Bea is a solicitor in the housing and public law team.

Bea specialises in housing and public law. Since qualifying as a solicitor in 2022 she has developed a practice specialising in discrimination and judicial review, alongside housing work. Her recent cases include challenges to discriminatory provisions in local authority allocations policies on behalf of victims of domestic abuse and sex trafficking. Bea also often acts in cases involving disability-related housing needs.

Bea has experience of working on complex applications for judicial review against local and central government across a wide variety of issues including social housing, homelessness, disability related needs, education, social care and the environment. Bea has experience acting for refugees, travellers, those experiencing domestic abuse and disabled adults and children.

Bea is well placed to advise clients about the range of legal issues triggered by homelessness, from the crisis leading to homelessness and the need for suitable emergency shelter to ensuring that their housing needs, both short and long term, are lawfully addressed.

Bea also has general housing law expertise, and advises tenants facing possession proceedings, particularly where there is a public law or discrimination defence.

Bea adopts a problem solving, flexible and thorough approach to her work, tailoring her advice and devising strategies that are appropriate for the problems her clients face. She has quickly developed a reputation as an exceptionally effective, skilled and creative litigator who obtains excellent results for her clients.

Client feedback

“From the bottom of my heart, I am so thankful to you. You have changed mine and my children’s lives, forever. I will never forget this. Thank you”

“On behalf of my mother and the rest of my family I would like to say a big thank you for all your hard work and professionalism over the summer in regards to the eviction notice served.”

“This is to express my appreciation for all the help rendered to me during my homelessness.”

R (TW) v Hillingdon LBC (2024) – High Court – an unreported judicial review claim which settled with the High Court confirming that the duties in section 189A of the Housing Act 1996, to produce an assessment of a homeless applicant’s housing needs and to keep that assessment under review, apply to homelessness applications made before April 2018 when those duties came into force.

EM v the London Borough of Havering [2024] EWHC 3016 (Admin) – High Court – a successful judicial review claim challenging a decision to exclude EM from Havering’s housing register because she did not meet its 6 year residence requirement, on the basis of unlawful indirect discrimination and a misapplication of the scheme to EM’s case.

R (BN) v Hounslow LBC [2023] EWHC 3083 (Admin) – High Court – a judicial review claim challenging unlawful discrimination contained in the 5 year residence criteria in Hounslow’s housing allocations policy affecting those fleeing certain types of violence, and refugees. A successful outcome was achieved for a refugee who had fled severe violence in her home country who had not lived in the borough for 5 years. As a result Hounslow also agreed to review their policy regarding the residence criteria and in the meantime to make temporary changes to their scheme and to place information about this on their website.

Prior to qualifying, Bea was a key part of the team in running large, high profile cases including:

Richards v Environment Agency [2022] EWCA Civ 26 – Court of Appeal – a significant decision as to the extent of the court’s powers in a claim relating to breach of article 2 and article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The claim related to emissions from a landfill site and their impact on a child with severe respiratory problems.

TX v Adur District Council [2022] EWHC 3340 (Admin) – High Court – a judicial review claim concerning unlawful discrimination in a local authority’s housing allocations scheme, which operated to preclude women fleeing domestic violence in a different area from being placed in the highest priority bands on the housing register.

ZK v Havering LBC [2022] EWHC 1854 (Admin) – High Court – a key decision about the extent of the assessment and planning duties owed by local authorities in homelessness cases.

See also

Meet the team
Child care and social services
Family law services
Housing law services
Public law and human rights