Meet the Team

Here you will find out a bit more about each of our panellists where links for their personal pages at their firms and chambers can be found.

Lord Charlie Banner KC

Keating Chambers

I’m a proud Brummie now living in London. I’m famous for my unparalleled music taste, although I gather my take on what “unparalleled” means in this context is different from everyone else’s. I was once on stage with Bon Jovi and still have the hair to prove it. In my spare time between karaoke, acting as family chauffeur, and HWGPNFY, I’m a barrister at Keating Chambers specialising in planning law and other related fields. I recently extended my collection of robes to add (fake) ermine to silk. I’ve run 11th London Marathons but haven’t yet dared do a 12th as Sasha has started running them and the risk of losing to him and being forever humiliated isn’t worth it. I ski badly but enthusiastically, much like my guitar playing. And whilst Chris is Young, I am Younger.

Chris Young KC

No5 Barristers' Chambers

I used to be a racing driving for Aston Martin. But wanted more excitement in my life. So I became a planning barrister. And now, nothing inspires me more each day that the prospect of cross-examining a witness over a highway junction model. I live in Hogwarts Castle with my family, two rabbits and an Owl called Presumption. Married to Emma (also a barrister) with two (almost adorable) kids. I support Aston Villa and Gloucester Rugby. I have never been to Holland. I love beer, red wine and Japanese food. I have driven HGVs. I did a PhD for one week. I can swim underwater for ages. Favourite film is Lawrence of Arabia. And I have never seen Aliens or the Matrix. I love to read, mostly decisions about five year housing land supply. Only two of these facts are untrue.

Paul Tucker KC

Kings Chambers

Paul is a Yorkshireman by birth and inclination. He has strongly discouraged his children from being lawyers and instead has encouraged his children to do what he really wanted to do. His eldest son has played high level Rugby having captained Irish Exiles at U19s level. His middle son is the lead singer of the band The Ruby Tuesdays and his youngest son is currently working on a domestic particle reactor. Paul is quite involved in lots of legal things but more importantly he likes Rugby, is proud of being based at Kings Chambers in Manchester, thinks he can play guitar but is actually hopeless at it. He would also like to point out that whilst he is pleased and proud to be involved with the show, he can’t recall ever finalising his appearance fee.

Melissa Murphy KC

Landmark Chambers

Finally! A Celtic addition to the HWGPNFY Team. Born in Dublin, raised in the Peak District and now at home in the wilds of Essex, Melissa retains a strong Irish accent when crossed and a more Anglicised version when in full Planning-Silk-submission-mode… Spending much of her time swashbuckling her way through planning inquiries, and now Chair of the Planning and Environment Bar Association, Melissa nonetheless has a life outside work. She is married to Marcin and proud Mum to three feisty kids, with two dogs in addition, to complete the family circus. She also manages to fit in karate, a bit of women’s football and putting excerpts of rather lyrical poetry on LinkedIn, when the moon is full and the mood strikes her.

Sasha White KC

Landmark Chambers

Sasha has been a planning barrister now for 29 years. He lives in London and Oxfordshire. He is also a sports fanatic and has season tickets at Arsenal, Rangers, Lords, Twickenham and Murrayfield. He is a Director of Middlesex County Cricket Club. He also runs Marathons [3 so far] and plays golf badly. He is also planning to cycle from Lands End to John O’Groats in August 2020. He is married to Clare and the proud father of 3 wonderful kids and a beautiful sheltie.

Rob Newbery

bluebearIT

Rob is Have We Got Planning News For You’s resident IT “professional” and is mostly responsible for making the panellists look good in post-production. He has two Art degrees and lives in good old Lancashire. Rob enjoys technology (unsurprisingly), video production, being in the great outdoors, Formula 1 and other motorsports. He has an unusually strong dislike for restaurants that serve food on roof tiles or wooden chopping boards, and thoroughly enjoys not cooking whenever possible.