About Christopher Cant

Christopher Cant Specialist Property Barrister

Christopher Cant is a Barrister specialising in property law with over forty years’ legal experience. Throughout his years in practice, there has been an emphasis on drafting and tackling complex issues or arrangements but with an eye for the commercial objective. He enjoys the research and analysis required for such matters but endeavours to provide his work speedily within clients time limits. Christopher undertakes litigious work but always takes into account the commercial consequences. Christopher is regulated by The Bar Standards Board and is on the BSB’s Barrister’s Register.

Property & Land

Christopher is a property law barrister, advising on difficult points, the structuring of transactions and preparing of drafts. The spectrum of transactions he is instructed on run from large scale residential and shopping developments to single dwellings or offices. Clients range from large scale developers, niche builders and local authorities to individual householders. He has extensive experience in transactions involving overage and planning promotion agreements and in addition he acts in contentious property matters including disputes over easements (including sewers and drains), restrictive covenants, enforcement of charges and guarantees, leases and sales of land.
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Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Infrastructure funding

Community Infrastructure Levy is a particular area in which Christopher has a pre-eminent specialism fitting in well with his general advisory work on behalf of developers and authorities. He enjoys the application of the legislative regime; planning to tackle CIL issues and the consideration of general planning policy including section 106 planning obligations. Combined with this expertise, Christopher has a developed understanding of planning permissions.

As well as advisory work, Christopher appeared in the Planning Court for the successful authority in the first judicial review case on the operation of the CIL regime and has acted on a number of statutory CIL appeals. Christopher is now being asked to consider professional negligence issues arising from CIL.

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Assets of Community Value (ACV)

Christopher has acted for local authorities, owners and community groups in relation to the Localism Act of 2001 and Assets of Community Value. He has advised on virtually every aspect including Assets of Community Value applications, registration and processes, purchase, change of use, planning consideration and ACV appeals.

Christopher is a passionate contributor to the understanding of the areas in which he practices and has published a large number of property law papers and comprehensive guides to CIL and ACV.

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Property Related Commercial and Chancery

Christopher also advises on property-related matters such as cases involving

  • commercial transactions
  • shareholders agreements
  • distribution agreements
  • agreements for sale and purchase of shares
  • the enforcement of guarantees
  • trusts and estates
  • companies and partnerships
  • charities and religious centres

Christopher is qualified to accept instructions through the Direct/ Public Access Scheme but not to conduct litigation.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • MA (Cantab) first class with distinction
  • Senior Harris scholar (Downing College)
  • Walter Wigglesworth scholar
  • Lord Denning scholar
  • Chancery Bar Association
  • Property Bar Association

Please call Christopher direct or the support team at Clerksroom on 0203 150 2242 if you would like to discuss your legal property matter and how he could help.