Neil Robson | Partner, Head of Property and Planning

Neil has been a solicitor for 30 years and is recognised as one of the country’s foremost planning lawyers.

He leads Ward Hadaway’s 11-strong planning team, rated as the highest fee-earning planning consultancy unit in the UK legal sector during 2006/07 and 2005/06.

Neil specialises in inquiry advocacy on behalf of commercial clients and private individuals and was rated as one of the country’s leading planning solicitors in Planning Magazine’s survey of legal firms. He is also the current president of Newcastle Law Society.

Neil specialises in planning aspects of Energy Law. Clients include residential and commercial developers, estates, retail operators, manufacturers, minerals operators, heritage bodies and public sector.

Neil has been referred to in:

• Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession as a highly rated individual and also in Legal 500. Chambers described him as, "A great force, with his excellent advocacy skills and the remarkable way he manages his team and the job.”
• RICS Guide to Legal Experts
• Rated as one of the country’s leading planning solicitors in Planning magazine’s survey of legal firms
• Member of Law Society’s Planning and Environmental Law Committee.

Neil's recent cases and clients include:

• Acting for Northumberland National Park Authority at a one-year Public Inquiry into an 84-wind turbine development in Northumberland
• Acting for Newcastle International Airport Limited in respect of an number of proposed wind farm applications including Blyth and Kiln Pit Hill, Northumberland
• Acting for developers of large anaerobic digestion plant in Durham
• Acting for a waste operator in planning aspects of an animal incinerator site in Durham