Matthew McFeeley
Solicitor
His work ethic is second to none, and his grasp of the law is absolutely superlative.
Overview
Matthew joined Richard Buxton Solicitors in 2016 and is a dual-qualified lawyer.
Matthew advises clients on a wide range of environmental legal issues. He represents private individuals, residents’ groups and NGOs in planning and environmental judicial reviews and statutory nuisance claims. Matthew also has experience in disputes before tribunals, in planning and enforcement appeals, and in local plan examinations. He has represented clients at all levels of the UK Court system, including the UK Supreme Court.
In September 2024 Matthew was featured as the Law Society Gazette’s weekly “Lawyer in the News“. In May 2025, he was named to the ENDS Report’s “Power List” of the UK’s 100 most impactful environmental professionals. The ENDS Report highlighted, in particular, Matthew’s role in the successful challenge to the Cumbria coal mine, in the landmark Finch case in the UK Supreme Court, which held that fossil fuel developments cannot be approved without assessessment of downstream carbon emissions, in the Supreme Court case about wild camping rights on Dartmoor, and in a challenge to the UK Government’s decision to allow fishing quotas over scientific advice.
Prior to his move to the UK, Matthew worked at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a leading U.S. environmental conservation organisation. At NRDC, Matthew managed litigation and other advocacy efforts to protect communities and the environment from fracking.
Key Cases
Court orders full hearing of lynx re-introduction claim
R (Lynx UK Trust CIC) v Natural England
High Court will hear challenge to Natural England’s position on licence application
Successful challenge to Bedfordshire Traffic Regulation Order
Green Lane Association Ltd v Central Bedfordshire Council
Council’s decision to make Experimental Traffic Regulation Order quashed
National Landscape housing development challenge
R(CPRE Kent) v SoS Housing, Communities & Local Govt
Leading case on duty to seek to ‘conserve and enhance’ National Landscapes
Dartmoor ‘wild camping’ Appeal Intervention
Darwall & Darwall v Dartmoor National Park Authority
Open Spaces Society intervention in appeal to defend right to Dartmoor wild camping
Opposition to Cumbria Coal Mine: Redetermination
Called in Application: Underground Metallurgical Coal Mine, Whitehaven, Cumbria
Application withdrawn after representations submitted to Secretary of State on redetermination of Cumbria coal mine
Blue Marine Foundation challenges UK Government on Overfishing
R (BLUE Marine Foundation) v SoS for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Appeal sought against Government’s decision to set fishing levels above scientific advice
Successful Challenge to Cumbria Coal Mine
South Lakes Action Against Climate Change v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities & West Cumbria Mining Ltd
High Court quashes planning permission for coal mine in Whitehaven, Cumbria
Challenge to Oil Drilling Expansion Plans
Finch (obo Weald Action Group) v Surrey County Council
Supreme Court judgment holding that EIA covers downstream emissions from fossil fuel projects
Experimental Traffic Regulation Order Quashed
Green Lane Association v Central Bedfordshire Council
Decision for unreasonable experimental traffic regulation quashed
Village Green Deregistration Appeal
R (Strack) v Sec. of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Challenge to village green deregistration/exchange; Costs cap conceded by Government
Challenge to industrial development in AONB
R (Moakes) v Canterbury City Council
Second claim against industrial incursion into Kent Downs proceeds to full hearing
Intensive poultry farm stopped on odour, threat to SSSI
Footbridge Farm, Bridgnorth, Shropshire
Successfully resisted planning appeal for poultry farm in Shropshire
Successful challenge to dwellings in listed building grounds
R (Kinnersley) v Maidstone Borough Council
Court of Appeal quashes planning permission for residential conversion in grounds of listed building
Ashchurch "Bridge to Nowhere" Appeal
R (Ashchurch Rural Parish Council) v Tewkesbury Borough Council
Challenge to “bridge to nowhere” near Tewkesbury leads to successful appeal clarifying important points of planning law
Challenge to New Road Across Common, Suffolk
R (Open Spaces Society) v Sec of State for Food, Environment & Rural Affairs
Challenge to new road across common clarifies rules on considering alternatives to “works” on common land
Planning Inquiry into 500-House Development, Wychavon
Land East of Bredon Road & Tewkesbury Road, Mitton
Parish Council successfully opposes planning appeals for 500 dwellings and school
Challenge to Welsh coal mining licence
R (Coal Action network) v Welsh Ministers and the Coal Authority
Permission granted in challenge to South Wales coal mine licensing decision
Hampden Fields judicial review, Aylesbury
R (HFAG Ltd) v Buckinghamshire Council
Challenge to adequacy of healthcare provision in large mixed-use urban extension, Aylesbury.
Common land deregistration challenge
R (Open Spaces Society) v North Yorkshire County Council
Successful challenge to common land deregistration; Former Richmond racecourse, North Yorkshire.
Challenge to Legoland Holiday Villages, Windsor
R(Hudson) v Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
CPRE-Berkshire challenge to Legoland proposal due to ancient/veteran tree harm.
