Louise Clifton

Louise is an associate in the Planning and Environment team and has a wide range of experience in dealing with all aspects of Planning and Highways Law

Louise has over four years’ experience in planning law gained in private practice and local government. As such she brings with her experience in all areas of planning, planning enforcement proceedings, highways including complex section 106 agreements (particularly in relation to securing affordable housing and Biodiversity Net Gain); planning due diligence of property transactions and financing; highways and sewer agreements; public rights of way; planning appeals; planning regularisation; and strategic planning applications.

Louise provides practical and commercial advice on small and large scale developments, and has a particular expertise in enforcement proceedings and planning regularisation.

How Louise can help you

Louise provides practical and tailored advice to her clients in order to find the best solution to progress their development and achieve the client’s ultimate objectives. Louise is very experienced in difficult transactions and providing solid common-sense solutions which progress seemingly immovable transactions.

Louise specialises in all areas of contentious and non-contentious planning law, and has represented a variety of clients, which include local government, developers, landowners, promoters and affordable housing providers. In particular she has considerable experience in drafting and negotiating section 106 agreements, Deeds of Variation and Unilateral Undertakings, alongside advising on permitted development, planning regularisation and planning enforcement matters.

Louise’s experience working as an in-house solicitor for a combined Local Planning Authority means that she brings an insight into local authority decision-making and has experience of advising planning committees and decision-making officers with respect to not only legal duties and principles but also local and national planning policy together with relevant case law.

Recent notable works include advising on a complex section 106 agreement on a phased scheme; advising on an enforcement appeal, which included the withdrawal of the enforcement notice and a successful application for costs; providing advice on the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 in connection to a property sale; permitted development and a farm; and planning conditions in particular Agricultural ties.

Experience

• Advising and negotiating on a unilateral undertaking for an appeal for non-determination.
• Drafting and reviewing a variety of infrastructure agreements.
• Advising a client in connection to a planning contravention notice for an alleged unlawful change of use from C1 to sui generis.
• Advising and negotiating on a section 106 agreement for the construction of 39 Dwellings to be provided for and used as Affordable Housing and associated works.
• Advice on planning enforcement in connection to permitted development rights and the curtilage of a listed building.
• Providing advice regarding a planning appeal and potential areas for challenge, assessing the Council’s reasons for refusal against local and national planning policies.
• Providing advice to a landowner and negotiating on a deed of variation to a section 106 agreement in respect of a registered provider concerning the need for a mortgagee exclusion clause.
• Assisting property and agricultural colleagues and carrying out planning due diligence for large development sites.