Harry is incredibly clear and very quickly able to get his point across. It is immediately obvious that he has prepared in depth for conferences and knows the material relevant to his instruction inside out.”

The Legal 500 2024, Planning and Environment

As a specialist planning lawyer, Harry acts as advocate and advisor to a wide range of private and public sector clients, including landowners, developers and other private parties, district, county, borough and unitary authorities, and other statutory bodies such as Historic England and the Environment Agency. He has appeared in the full range of forums and tribunals: planning appeals, call-in inquiries, enforcement appeals, development plan proceedings, judicial review and other High Court proceedings, prosecutions and injunctions.

Having practised at leading London chambers Francis Taylor Building and Landmark Chambers, Harry’s experience of the planning system ranges across the spectrum, and includes a significant number of high-profile, high-value cases.

This experience includes, among other development types: urban extensions and new communities, major infrastructure development, local plans, major residential schemes, supermarket and other retail development, office and warehouse development, industrial processes, wind energy, waste collection and disposal, section 106 obligations and CIL, residential care villages, green belt development, holiday and caravan resorts, car-parking, listed buildings and conservation areas, gypsy sites, betting shops, public houses, advertisements, trees, highways and footpaths, town and village greens, and compulsory purchase.

Harry is the author of a substantial number of articles on planning and environment law, and regularly speaks at seminars and webinars. Recent examples include the following:

Resources

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Directory Quotes

Harry is forensic in his approach to analysing the strengths of a case. He has a commercial outlook and is acutely aware of client objectives. He is personable and a pleasure to work with, yet is capable of taking a tough stand when required.”

Legal 500, 2023

Increasingly winning instructions from high-profile clients in the UK and internationally [ … ] Spurr is ‘personable, calming and not afraid to put forward opposing points of view in the hope it will lead to progress’ .”

Legal 500 2023, Mediators

Very commercial, thorough and approachable.”

Legal 500, 2022

  • Qualifications & awards:

    • Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR)
    • Inns of Court School of Law
    • Exeter University

  • Professional memberships:

    • Planning and Environmental Bar Association (PEBA)
    • UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA)
    • Civil Mediation Council (CMC)
    • Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)

  • Harry Spurr is regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. If you are not satisfied with the service provided, please read here.