David Kerfoot obituary

David Browne and Stephen Humphreys pay tribute to planning solicitor David Kerfoot.

David William Kerfoot passed away on 28 March 2025, aged 57. David grew up in Liverpool and qualified as a planning solicitor in 1993. He trained and qualified into local government (Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead) where he worked for a number of years, including as a head of service. He moved to Merrett & Co, then to Eversheds in Cardiff in circa 2005. Later he joined Aaron and Partners in Chester where he was a Partner and head of their Planning team. He also worked at Burges Salmon and Davitt Jones Bould. He spent much of his time as a locum solicitor, working across the country for local planning and highways authorities including Mid Suffolk and Babergh District Councils, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council and Swindon Borough Council. 

David was a well-respected expert in many related areas of law including planning, highways, compulsory acquisition, and common land matters. He was generous with his time, particularly with the junior members of the profession he trained over the years, many of whom stayed in touch with him over his long career. He is remembered by those who knew him well for his encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and for the fact that, no matter how complex the legal question or the stress of a situation, he retained a sense of fun.

Some of David's friends and former colleagues will be meeting in the Cornubia pub in Bristol at 6 pm on 12 June. Anyone who would like to join for a drink to celebrate David's life is very welcome to attend.

David Browne and Stephen Humphreys