Expertise
Matthew specialises in planning, compulsory purchase, highways, judicial review and aspects of environmental law. He acts for many of the UK's major developers, housebuilders and land promoters and is experienced in dealing with planning and highways agreements for both commercial and residential development. He regularly carries out complex planning due diligence for commercial developers as well as advice relating to delivery of large scale developments.
Matthew also has excellent knowledge of land assembly matters, having promoted numerous compulsory purchase orders for both residential and commercial developments, as well as highways schemes.
Before joining Gateley in 2015 Matthew spent nearly ten years in local government, first at Birmingham City Council where he worked on many major regeneration projects in the city – including the redevelopment of New Street Station/Birmingham Grand Central – and then at Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council where he was the manager of the Planning and Property team. This experience has given Matthew an excellent insight into dealing with local authorities, meaning he knows how to work with them and how to get them to deliver successful outcomes.
In 2019 Matthew was voted by Planning Resource magazine as one of the leading 25 planning solicitors in the country.
Experience
- Acting for many well-known national housebuilders, developers and promoters on complex section 106 agreements for large sites, negotiated against tight timescales.
- Successfully advising developers dealing with applications for rights of way and town and village greens.
- Successfully advising numerous developers facing potential planning enforcement action.
- Advising landowners affected by compulsory purchase orders (including HS2).
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