Dr Alex Williams

Alex is a seasoned public lawyer. Keen to apply his considerable research expertise in the field to his practice, he is regularly instructed on public law and human rights matters across a range of different fields including local government, housing, licensing, planning and information.

Recent experience includes:

• R (Finch) v Surrey City Council [2020] EWHC 3566 (Admin): defended Surrey City Council against a judicial review challenge to its decision to grant planning permission for the extraction of hydrocarbons at the Horse Hill Well Site, Horley (led by Harriet Townsend).
• R (Smith) v Castlepoint Borough Council [2020] EWCA Civ 1420: acted for the claimant in a challenge to the Council's decision to grant planning permission for construction at a scrap metal and waste recovery yard (led by Wayne Beglan).
• R (Humber Landlords Association) v Hull City Council [2019] EWHC 332 (Admin): defended Hull City Council against a judicial review challenge to its decision to revise its policy on private sector housing enforcement (led by Wayne Beglan).
• Acting for local authorities defending homelessness decisions in judicial review proceedings and public-law appeals brought under s 204 of the Housing Act 1996.
• Acting for landlords in possession claims and injunction proceedings involving public-law defences including under the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010.
• Acting for the local planning authority in proceedings concerning the interpretation of the ouster provision in s 171BB(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
• Acting for the defendant in a planning enforcement prosecution involving Human Rights Act 1998 issues.
• Acting for the Government in civil proceedings concerning the scope of the power to remove untaxed vehicles from the highway.
• Dulgheriu v Ealing London Borough Council [2018] EWHC 1667 (Admin): as a pupil, assisted Kuljit Bhogal and Tara O'Leary in their defence of a Public Spaces Protection Order creating a no-protest zone around the local Marie Stopes clinic.
• Davies v Hertfordshire County Council [2018] EWCA 379: as a pupil, assisted Andy Lane and Tara O'Leary in resisting an appeal on public-law grounds against a local authority's decision to repossess tied accommodation from a former school caretaker.
• R (Cherished Marks Sussex Ltd) v Secretary of State for Transport (April 2018, Administrative Court, unreported): as a pupil, assisted Estelle Dehon in defending a judicial review claim in respect of the Government's vehicle licensing regime.

Alex regularly acts for local authorities, housing associations and private landlords in relation to housing matters including:

• homelessness, including judicial review challenges and appeals under s 204 of the Housing Act 1996;
• housing allocation policy;
• injunctions, including for anti-social behaviour;
• proceedings for possession on grounds including anti-social behaviour, failed succession, unlawful sub-letting and rent arrears;
• possession/injunction proceedings involving complex public law, Equality Act and/or human rights defences;
• housing disrepair;
• recovery of service charges;
• housing benefit, including recovery appeals;
• trespass claims against persons unknown;
• houses in multiple occupation, including licensing prosecutions;
• council tax liability;
• closure orders, including appeals.

Alex has also delivered training to solicitors and lay clients on aspects of housing law, including:

• the lifting of the Coronavirus possession claim stay;
• public-law defences to possession claims;
• strategy for landlords in possession proceedings;
• housing disrepair, including landlords' obligations under the new Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.

Alex is instructed by planning consultants, local government and private clients. His practice covers both court and appeal/inquiry work and has included:

• R (Finch) v Surrey City Council [2020] EWHC 3566 (Admin): defended Surrey City Council in JR proceedings concerning the reach of the Environmental Impact Regulations 2017/571, in particular whether the Regulations required the consideration of downstream greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the refinement and use of crude oil extracted at the Horse Hill Well Site (led by Harriet Townsend);
• R (Smith) v Castlepoint Borough Council [2020] EWCA Civ 1420: acted for the claimant in JR proceedings concerning the extent to which local and national policy required the Council to consider intensification of the activity and contamination of neighbouring land when granting planning permission for the construction of a new boundary wall at a scrap metal and waste recovery yard (led by Wayne Beglan);
• acting as sole counsel at inquiries involving a variety of issues, including a 3-day inquiry involving Extra Care, C2/C3 use class and heritage issues;
• representing the LPA at an appeal involving GPDO Part 3, Class O rights;
• representing the LPA at a major 3-week planning inquiry involving a proposed development of up to 1600 residential dwellings (led by Emma Dring);
• advising on various aspects of the GPDO;
• advising a developer on issues concerning inconsistent permissions and the Pilkington principle;
• advising on the TCPA provisions concerning minor material and non-material amendments;
• advising on applications to modify planning obligations under s 106A TCPA;
• securing, and delivering training on, planning enforcement orders in the Magistrates' Court;
• enforcement proceedings, including appeals/inquiries and visual amenity prosecutions under s 216 TCPA 1990;
• as a pupil, assisting Estelle Dehon with formulating the arguments for two High Court hearings: Amstel Group Corp v SSCLG [2018] EWHC 633 (Admin) and Squire v Shropshire Council [2018] EWHC 1730 (Admin).
• as a pupil, drafting grounds of appeal to the Supreme Court.

Alex is keen to continue building on his experience in the commercial law field. He has experience of commercial matters involving a wide range of issues including:

• misrepresentation;
• consumer credit;
• bailment;
• liens;
• restitution;
• banking chargebacks under the Visa Core Rules;
• commercial tenancies;
• restrictive covenants.

As junior to Philip Coppel QC, he was recently involved with drafting pleadings in complex High Court litigation involving a global investment bank.

Alex has experience of both freedom of information and data protection law including the GDPR, on which he has given training to local authorities and housing associations. As a pupil he assisted Estelle Dehon with the drafting of a complex information sharing agreement between a number of public authorities.

Alex is regularly instructed in licensing matters. Recent experience includes:

• defending a local authority against a restitution claim relating to the setting of taxi licensing fees (led by Philip Kolvin QC);
• advising a local authority as to whether providers of transport to adult day care services require operators' licences under the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981;
• advising operators as to the legal status of online prize competitions under the Gambling Act 2005;
• acting as legal advisor to licensing sub-committees at public hearings;
• acting for local authorities in Crown Court licensing appeals;
• acting for local authorities in licensing prosecutions relating to houses in multiple occupation;
• before the First-tier Tribunal, defending a local authority's refusal to issue a number of licences to the landlord of houses in multiple occupation.

Alex acts for public and private clients in relation to diverse property matters including:

• forfeiture of commercial leases;
• Mexfield tenancies;
• assignment of tenancies;
• easements;
• restrictive covenants;
• rights to light.