Michael Harman

Michael works alongside developers, planning consultants and property and land owners requiring expert planning law advice.

As a partner and senior member of Holmes & Hills planning law team, Michael is experienced in working with local planning authorities, private developers and liaising with other legal professionals on court matters, as demonstrated in his work highlights.

Michael takes a pragmatic approach to resolving clients’ problems, working efficiently to bring their case to a successful conclusion. Michael’s professionalism and personal service delivery has led to him developing a strong network of clients and contacts throughout East Anglia and beyond. Michael's particular specialisms include:

• Planning appeals (including Statutory Challenges and Judicial Reviews in both the High Court and the Court of Appeal)
• Breaches of planning control
• Blight and Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) claims
• Planning enforcement issues (including Enforcement Notices, Injunctions and s215 Notices)
• Certificate of Lawfulness Applications
• Legal opinion on planning-related issues including CIL

Recognised as a recommended lawyer by the Legal 500, Michael, in addition to David Whipps, contributes to Sweet & Maxwell’s publication “Planning Law Practice and Precedents”. When not advising on planning matters, Michael also advises clients on a variety of property-related matters, including boundary disputes and applications under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 (such as applications for statutory lease extensions and collective enfranchisement).

Prior to joining Holmes & Hills Michael was a commercial litigation solicitor. In previous roles Michael has successfully led a team of litigators and worked with large regional and national companies from a range of sectors.

Work highlights

• Acting for a Local Planning Authority, successfully obtained an injunction requiring compliance with an Enforcement Notice in addition to an award of costs (100% costs recovery)
• Acting for private developer, successful s288 statutory challenge (95% costs recovery) and re-negotiation of s106 agreement
• Advising on Judicial Review of planning permission for a large, mixed residential and retail development in London and subsequent application to Court of Appeal
• For a private developer, advising on a boundary dispute and interference with a right of way including Court proceedings and subsequent settlement
• For a private company, pursuing breach of lease and trespass claim and concluding a favourable settlement of Court proceedings.

Michael is based at Holmes & Hills Solicitors new regional head office - the A12 Commercial Hub - in Marks Tey, Colchester.