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WILLIAM ORBINSON KC

Year of Call: 1988

KC: 2006

Main Areas of Practice

Administrative Law or Judicial Review
Planning
Public Inquiries

Biography

I am a King’s Counsel specialising for the past 30 years in development planning, energy, waste management, environmental law, and judicial review. Based mainly in Belfast, I provide commercially-aware advocacy and advice to the development industry, my clients including major renewable energy and infrastructure developers, retail, commercial, and industrial interests, airports, ports, waste operators, and house builders. Areas of work include Renewables, Retail, Industrial, Commercial, Aviation, Transport, Waste, Environment and Public Inquiries.

Qualifications

1987; Bachelor of Laws (1st Class Honours), Queen’s University Belfast

1988; Barrister-at-Law

1998; Law Society/Royal Town Planning Institute Planning Examination

2000; Called to the Bar of Ireland

2006; Queen’s Counsel

2011; SLS Dispute Resolution and Mediation Training

Tutor, Planning Law, Queen’s University, Belfast

Legal Associate of the Royal Town Planning Institute

Affiliate of the Irish Planning Institute

Associate of the Planning & Environment Bar Association, the Specialist Bar Association for Planning, Environment & Local Government

Associate Member and Member of the Planning & Environment Group Committee, NI Renewables Industry Group/Irish Wind Energy

Association Founder Member, Chair and Committee Member, Environmental and Planning Law Association for Northern Ireland

Chair, Planning Appeals Commission Users Group

Chair, Northern Ireland Planning Bar Association

Judicial Review Group Member, UK Environmental Law Association

Experience

Commercially-aware, specialist advocacy and advice in development planning, energy, waste management and environmental law. Renewable energy development. Energy, infrastructure, aviation, retail, industrial, commercial and residential development. Strategic environmental assessment. Environmental impact assessment. Habitats Directive assessment. Judicial Review. Planning inquiries. Planning appeals. Enforcement appeals. Defending prosecutions. Planning policy analysis. Strategic project direction. Waste management. Environmental licensing and permitting. Regulatory and licensing appeals. Brownfield development and contaminated land. Comprehensive development schemes and urban regeneration. Compulsory purchase and compensation. Recent projects include the all-Ireland North-South Interconnector, wind turbine planning appeals, and multiple planning judicial reviews.

Publications

‘Planning Judicial Review in Northern Ireland’, Planning Online 2024 (with Judge Fionnuala Anne Connolly, Royal Court of Guernsey)

‘Planning Appeals Principles’, Planning Online 5th Edition, 2020 (new edition pending)

‘Safeguarding Assets: Understanding the Planning Appeals Commission’s approach to planning enforcement’, Planning Online 2010

‘Planning and Judicial Review’, SLS Legal Publications (NI) 2009

‘Housing, the Regional Development Strategy and Prematurity: The Commission’s Approach’, SLS Legal Publications (NI) 2004

‘Northern Ireland Planning Policy’, SLS Legal Publications (NI) 2003

‘Index to Northern Ireland Planning Policy’, SLS Legal Publications (NI) 2003

‘The Planning Appeals Commission: Principles of Decision-Making in Appeals, Inquiries and Hearings’, SLS Legal Publications (NI) 1999