian Charles
Direct line: 01604 439 092
Jane Burgess
Direct line: 01604 439 091
Sebastian Charles and Jane Burgess are experienced practitioners in the planning law field. They formerly worked together at international law firm K&L Gates where Sebastian was global head of land use planning, and earlier in their careers they worked together at Norton Rose. Before that Sebastian worked in the East Anglian offices of national firm Eversheds. Jane has held roles at a local authority and within English Heritage.
Their expertise stems from a combined 50 years in the planning sector. They have a track record of business success and client development, based on outstanding results for clients and high levels of client satisfaction.
Sebastian chairs the planning and environmental committee of the Law Society of England and Wales and is also a Legal Associate member of the Royal Town Planning Institute.
Head of Real Estate
Anna Spencer
Direct line: 01604 439 094
Planning and real estate are intrinsically linked. Anna brings 25 years real estate experience, having initially trained and practised in London and latterly been a partner and chair of a Hampshire law firm. Anna deals with real estate issues arising on planning and environmental matters, and works with Jane and Sebastian on joined-up solutions for clients. Anna also undertakes a range of property transactions.
Contact us
For all enquiries, please call
01604 439 090 or use this form
.