Christopher
Cant

• Chancery Bar Association
• Property Bar Association

• Assets of Community Value (6th Edn) (2018)
• Overage – Pitfalls And Protection (2016)
• Community Infrastructure Guide – 6th Edn for Wales
• Community Infrastructure Guide – 7th Edn for England
• Phased planning permissions and CIL Liability Notices – Local Government Lawyer on 13th March 2020
• Role of judicial review applications in the CIL regime – Local Government Lawyer on 6th March 2020

• Adams v Ashfield DC CR/2017/0010
• Registered proprietors of Uptin House v Newcastle CC CR 2017 0006
• ZB Investments v Croydon LBC (CR/2016/0009)
• King v Chiltern DC (CR/2015/0025)
• R (oao Hourhope Limited) v Shropshire CC [2015] EWHC 518 (Admin)
• University of East London Higher Education Corpn v Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council and others [2004] EWHC 2710 (Ch)
• Lau -v- Redpalm (Groucho Club – rent review)
• Amsprop Trading Limited v Harris Distribution [1997] 1 WLR 1025 .
• Dolgellau Golf Club v Hett (1998) 76 P&CR 526
• University of East London Higher Education Corp v Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council and others (No 2) [2004] EWHC 2908 (Ch)
• St John’s Ambulance v Teignbridge DC CR/2018/0003

A significant portion of Christopher's practice has always been focused on property in which subject he is a specialist. He advises on difficult points, the structuring of transactions and preparing drafts. The spectrum of transactions Christopher is instructed on runs from large scale residential and shopping developments to single dwellings or offices. Clients vary from large scale developers, niche builders and local authorities to individual householders. He has a particular expertise in overage and planning promotion agreements. In addition, Christopher acts in contentious property matters including disputes over easements, restrictive covenants, enforcement of charges and guarantees, leases and sales of land.

Community Infrastructure Levy is a particular area in which Christopher has a pre-eminent specialism, fitting in well with his general advisory work on behalf of developers and authorities. He enjoys the application of the legislative regime; planning to tackle CIL issues; and the consideration of general planning policy including section 106 planning obligations. This has led to his undertaking work concerning planning permissions and their enforcement.

As well as advisory work, Christopher appeared in the Planning Court for the successful authority in the first judicial review case on the operation of the CIL regime and has acted on a number of statutory CIL appeals. He is now being asked to consider professional negligence issues arising from CIL.

Assets of Community Value is a second area in which Christopher has a pre-eminent specialism acting for local authorities, owners and community groups. He has appeared in a number of ACV appeals.

Christopher is a passionate contributor to the understanding of the areas in which he practices. His comprehensive guides to CIL and ACV are available free for all on the web. He writes regularly on these topics.

The nature of the transactions dealt with in his practice is not limited exclusively to property matters but ranges much wider in the commercial field. It includes both drafting and contentious matters. On the contentious side, Christopher's work encompasses matters such as disputes over the sale of companies, bringing in issues such as the enforcement of guarantees.