Skip to content
Freeths - Law firm

Richard Broadbent

Director

Call Email Linkedin Download vCard Download CV Save to portfolio Print profile

Richard was a solicitor at Natural England since 2010 and was the Head of Legal Services since 2017. Richard led on many of Natural England’s high-profile litigation and enforcement cases and provided advice to Natural England’s teams on the emergence of the Environment Act 2021 and Nature Green Paper. Richard is a highly distinguished environmental lawyer and has worked on a number of high-profile nationally significant infrastructure, planning, and species licencing cases. These include nuclear power stations, offshore windfarms, port developments and HS2.

Richard trained at Collyer Bristow LLP in London and holds an LLM in Environmental Law from UCL.

Legal Services

Environmental Law

  • Richard defended Natural England against multiple judicial review challenges, including the challenges to Natural England’s bTB licences, Hen Harrier brood management trial licence(s) and a bat species licence issued to HS2.
  • Richard worked with Natural England colleagues on Biodiversity Net Gain and the creation of the register/credit scheme which will facilitate mandatory net gain. Richard has also worked on payment for ecosystem services projects and nature-based market mechanisms.
  • Richard has worked on a wide variety of nationally significant infrastructure projects, including HS2, Hinkley C and offshore windfarm cases.
  • Richard worked on the designation of protected sites including the declaration of National Nature Reserves and notification of SSSIs.
  • Richard advises on the impacts of diffuse pollution on protected sites and nutrient neutrality.
  • Richard has worked on multiple environmental enforcement cases and appeals for SSSIs, species licence offences and under the EIA Agriculture Regulations.
  • Richard has worked on several planning appeal cases involving landscape and visual impacts.
  • Richard worked on secondment to the Law Commission on the creation of conservation covenants and with Defra on their inclusion in the Environment Act 2021.

Recent Work

  • Richard has extensive experience working with Natural England and Defra on emerging environmental law, particularly the Environment Act 2021 and Nature Green Paper. Richard’s detailed understanding of policy priorities with regards the law and policy for nature conservation is of great benefit to his clients.
  • Richard has extensive experience teaching environmental law to Natural England staff/Defra bodies as well as to undergraduate and post-graduate law students at UCL and Exeter University. Richard now works with Penny Simpson to deliver a range of courses for clients on environmental law topics.

 

Latest

Related News & Articles [ 21 ]

To contact Richard or for more information…

Call: 0345 030 5820
Mobile: 0792 986 6356
Or email: Send an email

 

Client service

‘Doing the right thing’ is at the heart of Freeths. Find out more about our excellent client service and the strong set of values that guide the way we work.

Our values

arrow

Talk to us

Freeths are a leading national law firm with 13 offices across the UK. If you have a query about our services or just want to find out more, why not give us a call?

Contact: 03301 001 014

Choose an office:

Portfolio close
People CV Email

Remove All


Click here to email this list of people to a colleague.