Victoria Searle
Associate
Birmingham
victoria.searle@brownejacobson.com
+44 (0)330 045 2363
Victoria is an associate in our admin law, environment and planning team. She advises public bodies on their statutory duties and powers, constitutional and administrative law, vires, decision making and judicial review. Victoria is a specialist environmental lawyer who advises statutory nature conservation bodies, local planning authorities, other public bodies, registered providers, and developers on their environmental and planning obligations.
Having worked in the Civil Service for more than a decade before joining Browne Jacobson, Victoria is deeply committed to and a passionate advocate for the public sector. Her public sector clients benefit from Victoria’s unique insight into the sector’s priorities, ways of working and culture and her ability to provide pragmatic advice that reflects the particular challenges they face.
Victoria has a particular specialism in environmental law, including environmental assessment, the Habitats Regulations, and SSSIs. Her clients include statutory nature conservation bodies, local planning authorities, arm’s length bodies and NDPBs as well as developers, registered providers of social housing and corporates.
Victoria is a natural litigator, and her broad contentious practice includes judicial review, procurement challenges, public inquiries, and statutory appeals. She has acted for clients in the High Court, County Court, Technology and Construction Court and the Court of Appeal, and she has an appeal pending in the UK Supreme Court.
Victoria is recognised as a key planning lawyer in the West Midlands by The Legal 500.
Expertise
Featured experience
Civil Aviation Authority
Working with the UK’s aviation regulator to assess the environmental implications of the airspace change masterplan – a single coordinated implementation plan for airspace changes in the UK to 2040.
London Borough Of Croydon
Acting for the London Borough of Croydon in the Court of Appeal in the joined cases of R (Elkundi) v Birmingham CC and R (Imam) v LB of Croydon on the nature of the main housing duty and the circumstances in which a court should grant mandatory relief.
Natural England
Supporting Natural England to deliver statutory advice to local authorities on the impact of new residential development on protected sites and the mitigation of adverse effects through nutrient neutrality.
Welsh Local Authorities
Working with the Welsh Local Government Association and Lawyers in Local Government (Wales) to draft a new model constitution and constitution guide for local authorities in Wales.
Testimonials
Victoria Searle was a pleasure to work with, she is efficient, responsive and very helpful, and I really valued her willingness to talk-through and explain complex issues.
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