Mark is Partner at JMW specialising in planning and highways and part of the Commercial Real Estate Team.
Prior to joining JMW, he previously worked as a Director at international firm Gateley and prior to that, Halliwells.
Mark’s national practice includes planning appeals and call-in, complex statutory agreements (including 106, 111, 38, 278, 228 & 104), strategic planning advice, applications, BNG, CIL, viability, enforcement, court litigation (judicial review and statutory challenge), compulsory purchase and associated environmental and local government issues.
He has particular experience in acting on large mixed-use development schemes, residential led schemes, retail, listed buildings and stadia.
Mark’s recent experience includes:-
- Acting successfully at Planning Appeal (public inquiry) for a leading national development company in respect of a Yorkshire scheme made up of several hundred residential dwellings, local centre, open space (including 10% BNG) and link road. The scheme was Phase 1 of and key to a much larger strategic allocation.
- Acting for the lead development partner of Derby City Council in relation to Becketwell - a Derby City Centre regeneration scheme project. Advising upon all legal planning and associated local government aspects of the scheme as required
- Acting for a PLC on the planning aspects of its acquisition of a key phase of a 365 acre estate with outline planning permission for 2500 new homes, open space, 2 schools, local centres, nurseries, retail and commercial space, 17ha of woodland, 10 play areas, sports hub, pavilion, allotments and an additional 62ha of biodiversity and green space area
- Advising on all legal planning aspects associated with the on-going use, potential expansion and other planning issues associated with a grade II* listed pier in North Wales
- Advising upon the expansion and delivery of a new substantial leisure extension to a large well known town centre shopping centre
- Advising upon the planning status and amendments to a large shopping centre and retail leisure park
- Advising a leading UK civil engineering company on a large enabling development project involving complex phasing and viability issues but at the same time having to secure devotion of 30% of the site to ecology
- Advising upon multiple complex highway issues, including complex statutory agreements, highway diversion (including at public inquiry) and stopping up
- Advising a local authority in respect of the use of compulsory purchase powers
- Creating bespoke 106 solutions to complex issues thus delivering end-user (developer) friendly 106 agreements for promoters, PLC house builders and large national and regional developers
- Advising on the redevelopment of local authority owned ex-school playing field land
- Enforcement issues and certificates of lawfulness
- Regularly co-ordinating the planning due diligence aspects of multi-discipline corporate, finance and re-finance transactions which focus heavily on property assets
Mark is also the statutory independent person to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, a role required by each local government authority (and previously Oldham MBC). The role is to act as an impartial 3rd party to the council solicitor (monitoring officer), ensuring that allegations of misconduct against members and officers are handled transparently and objectively - fostering public confidence in council processes. This gives Mark significant experience in terms of local authority thought processes, procedure and decision making.
He has been consistently ranked in Legal 500 as “one to watch”.
Outside of work, Mark spends time with his wife and their young daughter, snowboards, hikes, follows F1 and visits the gym.