A leading Midlands law firm has announced a new Head of Planning who is set to lead the team at a pivotal point for the sector.
Wright Hassall, based in Leamington, has named Rebecca Mushing as its new department head for planning at the firm.
Rebecca joined Wright Hassall in 2006 as a secretary working her way up the ranks from paralegal, trainee and qualifying as a solicitor in 2014.
Much of her pre-qualification experience was within the planning team at the firm where she developed an interest for the sector. She briefly left the firm for around two years after qualification to work in Birmingham before retuning in 2018.
Rebecca is a specialist planning lawyer who advises on all aspects of the planning process and highway matters, acting for a wide variety of clients including local authorities, registered providers, landowners, and developers.
One of her most notable achievements was assisting in the case of Fidler v Secretary of State. The case concerned Mr Robert Fidler who built a home without permission concealed by bales of hay in an effort to accumulate the requisite time period to be immune from enforcement.
The case led to a change in the law to ensure if development was built without permission and was concealed, the immunity period for enforcement would not begin until it was revealed to the world.
Rebecca also sits on the West Midlands committee of Women in Planning. She is an active member of the network and is keen to ensure all women are supported through their career and are encouraged into the planning sector to enable equal representation.
Wright Hassall’s planning team sits within the firm’s wider development team.
Rebecca said: “I’m extremely pleased to take on the role of Head of Planning at Wright Hassall. I have spent the majority of my career at the firm, and this promotion demonstrates the progression opportunities available.
“As a member of the Women in Planning committee, it’s also nice to be leading an all-female team at the firm.
“It is a very interesting time for the planning sector, and with a new Labour government ahead of us we can expect more change on the horizon. We will wait to see whether that is positive or not for the sector and housebuilding.
“We’ve just gone through a raft of changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), and Labour has promised throughout their campaign that in addition to new housing targets being set, the NPPF amendments would be reversed within the first 100 days of power, so watch this space.
“It’s clear that there is a lot of opportunity for the sector, I look forward to developing and expanding the team and supporting the growth of the wider business, together with assisting the sector to unlock the delivery of houses and other development that are required to help with the housing crisis and boost the economy.”
Phil Wilding, Managing Partner at Wright Hassall, said: “We are delighted to see Rebecca step into the role of Head of Planning at Wright Hassall.
“She is a highly experienced planning lawyer who has spent most of her career with us, so we know that she is perfectly placed to lead the planning team and play a key role in the wider development team.”