Laura Nation

Full Profile

Laura is a Legal Director in the planning team based in our Riyadh office. She qualified in 2012 and re-joined the firm in 2025, having previously worked in our London office from 2012 – 2016.

Laura specialises in all aspects of UK town and country planning and highways law, including major infrastructure projects, advising a broad range of private and public sector clients across both contentious and non-contentious matters. Laura’s practice covers a variety of planning issues, including drafting complex planning obligations, highways and development agreements, pursuing and defending High Court claims and advising in respect of compulsory purchase and environmental impact assessment.

Laura also has experience promoting Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects in the transport sector and assisting with planning appeals. Additionally, she frequently carries out due diligence reviews on planning and infrastructure applications.

Experience

Examples of recent experience include:

• Compulsory Purchase – advising on a number of CPO matters, including in connection with the successful making, confirmation and implementation of the award winning Ebury Bridge Estate CPO in Westminster to deliver up to 781 new homes, with over half being affordable;
• Promoting Development – advising Galliard Homes in respect of several residential-led EIA regeneration projects including the development of Quayside Quarter, Ealing to deliver approximately 2,000 new homes anchored by a 22,000m² creative film hub and the redevelopment of the iconic Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium. Laura led on both projects, advising on the planning application documents and environmental statements, negotiating the complex planning obligations and advising in connection with highway matters;
• Promoting Development – acting for St Modwen Developments in relation to the development of numerous residential-led strategic sites, including the delivery of a new settlement of 1,500 homes in Wantage. In each case, drafting and negotiating the terms of a section 106 agreement with numerous authorities and landowners to secure a complex package of mitigation measures; 
• Promoting Development – advising the development arm of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in respect of its joint ventures on key development sites in London, with a particular focus on the use of appropriation powers to facilitate the delivery of key regeneration schemes;
• Development Consent Orders – advising National Highways in connection with the promotion of the A57 Link Roads Development Consent Order 2022. Laura assisted with the application and Examination process including drafting the DCO and Explanatory Memorandum and advising on consultation requirements and environmental impact assessment issues. Laura has also advised on the strategy for implementation of several development consent orders, including on the use of compulsory purchase powers;
• Planning Appeals – advising in the context of numerous planning appeals, including securing planning permission to double the size of the Pinewood Studios facility within the Green Belt. Laura assisted with marshalling a large professional team within a constrained timeframe, settling detailed expert evidence and negotiating a complex planning obligation.