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Christian Drage

Christian Drage

Partner

London

Partner and Practice Group Leader - Planning and Zoning UK

T: +44 (0) 20 3400 4947

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Biography

Christian has over 20 years of experience in advising on planning and project law and the delivery of major redevelopment and infrastructure projects including some of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe. He is a go to person for a number of the UK’s largest promoters of commercial development and energy/transportation infrastructure.  Christian’s current caseload includes advising on a number of the country’s largest nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs/DCOs), over station development (including the £7bn One Euston project) and several new settlements both within or on the fringe of cities or new villages/towns in the Green Belt.

Civic involvement & honors

Chambers UK 2026: Band 2 - Planning

Legal 500 UK 2026:  Leading Partner - Planning

Christian is also recognised in the Legal 500 Green Guide UK 2025 as a Green Ambassador for his work. 

Christian is a joy to work with, incredibly knowledgeable, experienced and personable. His advice is always well received, comprehensive and written with an in-depth understanding of the field.

Chambers and Partners, 2026

Admissions

  • England and Wales

Related capabilities

  • Real Estate

  • Oil, Gas & Sustainable Fuels

  • Collegiate Sports

  • Olympic & National Governing Bodies

  • Professional Sports Team Representation

  • Contract, Endorsement & Celebrity Representation

  • Sports & Event Venue Real Estate Infrastructure & Operation

  • Naming Rights & Sponsorship

  • Sports & Entertainment M&A

  • Sports, Media & Entertainment Litigation

  • Sports, Media & Entertainment

  • Entertainment Industry

  • Sports & Event Financing

  • ESG & Energy Transition

  • Environment

  • Infrastructure

  • Commercial Real Estate

  • Planning & Zoning

  • Litigation & Dispute Resolution

  • Logistics & Industrial

  • Electric Vehicles & Charging Infrastructure

  • Data Centers

Related insights

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Sectors in focus
Sep 09, 2026

Data center tenancy agreements - Routes to stabilization

The convergence of data sovereignty, security, power, cooling, connectivity, service agreements and AI-driven operational demands is transforming the traditional data center lease or co-location agreement into a hybrid instrument. Part real estate contract, part technology service agreement. This trend reflects the complexity of projects, number of stakeholders involved, and the pace of technological change. 
Sectors in focus
Sep 09, 2026

Growing data center disputes risk

The construction phase remains the most common source of high-value disputes in data center projects, and disputes here can disrupt delivery schedules, undermine revenue projections and strain key commercial relationships well beyond the immediate cost of the underlying issue. As builds become more complex, this risk escalates further. 
Sectors in focus
Sep 09, 2026

Hybrid power platform - The advantage of integration

The most advanced data center projects are moving beyond simply connecting to power and toward becoming integrated energy platforms in their own right — co-locating dedicated generation and storage with the data center itself. Here’s what you need to know. 
Insights
Jul 08, 2026

New guidance to support DCO reforms: what it means for pre-application consultation

A suite of new and updated NSIP planning guidance was published on 3 July 2026 to support the raft of DCO reforms introduced by the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 (PIA) which come into force on 24 July 2026. As we discussed in our previous Insight, among of the headline reforms is a fundamental shift in the approach to pre-application consultation. The current statutory requirements will be replaced by a non-statutory approach, guided by new guidance issued under section 50 of the Planning Act 2008 (2008 Act). That guidance, previously a notable gap in the reform framework, has now been published within this suite of updates. Its publication completes the information picture ahead of the 24 July commencement date. In this Insight we examine this new guidance and what applicants will need to consider in navigating these significant procedural adjustments.
Insights
Nov 26, 2025

New Nuclear NPS (EN-7)and its interface with the electricity network

The new National Policy Statement (NPS) for Nuclear Energy Generation (EN-7) published recently expands the types of nuclear power projects that can be consented under the DCO planning regime and allows for nuclear development in new locations in England and Wales. In this Insight we discuss some of the key changes introduced by this new policy, particularly how it relates to EN-5, the national planning policy for electricity networks infrastructure. 
Awards
Oct 16, 2025

Chambers 2026 UK guide ranks BCLP in 36 practice areas and recognises 76 individual lawyers

In the 2026 edition of Chambers UK BCLP received 36 practice area rankings and 76 individual lawyer recognitions. This year, the firm is recognized in six new practice areas and improved to a Band 1 ranking for Commercial Contracts, as well as a Band 2 ranking for Hotels and Leisure.  

Related insights

Sectors in focus
Sep 09, 2026
A comparative guide to the changing planning landscape for data centers
Sectors in focus
Sep 09, 2026
Compounding complexity in the data center build phase
Sectors in focus
Sep 09, 2026
Data center tenancy agreements - Routes to stabilization
The convergence of data sovereignty, security, power, cooling, connectivity, service agreements and AI-driven operational demands is transforming the traditional data center lease or co-location agreement into a hybrid instrument. Part real estate contract, part technology service agreement. This trend reflects the complexity of projects, number of stakeholders involved, and the pace of technological change. 
Sectors in focus
Sep 09, 2026
Growing data center disputes risk
The construction phase remains the most common source of high-value disputes in data center projects, and disputes here can disrupt delivery schedules, undermine revenue projections and strain key commercial relationships well beyond the immediate cost of the underlying issue. As builds become more complex, this risk escalates further. 
Sectors in focus
Sep 09, 2026
How to price grid uncertainty in data center energy contracts
Sectors in focus
Sep 09, 2026
Hybrid power platform - The advantage of integration
The most advanced data center projects are moving beyond simply connecting to power and toward becoming integrated energy platforms in their own right — co-locating dedicated generation and storage with the data center itself. Here’s what you need to know. 
Insights
Jul 08, 2026
New guidance to support DCO reforms: what it means for pre-application consultation
A suite of new and updated NSIP planning guidance was published on 3 July 2026 to support the raft of DCO reforms introduced by the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 (PIA) which come into force on 24 July 2026. As we discussed in our previous Insight, among of the headline reforms is a fundamental shift in the approach to pre-application consultation. The current statutory requirements will be replaced by a non-statutory approach, guided by new guidance issued under section 50 of the Planning Act 2008 (2008 Act). That guidance, previously a notable gap in the reform framework, has now been published within this suite of updates. Its publication completes the information picture ahead of the 24 July commencement date. In this Insight we examine this new guidance and what applicants will need to consider in navigating these significant procedural adjustments.
Insights
Nov 26, 2025
New Nuclear NPS (EN-7)and its interface with the electricity network
The new National Policy Statement (NPS) for Nuclear Energy Generation (EN-7) published recently expands the types of nuclear power projects that can be consented under the DCO planning regime and allows for nuclear development in new locations in England and Wales. In this Insight we discuss some of the key changes introduced by this new policy, particularly how it relates to EN-5, the national planning policy for electricity networks infrastructure. 
Awards
Oct 16, 2025
Chambers 2026 UK guide ranks BCLP in 36 practice areas and recognises 76 individual lawyers
In the 2026 edition of Chambers UK BCLP received 36 practice area rankings and 76 individual lawyer recognitions. This year, the firm is recognized in six new practice areas and improved to a Band 1 ranking for Commercial Contracts, as well as a Band 2 ranking for Hotels and Leisure.