Rowan Smith

Rowan is a public lawyer, specialising in judicial review, with a focus on environmental, planning and human rights law. He has acted in some of the most high-profile climate change litigation in recent years. For example, he represented campaigners in a successful Supreme Court case, establishing that the environmental impact caused by emissions from burning fossil fuels must be assessed before planning permission for their extraction is granted.

In addition, he acted for Friends of the Earth, and separately Chris Packham, in winning challenges to the UK Government’s climate change policies. He also works on a range of planning law challenges at the local and national level, involving the energy sector, airport expansion, as well as new road and housebuilding infrastructure, with a particular interest in air pollution and biodiversity.

Rowan joined Leigh Day in March 2016, after training in public law at Bindmans LLP. 

Before his career in law, Rowan studied Global Politics at Lancaster University and worked at various charities in Manchester.

Legal expertise

Some of his notable cases include:

• Friends of the Earth v Secretary of State for the Department of Transport: current challenge to the Government’s policy decision to expand Heathrow Airport on climate change and sustainable development grounds.
• 999 Call for NHS v NHS Commissioning Board and others: live appeal against the Government’s attempt to introduce price competition into the NHS via accountable care organisations.
• Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants v Secretary of State for the Home Department: strategic human rights challenge to the Home Office’s right to rent scheme, claiming that a central plank of the Government’s hostile environment is incompatible with the right to a home, given its discriminatory impact on grounds of nationality and ethnicity.
• Buckingham v Corby CCG: successful judicial review of clinical commissioning group’s decision to downgrade an urgent care centre due to breach of promise to consult and duty to involve patients, as well as breach of public sector equality duty.
• Buckley v Bath and North East Somerset Council: successful test case, which established that a local council is under a duty to carry out an equality impact assessment when granting outline planning permission to demolish a social housing estate.
• Peters v Haringey Council: live appeal against Haringey council’s decision to sell off almost £2 billion worth of public assets to a 50:50 private company, arguing no power to undertake commercial activities through an LLP and failure to consult.
• Preston New Road Action Group v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government: statutory review of Government’s overturning of planning refusal for fracking operations based on arguments to do with harm to valued landscape.
• Miah v Governors of Avenue Primary School: urgent judicial review of school’s decision to convert into an academy owing to errors of law and an unfair process, leading to a grant of interim relief stopping the conversion. 

Rowan joined Leigh Day in March 2016, after training in public law and human rights at Bindmans LPP.  Before his career in law, Rowan studied Global Politics at Lancaster University and worked at various charities in Manchester.

Rowan Smith in the news

• UK government faces legal action against new coalmine in Cumbria Guardian 4.1.23
• Climate activists take UK government to court over food strategy FT 24.8.22
• Campaign group launches legal appeal to thwart Sizewell C Construction News 9.8.22
• High Court quashes planning permission over flawed report from planning officer Local Government Lawyer 21.6.22
• West Sussex County Council admits it acted illegally in removal of Shoreham cycle lane Sussex Live 27.1.22
• Campaigners win right to challenge state aid for North Sea oil and gas Guardian 28.7.21