Pieter Claussen

Development

• Advising the Far East Consortium on all planning related matters in connection with its development of Alpha Square, London. This development comprises two tall residential towers as well as a new public square, a primary school, health centre, five-star hotel and public house. Pieter is currently advising on several minor material amendments to the planning permission, together with the necessary variations to the original planning obligation, he is also advising on the Community Infrastructure Levy associated with the development.
• Advising LaSalle and Citygrove on numerous aspects of their development at 60 London Wall, to include drafting and negotiating the planning obligation and highways agreement associated with the development, as well as advising in respect of an oversail licence and a stopping up order.
• Acting for Norfolk Homes in connection with numerous sites, including the drafting and negotiation of planning obligations for residential-led schemes. Current work includes the promotion of an 1,800 dwelling urban extension to the village of Long Stratton in Norfolk, including the delivery of a bypass on the A140.
• Providing strategic advice to MBU Capital in connection with their application for a PBSA development site in central London, to include reviewing the application documents to ensure they were robust and would stand up to scrutiny in a planning appeal context. Pieter is also drafting and negotiating the associated section 106 agreement.
• Acting for Pigeon Land Limited in connection with multiple sites across the UK, to include
  – drafting and negotiating various section 106 agreements, predominantly for residential-led mixed use schemes.
  – advising on, and managing various planning appeals, to include the preparation and submission of statements of case.
• Advising Mace on a number of projects, including its planning applications for major student accommodation schemes in both Exeter and Cardiff. To include providing strategic advice throughout the application stage, as well as the the drafting and negotiation of complex planning obligations and infrastructure agreements

Transport

• HS2 Limited  -  Pieter provides a wide range of advice to HS2 Limited in connection with the proposed high speed rail network between London, the West Midlands and further north to Crewe, including strategic planning and compulsory purchase / compensation advice. Pieter's involvement includes:
  – advising on the compulsory purchase of land to facilitate the relocation of football pitches and a waste incineration plant;
  – successfully advising on and representing HS2 in multiple planning appeals under Schedule 17 of the HS2 Act. These appeals focus on new law which has not previously been tested. Thus far, the team has succeeded in all of its appeals against decisions of differing local planning authorities and have been critical for the future delivery of phase one;
  – successfully advising on and representing HS2 on their first judicial review under Schedule 17 of the HS2 Act. The local planning authority are in the process of appealing the decision in the Court of Appeal;
  – negotiating land rights with electricity undertakers in order to energise the railway;
  – drafting and negotiating a Protective Provisions Agreement to protect the necessary land rights required for the HS2 project in the context of an application for a development consent order made by Highways England; and
  – advising on four related high-value claims in the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) for Certificates of Appropriate Alternative Development which have been granted to landowners as a result of the scheme.