Sam joined Firstplan in 2007. He retains a wide portfolio of clients, including large landowners, development companies, cinemas, schools and many high street operators. Sam continues to work on a range of different proposals throughout the UK, across all stages of the planning system, from plan forming and development briefs with, amongst others, National Grid; development proposals for a variety of uses, including residential, mixed use, commercial and community functions, school expansions and cinemas; and has secured permission for refurbishment, extension and reconfiguration of numerous heritage assets.

Kate started her career at Firstplan and now has a wide ranging project experience, from residential developments, minerals and waste planning, mixed-use development and restaurants to complex heritage issues, green belt and metropolitan open land proposals.  She has a particular skill with environmental considerations and works with a broad range of clients including national institutional investors and developers.

Sally has over 25 years of experience of working in the private sector.  She has a proven track record of successfully delivering planning permissions for complex projects which meet the commercial interests of clients.  She has been retained by a number of national operators and developers to secure consents and to provide strategic advice.  She has particular expertise in the retail, logistics, industrial and trade sectors.

Michael acts on behalf of predominantly private sector clients and his experience includes providing planning advice and undertaking retail studies to secure planning consents for supermarkets, non-food retailers warehouse developments and mixed use town centre schemes. He has also been involved in a variety of schemes which include hotel, restaurant, leisure, employment and residential developments.

Mark has approximately 15 years of experience across all development sectors. He specialises in advising and leading on the roll-out of expanding property portfolios with various growing bar, restaurant and leisure operators including Brewdog Bars, Honest Burgers and Marugame. He advises landowners on various issues related to their asset management, and also works on a range of small, medium and large scale residential and mixed-use developments. This includes extensive experience of the expanding co-living sector, and various schemes undertaken under permitted development rights for upward airspace extensions.

Vilna has worked in private practice since 1997, and her extensive experience covers residential, retail and mixed use developments, office, entertainment, restaurant and leisure proposals, intermodal transport developments and regeneration schemes. She has a particular expertise in industrial proposals including remediation schemes and minerals and waste planning and is an associate member of the Mineral Products Association. Vilna has had extensive involvement with planning inquiries, informal hearings and EiPs, and has a wealth of experience in managing large scale applications and appeals, overseeing multidisciplinary teams, and the co-ordination of EIA development proposals.

Mike’s extensive experience includes proposals for town and city centres, retail parks, mixed use schemes, residential developments, offices, leisure, minerals, and industry. He works with leading members of the Planning Bar, and has given evidence at numerous planning and similar inquiries.

Tim has worked in private practice since 2007. He provides town planning advice to a range of clients, including Waitrose, specialist regeneration companies, renewable energy companies and private individuals. Tim has secured planning permission for schemes ranging from small and large scale residential projects to offices, hotels, restaurants, hostels, student accommodation, theatres, schools, Bio-gas projects, petrol filling stations, warehouses and industrial uses up to and including major retail led mixed use regeneration schemes. Tim has significant experience in project management, planning appeals, promoting sites through emerging local plans, and the preparation of planning applications involving listed buildings and conservation areas.