Qualifications:International Relations BA Hons
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Felicity Thomas
Year Called:2005
Qualifications:International Relations BA Hons.
Queen Mother Scholar, Middle Temple, 2003
Teams: Planning (Advisory and Inquiries), Landlord & Tenant (Commercial, Residential, Social), Real Estate, Chancery, Public Access
VAT Registration979602178
Bar Council Registration
Practice Areas:
Felicity specialises in land, property (encompassing housing) and planning. Undertaking work in both public and private sectors, she is known for her affability, technical expertise and fearlessness.
She undertakes work for local government, Registered Providers, private developers, private and commercial landlords and interest groups throughout the country. Having come to the Bar from a career in housing, she has developed extensive breadth and depth of advocacy experience in the Senior Courts, including the Court of Appeal and the High Court, County Courts, all levels of the Residential Property Chamber and at public hearings and inquiries. Her experience ranges from appearing as advocate in trials, substantive hearings, procedural applications, public inquiries and appeals as well as sitting as Inspector in Village Green public inquiries.
In planning, Felicity has particular experience in all aspects of enforcement, s287 injunctions and appeals for parties at all levels from householders and developers to the Planning Authority. She has also acted for Rule 6 parties in planning appeals and is mindful of the need to work to fixed budgets. Her advisory work is broad; most recently including the impact of listing as an asset of community value, DMMO inquiries, tree preservation orders, enforcement appeals, certificates of lawfulness and siting of mobile homes in the green belt.
In real estate she advises and represents at all levels. In 2016 this has involved her in cases concerning historical estate rent-changes for a commercial client, contested boundaries of estates, repairing covenants in commercial tenancies, major dilapidations in commercial property, a construction dispute, service changes and the perennial problems of management and administration charges. She has advised on thorny policy issues for Registered Providers such as the correct approach to short lets of leasehold property (AirBnB) and whether local authorities are liable to pay disabled facilities grants in care homes. This year has also included interpreting easements and covenants, advice on building on common land, de-registration of a village green and appeals against the Traffic Commissioner.
Notable recent advisory work includes;
Restrictive covenants on retail units.
Proposed development of common land.
Village green applications and objections.
Legality of semi permanent structures both within and without the curtilage.
Registration of assets of community value and their planning impact.
Boundary disputes mediated to settlement.
Impact of Hotak in homelessness decisions.
Preparation of s287 injunction to pre-issue.
Disputed repairing covenants in head lease.
Compliance with statutory requirements for major works and entering into QLTAs.
Rectification and variation claims to harmonise lease terms.
She has a thriving housing practice regularly acting in:
Possession proceedings, particularly involving anti-social behaviour, nuisance and alleged disability discrimination under Equality Act 2010.
IPNAs (previously ASBIs) including urgent and without notice applications involving serious violence.
Succession.
Proceedings against trespassers.
Section 204 appeals and related homelessness issues.
Judicial review in homelessness decisions.
Dilapidations.
Contested life interest in trust property.
Felicity regularly speaks and gives seminars and workshops at conferences, most recently on avoiding defects in enforcement notices at NAPE’s 2016 Annual Conference in Bristol hosted by Burges Salmon.
She trains other lawyers, lectures and presents seminars on housing, planning and leasehold issues.
Felicity accepts instructions via Direct Access.
12 College Place, FauvelleBuildings, Southampton SO15 2FE
Tel: (023) 8032 0320 Fax: (023) 8032 0321