Practice Profile
Caroline was called to the Bar in 2013 and is currently the third highest rated planning barrister under 35 (Planning Magazine’s Planning Law Survey, 2022). She is ranked in both Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500.
Caroline has a broad practice within Chambers’ core areas with a particular focus on planning and compulsory purchase and compensation matters. She acts for and advises central and local government, landowners, developers, private individuals, utilities companies and community interest groups. Notable clients include Countryside Properties, the City of London Corporation, CPRE and the London Borough of Southwark.
Caroline has experience in the appellate courts, the Upper Tribunal, magistrates’ courts, the Crown Court and planning inquiries, including in enforcement and CPO inquiries.
Caroline is a member of the Attorney General's C Panel.
Caroline’s planning practice covers the full gamut of planning work, including housing schemes, heritage matters, local plans and neighbourhood plans, PD rights, planning obligations and CIL, advertisements, Habitats Regulations Assessments and EIA, and tricky LDC and enforcement matters.
Caroline’s recent planning inquiry work includes:
- Acting for the City of London Corporation at two inquiries concerning development adjacent to Hampstead Heath on the North and South Fairground sites
- Acting for LB Camden in an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State concerning the conversion of a house in Primrose Hill to a museum dedicated to Dr Ambedkar by the Indian Government
- Appearing for a developer, as junior to Andrew Tait KC, in securing planning permission for over 1100 homes in Essex
- Acting for the Royal Borough of Greenwich, as junior to Melissa Murphy, in an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State regarding Charlton Riverside Opportunity Area
Her recent or notable court work includes appearances in the High Court in Douglas Bond v Vale of White Horse District Council [2019] EWHC 3080 (Admin) and Dylon 2 Ltd v London Borough of Bromley [2019] EWHC 2366 (Admin) (both led by Craig Howell Williams KC) and in the Court of Appeal in Turner v SSCLG [2015] EWCA Civ 582 and Banner Homes v St Albans City and DC [2018] EWCA Civ 1187 (both led by Douglas Edwards KC).
With regard to Local Plans, Caroline has experience of both promoting and objecting to plans. She has acted for North Hertfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, South Gloucestershire Council, North Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, Bath and North East Somerset and the West of England Combined Authority in promoting their development plans. She also has experience of objecting to local plans, including successfully resisting the allocation of a strategic development location in the Eastleigh Local Plan on behalf of a large community group on grounds relating to impact on the River Itchen SAC. She is well versed in all local plan related issues, including the duty to co-operate, OAN and housing requirements, SEA and Habitats Regulation matters, transport and infrastructure issues, viability, and gypsy and traveller accommodation assessments.
In respect of environmental work, Caroline’s experience extends to environmental permitting and the contaminated land regime under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Matters relating to compulsory purchase and compensation form a considerable part of Caroline’s practice. Caroline was elected to the Compulsory Purchase Association Board in 2020.
Caroline has experience of acting for both claimants and acquiring authorities in respect of the compulsory purchase process and land valuation and compensation. She also has experience in dealing with blight cases and claims made following the exercise of temporary possession powers.
Recent or notable work includes:
- Acting for a HS2 landowner in the Court of Appeal in a CAAD appeal relating to land required for the new Curzon Street station (Secretary of State for Transport v Curzon Park Ltd and others [2021] EWCA Civ 651)
- Successfully resisting a counter-notice to a blight notice served in respect of a family home blighted by HS2 (Craddock and another v Secretary of State for Transport [2021] UKUT 0002 (LC)).
- Successfully objecting to the LB Harrow Grange Farm Estate CPO on behalf of the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association, which involved dealing with Crown land
- Promoting an estate regeneration CPO on behalf of Slough Borough Council
- Successfully promoting the Aylesbury Estate CPO (as junior to Melissa Murphy), an estate regeneration scheme in Southwark
- Advising and acting for a landowner, Sahaviriya Steel Industries PLC and a group of Thai Banks, as junior to Richard Glover KC, at the Redcar Steelworks CPO Inquiry
- Having acted for the acquiring authority in a reference to the Upper Tribunal regarding the compulsory acquisition of the Grade II* listed Sheerness Royal Dockyard Church, Caroline has a particular interest, and expertise, in heritage CPOs under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
Caroline is one of the editors of the Compulsory Purchase and Compensation Service (Bloomsbury Professional).
Caroline has a strong interest in infrastructure and has worked on a range of infrastructure matters. She acted for the London Borough of Bexley in the Cory Riverside Energy Park DCO hearings and is currently part of the team promoting the M25 Junction 10/A3 Wisley Interchange Improvement DCO for National Highways. She is also advising the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in respect of the suite of new Energy National Policy Statements and the forthcoming review of the National Networks National Policy Statement.
