Property/Planning Law

Planning issues frequently arise in property transactions, whether its purchase of a bungalow, lease of business premises, or a green field site for housing development. This seminar will provide a practical guide to the key issues, presented jointly by Neil Collar, Partner and Head of Planning Law, and Victoria Smith, both of Brodies LLP.

The session will focus on:

What alterations require planning permission?

When does unauthorised work become immune from enforcement action?

Use issues – eg. sandwich shops/ cafes

Planning agreements (section 75s) – practical implications

Listed buildings/ conservation areas

Development sites – obtaining planning permission

Judicial review

The event begins at 2pm. Delegate registration is open from 1:30pm.

Neil heads Brodies' planning team, which is top ranked by the legal directories in Scotland. He is a Legal Associate of the Royal Town Planning Institute and is accredited as a specialist in planning law by the Law Society of Scotland. The RTPI’s “Planning” Magazine named him as one of the 100 individuals with the greatest influence over planning policy and decision-making in the UK (March 2013) – the only Scottish solicitor in private practice to be included.

He has over 20 years experience as a planning lawyer. His work spans all aspects of the planning process, planning applications, appeals and inquiries (including inquiry advocacy), court actions, planning issues in relation to land acquisition and disposal, compulsory purchase and compensation, listed buildings and conservation areas, and trees.

He regularly contributes to Brodies’ Planning Blog. The 4th edition of Neil’s book “Planning” was published in 2016, containing an outline of all current planning law. He is a long-standing member of the Law Society of Scotland’s planning law committee.

"He manages to strip the clutter from an issue and get quickly to the heart of the matter," says one source. Another interviewee says: "He gives the best advice and makes sure we make the best business decisions." (Chambers & Partners 2016). Sources call him "efficient and easy to work with," and note that "he always gets straight to the point." (Chambers & Partners 2015).