The General Counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright has won a judicial review into a proposed property development outside her stately home.

By day Val Davies is a top litigator at NRF. But by night she is better known as Lady Hart, wife of Labour peer Lord Hart of Chilton, and chatelaine of Chilton Hall in Suffolk. A beautiful, 16th-century moated house with lovely views from its walled garden. Views which may be spoiled now that Prolog, a marketing company, has obtained planning permission to build two warehouses outside it.

The Harts and English Heritage opposed the development and have just managed to get a judicial review of the planning permission. Much to the fury of locals, who have been told by Prolog that the development would inject £50m into the local economy and create up to 500 jobs. All of which may be lost to preserve the view of a millionaire City litigator. First thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers*.

If you owned this you probably wouldn't want two warehouses slapped up next to it either.

Lady Hart pointed out that under an agreement with council, Prolog could flog off the warehouses after 18 months without ever even occupying them. She added that "a High Court judge has granted permission for a judicial review on all our nine grounds of challenge to the granting of planning permission".

A spokeswoman for NRF said that the firm wouldn't comment on the personal affairs of its lawyers and staff.

*With apologies to Shakespeare and Lady Hart. Clearly the locals don't want to kill her. Maybe just wish a minor malady or inconvenience on her.