DHA have market leading experience in creating new communities. This is evident in the scale and success of the projects worked on across the country.
As well as securing planning permission for many large residential led schemes, DHA are also promoting a number of new garden communities. These tend to include all areas of the business but especially the planning, transport, EIA, flood risk, drainage, land, viability and infrastructure teams.
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Place making and infrastructure are key elements of this work alongside the community engagement and effective stakeholder liaison.
DHA can offer a strong team to support all development elements of creating new communities.
Case studies in this sector
Appeal allowed for 700 homes on the outskirts of Eastbourne.
Three replacement energy-efficient apartment buildings for the Aintree Estate in Hammersmith.
Bellway Homes granted permission to develop 220 new homes.
First phase of a new 1,400 home community secured for Westwood Village One.
Four industrial units and a drive-thru Costa Coffee shop for Maidstone business park.
New homes and community facilities for Sutton Valence.
People who work in this area
Alex has worked at DHA for more than 15 years and became Managing Director in 2016. Alongside overseeing the day-to-day running of the business, he remains passionate about planning and development. He enjoys meeting clients, exploring opportunities, and advising on how DHA can help maximise the value of their land.
Alice is a Planner at DHA and has worked on a variety of different projects during her time at DHA.
Alice joined DHA as a Graduate Transport Planner in September 2025.
Amy joined DHA in September 2024, following the completion of her degree in Human Geography at the University of Kent. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Urban Regeneration at University College London.
Cameron joined DHA in January 2024 as a graduate planner whilst completing his Masters in Town and Country Planning at London South Bank University.
Carleigh, Associate Director, leads the DHA Design team.
Charlotte joined DHA in April 2026, bringing four years of planning consultancy experience with a particular focus on small-scale development projects.
Chris is a Director at DHA running one of our residential teams, he is particularly passionate about creating new communities and ensuring developments meet the needs of the local demographic.
Before establishing David Hicken Associates in 1986, David gained ten years of experience in Local Government, holding roles with a District Council, a Metropolitan Borough Council, Maidstone Borough Council, and ultimately serving as Chief Planning Officer at Harlow District Council in Essex.
Emily joined DHA in 2014, having previously been employed at Kent County Council in planning policy and highway roles and having gained a number of years' experience in architectural employment.
Emily undertook a yearlong Placement at DHA from September 2023 to September 2024 as part of her BSc in Urban Planning. Having now completed her undergraduate at Loughborough University, she has now returned to DHA full time as of September 2025.
Gemma is a Senior Transport Planner within our Gatwick Team.
Hannah joined DHA's Gatwick team as an Associate Director in 2024 from Iceni in London.
Holly is a Senior Transport Planner in our London team.
Jack originally joined DHA Planning in 2021 after graduating from UCL with an MSc in Spatial Planning. He started his DHA career working with in the Gatwick office and is now based with our London team running projects across the South of England.
John joined DHA in 2001 having gained experience with a Chartered Surveying Practice in Central London and then having spent some 12 years in Local Government. His Local Government experience involved a City Council, Borough Council and working as a Development Control Manager at a Unitary Council. He has a BA (hons) degree in Town and Country Planning and an MBA, and has been a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute since 1988.
Katie joined DHA as a Graduate Planner in September 2025 upon completion of her Masters in Urban Design and Planning at London South Bank University.
Lauren joined DHA as a graduate planner in August 2022, bringing experience from her previous role as a land consultant at Mott MacDonald. She holds a degree in Town and Country Planning from London South Bank University.
Lizzie joined DHA in early 2025 as an Associate in the Gatwick Office, bringing with her seven years of experience in the private sector with some public sector experience during her time as a student.
Louise joined DHA in December 2025 as the firm’s London Planning Director.
Mark is a Planning Director within the DHA's Gatwick office and regularly leads the promotion of major schemes through the planning system.
Martha joined DHA in September 2025 for her placement year, as part of her undergraduate Geography Degree (BSc) at Loughborough University.
Matthew joined DHA in 2012 as a Graduate Planner, having previously worked at Kent County Council. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Degree in Geography and completed an MSc in Town Planning at the University of Brighton in 2014.
Nasim joined DHA in September 2025 as a Graduate Transport Planner, based in our Gatwick office.
Noora joined DHA in May 2025 after graduating from the University of Manchester with a Masters Degree in Environmental Governance.
Olivia joined DHA in July 2025 as a Transport Planner, bringing with her three years' of transport planning experience across a diverse range of projects. She earned a First Class BSc in Geography from UCL in 2021.
Olivia joined DHA in August 2025 as a Planner, bringing a year of experience in the planning industry.
Paddy is a Chartered Surveyor and Registered Valuer with over 15 years’ experience carrying out Valuations, Development Appraisals and Viability.
Purdey joined DHA in October 2022 as a Graduate Planner after graduating from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Geography. A year after joining, she began her Masters in Town and Country Planning (Part-Time) at London South Bank University.
Rebecca is an Associate at DHA and works from both our Maidstone and London offices.
Sam joined DHA in May 2026, bringing with him over three and a half years of planning experience gained at Maidstone Borough Council.
Sascha joined DHA in 2025 and has nearly 20 years of planning consultancy experience in a range of sectors including housing, tourist and leisure accommodation, student and specialist older persons accommodation.
Zohaib is an Architectural Designer with a strong academic and professional background in architecture. He studied at the University of Kent, where he completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture, developing a solid foundation in design, technical detailing, and project delivery.
Sectors you may be interested in
DHA have a long track record of work within the leisure sector, having secured consent for projects including ice rinks, football stadia and training complexes, sport pavilions, equestrian training centres and countless leisure centres. Each project comes with its own unique set of circumstances and design needs and DHA are adept at responding to these, working collaboratively with the design team to identify and mitigate any planning risks whilst promoting the many benefits such projects deliver.
DHA's experience in mixed use schemes is wide and varied in both scheme types and location.
DHA are a leading practice in the residential sector, working with individuals on their dream houses through to thousands of new homes in Garden Settlements.
With an ever-increasing need for specialist accommodation for older people, DHA have expertise across the field to assist in the delivery of retirement and care-related schemes.
Services we work in
At DHA, we strive to make the process of obtaining planning permission as clear and honest as possible.
DHA's Transport and Infrastructure Team specialise in creating robust and cost-effective transport planning solutions to optimise development projects of all sizes.
DHA's Design team combines a wide range of design skills to offer the high level of experience and knowledge necessary to deliver viable, well designed, imaginative schemes which satisfy the needs of the client as well as the community.
Site promotion is vital to identify land for future developments and to meet the needs of future generations.
DHA’s viability team provides specialist advice to public and private sector clients on development viability. This includes advising on the initial feasibility stages, through the application and late-stage review mechanisms, Section 106 agreements and CIL contributions on a range of schemes.
11.03.2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill introduces radical planning reformsThe Government first announced in the King’s Speech in July 2024 that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill would be introduced in this parliamentary session, and in January, the Secretary of State for Housing Angela revealed the bill was likely to be tabled “around March”. However, the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill has now been introduced to Parliament and DHA looks at some of its key planning reform measures.
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