Jim Ryan is an experienced specialist town and country planning lawyer whose practice also includes contentious matters, compulsory purchase, highway law, rights of way and the law of commons, and town and village greens.

Jim also provides planning advice to lenders of development finance as part of the lenders’ necessary due diligence processes.

His early career was spent as an engineering technician in local government and then as an infrastructure designer in the housebuilding industry, before reading for a law degree at UWE Bristol and subsequently training with Burges Salmon in Bristol.

In June 2010, Jim was appointed to an in-house role as Head of Legal Services to M J Gleeson Group plc, a role he held until the end of 2014.

*Jim Ryan is a Consultant at Acuity Law working on a self-employed basis*

Successful planning appeal against Pembrokeshire County Council’s refusal to discharge an agricultural tie imposed on a rural worker’s dwelling, contrary to national policy.

Successfully defended a challenged private right of way in Pezaro & Anor v Bourne & Anor [2019] EWHC 1964 (Ch), including advocacy at trial.

Acted as instructing solicitor in the leading case R (Gleeson Developments Ltd) v SSCLG [2014] EWCA Civ 1118; [2013] EWHC 3166 (Admin), which established that once planning permission has been issued it cannot be withdrawn, even where granted in error by the decision-maker.

Successful judicial review challenging offshore development proposals (a proposed swim with dolphins facility)  in R (Webster) v The Government of Anguilla (2010), quashing an unlawful grant of planning permission.

Acted as instructing solicitor in the successful judicial review in R (Cheltenham Builders Ltd) v South Gloucestershire Council [2003] EWHC 2803 (Admin), which prevented land from being registered as a town or village green, and thus preserving the development opportunity

• Town and Country Planning (with a bias towards contentious matters)
• Compulsory Purchase
• The law of Highways and Rights of Way
• The law of Commons and Town and Village Greens