Nikki Fonseka

Legal Director
  • Experience

Nikki joined Birketts in June 2019. She is a Legal Director in our Planning and Environmental Team.

Prior to joining Birketts Nikki ran a small planning team at a local firm in Norfolk. She has over 20 years’ experience in the legal profession, 11 of which were spent in house within a large local authority shared service legal team. Starting her career in property law she made the move to planning and highways law in 2006 and now deals with all aspects of planning and highways for the public sector, private and commercial clients. Over the previous 12 months in addition to dealing with general planning matters, obligations and enforcement she has advised in relation to judicial review claims, given policy and strategic advice, and attended planning committee and advised on a large range of commercial acquisitions dealt with by our Real Estate Investment Sector group.

Nikki has particular specialisms in relation to planning obligations, affordable housing, and planning enforcement and advising on the planning issues involving large commercial investment sites.  Her planning obligation experience acting for County, District and Developers benefits those seeking to finalise planning obligations quickly and efficiently. She created the original Norfolk wide standard planning obligation which assisted Councils and developers by streamlining the process and introducing consistency across the County, in particular in relation to affordable housing. She has been involved in many major developments across Norfolk, including sites in Hethersett, Sprowston and Thetford, as well as dealing with many of the highway agreements entered into across the County during her time in local government.

Her extensive general planning and enforcement experience enables her to give clear and concise advice in relation to a whole range of planning and highway matters which particular benefits those acquiring large sites with complex planning histories or those seeking advice on complex planning issues. She has achieved many successful outcomes for clients with her advice repeatedly upheld on appeal to the planning inspectorate.

Nikki is based in our Norwich office.

Contact Us
Contact Us
For general enquiries please call +44 (0)808 169 4320 or send a message from our Contact us page.