Karen Howard

Expertise

Karen qualified as a Fellow of ILEX in 1992 and as a solicitor in 2003 whilst working full time in legal practice. She specialises in advising developers on mixed-use developments, including planning policy, overall viability of schemes, and development agreements.

Karen has a broad range of planning and property experience, having promoted CPOs and DCOs for huge infrastructure projects, including transport connections. She also advises on BNG and nitrates, listed buildings and heritage sites, planning enforcement, prosecution, and licensing matters, Judicial Review and High Court challenges. Karen has worked with the public sector and developers and helps to draft and negotiate complex planning and infrastructure highway and licence agreements.

Karen began her career in local authority and has worked directly for others promoting housing regeneration schemes through CPO. She is adept in the internal workings of local authorities, which can often help deliver successful outcomes.

Experience

1. Acting for some of the UK’s biggest housebuilders (Taylor Wimpey, Lovell, Vistry and Barratt) on strategic schemes in London and the Southeast – size of schemes ranging from 30 to 1,200-unit schemes including garden villages.
2. Advising various objectors to the Lower Thames Crossing DCO, dealing with consultation responses, legal advice, negotiations with LTC and Land & Works Agreements.
3. Acting for Royal Mail on the complex planning and development aspects of Mount Pleasant and sale to Taylor Wimpey (two sites combined to form new a residential development to co-exist alongside the redevelopment of the London Central Mail Centre).
4. Advising Hackney Council to help deliver the Woodberry Down CPO, one of Europe’s biggest single-site estate regeneration projects, including 4,600 homes, a health centre, primary school and retail facilities for Berkeley Homes.
5. Advising Thurrock Council on CPOs and the appropriation for land for a new Civic centre and underpass.
6. Acting for various care home providers on standalone schemes and others who often purchase sites/ plots within larger strategic sites.
7. Advising various developers on the private rented sector across London and the Southeast.