Simon Bell is a specialist planning, infrastructure, public, and information law barrister with over 20 years’ experience advising and representing local authorities, developers, infrastructure promoters, landowners, and community groups.
Simon’s practice focuses on complex planning and infrastructure matters, including Development Consent Orders, planning inquiries, recovered appeals, local plan examinations, judicial review, and planning enforcement. He is regularly instructed in high-profile and technically complex cases involving major housing developments, electricity transmission projects, heritage assets, enforcement proceedings, and strategic land promotion.
Simon has extensive advocacy experience before Inspectors, the Secretary of State, the High Court, specialist tribunals, and criminal courts. Simon Bell is currently instructed in the examination of National Grid’s Norwich to Tilbury Development Consent Order and has appeared in major call-in inquiries and recovered appeals, including the Highsted Park inquiry.
Since 2024, Simon has also been instructed by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis in proceedings before the Undercover Policing Inquiry.
Expertise
- Public law & judicial review
Simon Bell advises and appears in judicial review and public law proceedings involving planning, infrastructure, and local authority decision-making. Simon Bell advises public authorities, developers, and elected members on decision-making lawfulness, procedural fairness, and statutory powers, and represents councillors in connection with conduct complaints and standards investigations.
His High Court practice includes judicial review and statutory challenges in planning and public law matters. Recent cases include R (Dawes) v Birmingham City Council [2021] EWHC 1676 (Admin) and R (Ticehurst Parish Council) v Rother District Council [2024] EWHC 3069 (Admin).
Since 2024, Simon has also been instructed by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis in proceedings before the Undercover Policing Inquiry.
- Planning & environment
Planning and infrastructure law form the core of Simon Bell’s practice. Simon Bell appears in Development Consent Order examinations, planning inquiries, enforcement appeals, injunction proceedings, and local plan examinations. Simon Bell advises local authorities and other parties on enforcement prosecutions, injunctions under section 187B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and enforcement strategy.
Simon is currently instructed in the examination of National Grid’s Norwich to Tilbury Development Consent Order (EN020027), a nationally significant electricity transmission project involving extensive overhead line and substation infrastructure, where he represents affected parish councils and community bodies.
He has extensive experience appearing in recovered appeals and call-in inquiries. His recent inquiry work includes the Secretary of State’s recovered appeal relating to Land South and East of Sittingbourne (Highsted Park), one of the largest proposed housing-led developments in Kent. He has also appeared in major residential planning appeals considered at public inquiry, including the appeal concerning the Land North of Shenton Lane, market Bosworth (APP/K2420/W/23/3330774), which involved detailed consideration of housing need, heritage impacts, and highway safety.
Simon has been involved in nationally significant heritage and diplomatic planning litigation, including the called in application of the proposed Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint (call in refs. 3353754 and 3353755), a case involving heritage assets of the highest significance and issues concerning public safety and local impacts.
Simon also has extensive experience appearing in local plan examinations and strategic planning matters. He has advised and represented participants in the Tunbridge Wells Local Plan examination and the Maidstone Local Plan Review, addressing issues including housing land supply, soundness, spatial strategy, release of land from the green belt, gypsy and traveller provision, flood risk assessment, highways safety and impacts and heritage protection (including conservation areas and listed assets).
Simon has appeared in planning appeals involving substantial residential and mixed-use development, including the Land at Station, Tisbury (APP/Y3940/W/22/3308919) a case involving a site that would result in a loss of existing commercial/industrial use, issues of flooding, impact on the Cranbourne Case AONB (now National Landscape) amongst others.
Simon is frequently instructed to provide advice (both to developers and Local Authorities) on the enforcement of s.106 Agreements.
- Information law
Whilst working for the Government Legal Department, Simon Bell acted for the Government in a number of matters concerning requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations, including the case of Evans v Information Commissioner [2012] UKUT 313 (AAC).
Since leaving GLD, Simon continues to advise on compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, including exemptions, public interest considerations, and appeals.
- Property
Simon Bell appears in land use and property disputes, including adverse possession and land registration proceedings, and advises on planning and property law interface issues.
He is currently instructed in a breach of contract case before the Business and Property Court (High Court) concerning the quality of workmanship performed on the restoration of a listed domestic house.
- Commercial & regulatory
Simon Bell has experience in advising on environmental permits (including waste permits and exemptions).