Specialisms & expertise
- Planning disputes
- Permitted development
- Judicial reviews / statutory reviews
- Lawful development certificates
- Listed building and conservation area advice
- Planning agreements (s106 deeds)
- Community infrastructure levy
- Reports on acquisitions
- Local plans, neighbourhood planning policies and strategic infrastructure
- Representations (submissions) on proposals and local plans
- Agriculture & rural affairs.
Examples of work
Kate provides planning advice and drafts complex s106 agreements for a national house-builder on several major sites
Kate advises, negotiates and drafts s106 agreements for two local authorities in the South East
Kate has also advised on bespoke agreements incorporating additional on- and off-site biodiversity mitigation measures
Kate regularly provides input on commercial and residential title reports
Kate has advised on the application of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations
Kate advises on the planning aspects of a professional negligence claim against an architect
Kate advised a private individual on their application for a lawful development certificate
Kate acted for a client in ‘test-case’ statutory review proceedings
In her ongoing work for a local farmer, when the local authority issued a refusal notice
Kate has also advised clients in relation to town and village green applications
Achievements & other appointments
Kate has been ranked in Chambers UK Legal Directory since 2021, her current ranking (2026) being “Up and Coming”. The Planning team itself (of which Kate is the only ranked lawyer) is ranked as Band 2 in Chambers.
Kate is also ranked as a “Next Generation Partner” in the Legal 500 Directory, where junior partners are given significant recognition from clients and peers in the market.
Kate also advised on the planning aspects for the Kent Corporate Finance Alliance Corporate Deal of the Year in 2019/2020, awarded for the firm’s work with North Kent College. For her work with local authorities, she was placed as one of the top planning lawyers in the country in 2017.
Clients describe her as being a ‘pleasure to work with’, having a ‘great depth of knowledge’, ‘her knowledge of the planning law is second to none’ and being ‘highly professional and on top of her subject area’.
Education
Kate graduated with a BA (Hons) Management and Public Policy (University of Brighton, East Sussex) and received a Post-graduate Diploma in Law (University of Law, Bloomsbury – London). Kate qualified as a solicitor in 2005.
Kate has also completed the Common Professional Examination (University of Law, Bloomsbury – London).