Hugh James marks milestone year in planning law growth
Hugh James marks milestone year in planning law growth
Just a year after appointing Alex Madden as Partner and Head of Planning and Environmental, top 100 UK law firm Hugh James is celebrating a transformative year in its planning practice. The department has significantly expanded in size, capability, and influence, becoming a key part of the firm’s full-service legal offering.
Since Madden’s arrival in July 2024, the planning team has taken on major projects, secured prominent new clients, and added key talent—all against a backdrop of rising demand for commercial planning expertise.
“It’s been an action-packed 12 months,” said Madden. “We’ve worked on high-profile developments including Rockwool’s new manufacturing base at Peddimore and Pobl’s land acquisition at Cardiff’s Plas Dŵr. We’re also engaging on strategic policy, like convening a roundtable with Lee Waters MS to tackle barriers to social housing delivery in Wales.”
The team now includes Senior Associate Hannah Mannion, who brings specialist expertise in energy and renewables, and Ben Bowen, a soon-to-be assistant solicitor qualifying in September 2025. This expanded bench strengthens the firm’s ability to advise its national housebuilder client base across both contentious and non-contentious matters.
Their strategic growth has coincided with a rapidly shifting regulatory environment. Key developments in the sector include the introduction of mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)—notably the new ‘grey belt’ designation—and legislative proposals under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The UK Government is also consulting on site threshold reforms and planning committee structures, while Defra considers BNG implementation for major infrastructure and brownfield projects.
Madden views these shifts as both a challenge and an opportunity.
“With so much change on the horizon, the ability to provide integrated, forward-thinking legal support has never been more valuable. Our expanded team means we’re not just reacting—we’re helping clients shape their strategy from day one.”
The planning team’s recent wins include advising on landmark residential schemes such as the 1,700-home Selwood Garden Community, a 400-unit mixed-use development in Nailsea’s Green Belt, and a 125-home scheme in Trull. The group has also added notable clients including Wain Estates, Wain Homes, and Land Value Alliances.
This growth aligns with Hugh James’ wider strategic priorities, reinforcing its investment in planning and environmental law as a high-growth service area.
“When I joined last year, the goal was to build a market-leading team that met the evolving needs of our clients,” said Madden. “We’ve made huge strides toward that, and the results speak for themselves.”
With significant regulatory changes ahead and increasing commercial demand, Hugh James appears well-positioned to continue expanding its planning footprint across the UK, offering end-to-end legal support tailored to the complex challenges of modern development.