Caroline regularly advises ratepayers and local authorities on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious rating matters. She has appeared on many occasions in the Magistrates' Court on rating matters and has advised in relation to issues including the backdating of liability, empty rates relief (specifically Makro schemes), charitable relief, and the setting aside of liability orders.
She also advises on council tax matters. Recent experience includes making a successful application to the High Court for the striking out of a statutory appeal made from the Valuation Tribunal regarding council tax liability for students.
Qualifications
- BPTC, Kaplan Law School (2012-2013)
- LLM, University College London (2011-2012)
- BA(Hons), Law with Legal Studies in Europe (Spanish), Pembroke College, University of Oxford (2007-2011)
As part of her undergraduate degree, Caroline participated in the European Erasmus Programme, spending a year studying European, Spanish and Catalan law at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona.
Scholarships
- Phoenicia Scholarship, Bar European Group (2015)
- Princess Royal Scholarship, Inner Temple (2012-2013)
- Arts and Humanities Research Council full Scholarship for LLM at University College London (2011-2012)
Prizes
- Winner, UKELA Lord Slynn of Hadley Senior Moot (2015)
- Martin Wronker Prize for 1st place in Administrative Law finals paper, University of Oxford (2011)
- Littleton Chambers Prize for 1st place in Labour Law finals paper, University of Oxford (2011)
- Exhibitioner, Pembroke College, University of Oxford (2008-2011)
- Lovells Law Prize for High Achievement, Pembroke College, University of Oxford (2008-2009)
Prior to coming to the Bar, Caroline worked as a research assistant and teaching fellow in public law at University College London.
Caroline also spent a year providing legal assistance to the Dame Janet Smith Review, a private review established by the BBC to investigate issues connected with the Jimmy Savile scandal and the culture and practices of the BBC during the period that he worked there.
Caroline is a member of the following associations:
- Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA)
- Bar European Group (BEG)
- Compulsory Purchase Association (CPA)
- National Infrastructure Planning Association (NIPA)
- Planning and Environmental Bar Association (PEBA)
- UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA)
Caroline was born and brought up in Glasgow. She spends most of her holidays in Scotland, where she enjoys walking in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and climbing the odd Munro.
Caroline's other main interests are modern languages, art and architecture. She is an avid reader, mainly of modern and contemporary fiction.
Caroline is a school governor at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form College and regularly sits on disciplinary and exclusion panels on behalf of both the school and the London Borough of Hackney.
Latest from Caroline
24
Jun' 22Planning Law Survey 2022 - Counsel of Choice
Francis Taylor Building is delighted with Planning magazine’s Planning Law Survey 2022. With 14 silks and 14 juniors named in the survey, Francis Taylor Building’s barristers remain counsel of choice for many.
26
Nov' 21Slough Borough Council’s Tower and Ashbourne CPO Confirmed
The Slough Borough Council (Tower and Ashbourne) CPO has been confirmed by Inspector Karen Ridge, as delegated by the Secretary of State.
11
Aug' 21Mark Westmoreland Smith and Ned Westaway Appointed to Attorney General’s A Panel of Approved Counsel, Charles Streeten to the B Panel and Horatio Waller to the C Panel
FTB is delighted to announce that Mark Westmoreland Smith and Ned Westaway have been appointed to the Attorney General's A panel of approved counsel, Charles Streeten to the B panel and Horatio Waller to the C panel. The appointments take effect on 1 September 2021 for a period of five years.
06
May' 21CAADs, Curzon Street and the Court of Appeal – HS2’s Appeal Dismissed
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal (Secretary of State for Transport v Curzon Park Ltd and others [2021] EWCA Civ 651) made by the Secretary of State for Transport against a decision of the Lands Chamber in respect of a preliminary issue in four cases relating to neighbouring sites compulsorily acquired for the construction of the HS2 Curzon Street terminus in Birmingham.
Back to Barristers
"Caroline is a rising star at the Planning Bar with a particularly strong reputation for expertise in compulsory purchase and compensation."
Chambers and Partners, 2023"Caroline is a pleasure to work with and provides clear advice on very complex CPO compensation issues."
Chambers and Partners, 2023"Caroline is extremely detailed in her preparation, considers every angle, and is not afraid to go in for the kill on her feet. She is popular and charming with clients and not afraid of any amount of heavy lifting, even on mammoth CPOs. Caroline is an absolute go to for technical CPO queries."
The Legal 500, 2023"She is hard-working, intelligent and goes that extra mile." "She is willing to pull out the stops to get the desired results."
Chambers and Partners, 2022"She is able to quickly grasp the detail of the case and provides advice which strengthens the client's case and ultimately leads to success. The quality of her work is always excellent and deadlines are always respected."
The Legal 500, 2022