Giles Atkinson is a barrister specialising in planning, local government and regulatory law. Giles spent 10 years as a planner in the public and private sector before coming to the Bar.

Planning

His practice includes all sorts of planning advisory and representation work and he has a broad base of clients in the public and private sector. Recent experience includes appearance at section 78 inquiries for development of over 150 houses in the Metropolitan Green belt, a straw burning power station in rural Yorkshire and a 22 storey tall building residential development just off the Albert Embankment opposite the Houses of Parliament.  He also has much experience of smaller schemes across the country, including those affecting listed buildings and within conservation areas.

Giles Atkinson is a barrister with particular expertise in enforcement work. He advises and represents LPAs and developers at inquiry. Inquiry experience includes: change of use to and from HMOs, change of use from A1 to A3/A5; agricultural PD cases as well as enforcing against gypsy sites in the countryside, through enforcement notices and s187B injunctions.

Local Government/Regulatory

The other main element of Giles’s practice is a wide range of work prosecuting regulatory offences for local authorities: trading standards, environmental health and animal welfare for example.

Within this area Giles has much experience of prosecuting benefit frauds in the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts and including responding to a case stated in the Administrative Court.   

Giles is experience in advising, prosecuting and defending under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, particularly abatement notices and flytipping.

In civil work for local authorities Giles’s practice focuses on housing work, particularly section 204 appeals, and licensing.