Sara Hanrahan

Sara Hanrahan is a specialist planning lawyer. She is a partner within the London real estate team and advises on all aspects of planning for commercial clients, the public sector, as well as entrepreneurs and private clients. She has particular expertise in large-scale regeneration projects, both in London and around the UK, as well as extensive listed building experience.

Sara also advises a range of clients within the retail, leisure and hospitality sector, warehouse/logistics, corporate occupiers and alternative energy.

Main areas of practice

Sara provides both strategic planning advice, including feasibility and risk, as well as transactional advice relating to development and property-related corporate transactions. She also acts for clients for contentious planning matters including planning and enforcement appeals, and judicial review.

In addition to her commercial work, Sara provides bespoke advice for private clients on all planning related matters which includes high level advice on securing planning permission for works or change of use, particularly within Prime London, project managing pre-applications and full planning applications, applying for certificates of lawfulness, and CIL.

Sara’s style is collaborative and solution-focused.

Clients

Sara’s clients include developers, local planning authorities, housing providers, and private individuals, as well as landed estates and corporate occupiers in various sectors including tech companies, and operators in the retail, leisure and hospitality sector.

She also has extensive experience advising on planning relating to alternative energy projects, including wind farms and solar parks, acting for providers, land owners and communities.

Significant experience

Large Scale Regeneration Projects

These have included: acting jointly for the developer and Council in relation to a new shopping centre, acting for the Welsh Government during the DCO process for the Wylfa Nuclear Power Station, acting for Wandsworth Council on the 227 hectare Nine Elms/Battersea Opportunity redevelopment, acting for Swansea City Council in connection with the £750m regeneration of its City centre and more recently acting for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham for the redevelopment of the former Earl’s Court. Exhibition Centre.

Commercial Development

Acting for a number of commercial and residential development projects which range from a mixed residential and retail scheme for a new London Square, planning support for building new factories and warehouses for a national company providing kitchen joinery, the relocation of a theatre, as well as the construction of a new hotel in Aldgate, and change of use for a new Michelin restaurant in Westminster.

Entrepreneurs/HNWIs

Sara has recently been acting for: a HNWI in judicial review proceedings in the High Court and Court of Appeal, a family office in relation to high level strategic advice for a stalled Grade II* residential conversion of a significant listed building into flats in RBKC, a high profile entrepreneur on a certificate of lawfulness in relation to the amalgamation of two house in Belgravia, and a non UK Royal Family member on various planning and listed building issues in relation to a property in Westminster.

Expertise

• Planning
• Real Estate & Property
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution
• Utilities & Energy

Career

Sara graduated from Oxford University and trained and qualified at Herbert Smith Freehills. She has over 20 years of commercial planning experience and was previously Head of Planning at Winkworth Sherwood and Lewis Silkin LLP.