I graduated from Keele University in 1992 with a degree in Law and History. After a year at the College of Law in Chester I joined Knights as a trainee solicitor and qualified into the Real Estate Department in September 1995. I became a partner in 2003.
I was interested in planning from the start, possibly partly due to being brought up in the New Forest, where the competing interests in the use of land as a resource were often evident, even to a teenager!. Public inquiry work in a minerals context during my training led me naturally to working in that sector. When first qualifying, however, I also endeavoured to gain a broad property background, which has stood me in good stead for putting the planning advice I give in context. I still "keep my hand in" with a small amount of minerals estate work, but planning (including minerals planning) and allied issues such as highways, compulsory purchase, conservation and now to a lesser extent environmental, are my main focus. I am a Fellow of the Institute of Quarrying and a member of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association.
Groundwork (Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire) is the local Groundwork trust and I am fortunate to be the Company Secretary, calling on the support of Knights' corporate team when necessary. I am pleased to be part of an organisation which does so much to contribute not only to the local environment but to providing opportunities for work experience and training to those living locally.
I am also a member of the Management Committee for the North Staffordshire Law Society and regularly attend meetings of the West Midlands Association which often brings an insight into how other firms, large and small, operate and the legal framework within which we currently and will, in the future, operate.
Being married with 2 children, 2 cats and 1 dog, my time outside of work is generally family time, when we enjoy walking the dog and spending time in the garden.