Opposition to Coal Mine, Whitehaven, Cumbria
Proposed New Underground Metallurgical Coal Mine, Whitehaven, Cumbria
Representing objectors at public inquiry into proposed new Cumbria coal mine
Suffolk Poultry Sheds Planning Appeal
Castle Hill Farm, Castle Hill, Eye, Suffolk
Successful opposition to intensive poultry units in Mid Suffolk planning appeal.
Beeby Chicken Farm
R (Clemence) v Leicestershire County Council
Successful challenge to permission for intensive chicken farm and anaerobic digester.
Common land deregistration challenge, Hampshire
R(Hampshire County Council) v SSEFRA & Ors
Challenge to deregistration of common land clarifies meaning of "curtilage"
Shadingfield Intensive Poultry Unit
R (Keating) v East Suffolk Council
Successful challenge to industrial "broiler" chicken farm in East Suffolk.
Objection to telecommunications installation
Prior Approval Application - Rooftop Telecoms Installation, Yara Court, Lewisham
Successful objection to prior approval application for rooftop antennae in Lewisham, London.
Knighton Chicken Farm Judicial Review
R (Saunders) v Powys County Council
Successful challenge to Intensive Poultry Units in Knighton, Wales.
Rollright Public Path Diversion Challenge
The Open Spaces Society v SSEFRA
Challenge to confirmation of footpath diversion order; Little Rollright, Oxfordshire
Change of use to nursery, Harrow
Oakleigh House, Harrow; application for change of use
Objection to prior approval - change of use: nursing home to registered nursery.
Challenge to order stopping up highway
Open Spaces Society v Secretary of State for Transport
Successful challenge to order stopping up highway at Knowle, Solihull.
Oil and Gas Authority Challenge
R (Thornton) v Oil & Gas Authority
Challenge to Oil and Gas Authority’s approval of fracking company sale.
Magistrates' Court summons decision JR
R(Kent) v Teesside Magistrates’ Court
Successful challenge of Magistrates’ Court procedural decision in wildlife crime case also yields decision on scope of costs protection
Success in Cotswold AONB Planning Appeal
Planning Appeal, Land at Oakhurst Rise, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham
Opposition to Planning Appeal for outline permission for up to 69 dwellings.
Mast Challenge - Forsythia House, Lewisham
R (Mawbey) v Lewisham Council
Court of Appeal clarifies the meaning of "telecommunications mast".
Rugby Local Plan challenge
Inspector deletes large rural housing settlement from Rugby local plan
Proposed 'Lodge Farm' Local Plan Allocation Deleted from Rugby Local Plan
Loss of light challenge, Bow, London
R (Rainbird) v London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Flawed assessment and advice on daylight and sunlight effects: planning permission quashed.
Little Densole Farm, Kent Downs AONB
R (Steer) v. Shepway District Council
Permission for holiday park in AONB quashed for failure to give reasons.
Directory Quotes
We cannot praise Matthew highly enough. He is focused, knowledgeable and very competent.
Matthew is intellectually brilliant yet very personable and always goes the extra mile.
Matthew is formidably clever, he is extremely creative in his approach to the law, and his grasp of detail is exceptional.
He was terrific and managed to get everything through. He was marvellous - always friendly and supportive.
Matthew McFeeley is absolutely phenomenal at getting everything together and reacting very quickly. The thing that distinguishes him in this area is that he is excellent at contributing good points of substance.
He is a highly engaged solicitor who is easy to work with, knowledgeable and excellent with clients.
Matthew is a very good lawyer who can grasp the issues very quickly and has provided excellent advice.
He shows the human side of the legal profession while maintaining a professional approach and attitude.
If I had to choose a lawyer to work with for the rest of my life, it'd be Matt.
Client Quotes
Matthew swiftly grasps the essence of our work, frequently going beyond the call of duty.
Fantastic work. Although I appreciate it is ‘what you do’, it is still mightily impressive
Brilliant and excellent value... the professional advice and support was of the highest quality
You guys are amazing, thank you so much... We will highly recommend you.
Thanks again for superb work.
Qualifications
- BS, Biochemistry & Cell Biology, University of California, San Diego
- MPP, Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago
- JD, University of Pennsylvania Law School (cum laude)
Memberships
- UK Environmental Law Association
- Non-Executive Director, Ember (climate & energy think tank)
- Trustee, Brazelton Centre UK
Publications
- Looking Behind the Curtain: Achieving Disclosure of Medical and Scientific Information for Cetaceans in Captivity Through Voluntary Compliance and Federal Enforcement, Animal Law Review, 2018 (with Heather Rally and Donald Baur)
- Biodiversity: Reversing the Decline of Nature in the UK, UK Environmental Law Association e-law, Jan/Feb 2017 (with Dr Paul Stookes)
- Falling Through the Cracks: Public Information and the Patchwork of Hydraulic Fracturing Disclosure Laws, Vermont Law Review, 2014
- State Hydraulic Fracturing Disclosure Rules and Enforcement: A Comparison, Natural Resources Defense Council Issue Brief, 2012
Personal interests
Although as a father of two young children, he has limited time, Matthew plays ultimate frisbee and enjoys country walks when time allows. In his former pre-parental life Matthew was an avid sourdough baker and a member of the team that won the 2014 Washington Post Peeps Diorama Contest and the 2013 contest’s Peeple’s Choice vote.