Stuart is a planning lawyer with experience acting for developers, promoters land owners and investors as well as local planning authorities.
He is experienced in the full breadth of planning work, from assisting in the strategic promotion of sites through the development process, including judicial review and the enforcement system where necessary. He is also experienced in compulsory purchase.
He has particular expertise in development work; particularly for housing and shed developers. The bedrock of Stuart's practice is providing the s.106 agreement required to secure the release of planning permission in a timely fashion but Stuart also supports clients resolving agent of change issues, liaising with and resolving issues with statutory undertakers, acting in the CPO process, providing advice in relation to the operation of the BNG regulations and conservation covenants; advising in relation to Nitrate Neutrality and on the operation of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations and general planning law queries.
Together with Jonathan Wright, Emma Hughes and Jordan Albrighton, the team is proud of their growing reputation as a genuine alternative to the big firms in Birmingham who specialise in development work.
Stuart is known for making the complex understandable. He has a focus on client needs and the provision of a great service. His is noted for his ability to cut through complex planning issues, explain them simply and apply advice commercially. He qualified in 2008 and has been identified as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ in Legal 500 in 2023, 2024 and 2025 and was one of the top-rated planning lawyers in Planning Magazines survey in 2024, moving into the Top 10 in the 2026 survey. Before joining Merali Beedle Stuart has worked at Irwin Mitchell and Knights as well as being a Partner in the Shoosmiths planning team which won Planning Magazine’s Planning Law Firm of the Year in 2022. Prior to that he trained at Marrons in Leicester and then worked in local government in Lincolnshire.
Stuart also sits on the Board of Governors for Birmingham City University and is a committee member for the charity Property for Kids.
