Rory Bennett
Biography
Rory Bennett is a planning lawyer based in the London office.
Rory advises on all aspects of planning and consenting law including standalone development work within the central London boroughs and major energy and infrastructure schemes across the UK, which is an area of particular focus for him. This includes advising on highways, compulsory purchase, and public authority statutory powers. Rory also has extensive experience of advising on defending enforcement cases, technical implementation and CLEUD/CLOPUD applications to establish lawful use and development and utilising permitted development rights.
Rory joined the firm in 2025.
Professional experience
Representative experience
Representative experience
- Advising CBRE Investment Management in respect of potential enforcement action and subsequent planning appeal to the Planning Inspectorate concerning the lawful interpretation of planning conditions and their applicability to a central London shopping centre.
- Advising Restoration London Group on the successful appeal of an enforcement notice alleging a material change of use, without planning permission from Use Class B1 (Offices) to Class C4 (HMO).
- Advising Baroness Cumberledge of Newick on successful High Court and Court of Appeal proceedings concerning a recovered appeal for outline planning permission a residential development of up to 50 dwellings (including affordable housing), open space and landscaping.
- Advising Obayashi Corporation on their planning application submission for the redevelopment of 60 Gracechurch Street, London including a review of redline boundary, rights of light and party wall issues and undertaking a ‘judicial review challenge’ appraisal of the application documents.
- Advising Starbones Limited (a joint venture between Galliard Homes and other investors) in respect of statutory review proceedings in the High Court challenging the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government’s decision to refuse planning permission for a building known as the Chiswick Curve, West London.
Advising a joint venture formed between GIC and Greystar on the purchase of Student Roost, the U.K.’s third largest purpose-built student accommodation provider. Student Roost’s portfolio comprises over 23,000 beds with a secured development pipeline of approximately 3,000 further beds covering key U.K. university cities, many of which are home to prestigious Russell Group institutions.
- Advising Cadillac Fairview (the real estate arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan) on the acquisition of the White City Place (the BBC Media Village) development comprising a collection of six buildings occupying a 17-acre site at Wood Lane, White City, London including comprehensive due diligence and advising on all contractual provisions.
- Advising Lendlease Europe on all planning application and compulsory purchase processes (including public sector equality and best consideration duties and use of appropriation powers) in respect of the £1.9bn redevelopment of Birmingham Smithfield into a new urban quarter including drafting and negotiating the associated aspects of the master development agreement, site assembly agreement and other ancillary documents.
- Advising Citadel on the planning aspects of their 750,000sqft pre-let of office space at British Land’s landmark development, 2 Finsbury Avenue, London.
- Advising on all the highway and infrastructure issues to enable the delivery of a major new development by the Grand Union Canal in Campbell Park in Milton Keynes including the temporary and permanent diversions of existing public footpaths and bridleways on site, the relocation of existing pylons, statutory undertaker apparatus and public sewers.
Admissions
Admissions
- Solicitor qualified in England & Wales
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