About us

Gary has over 38 years’ experience working on a wide range of landscape and environmental projects, with particular expertise in landscape planning and expert witness work.

Gary has presented evidence as an expert witness at over 100 S278 appeals, covering residential, employment, mixed-use, highway and energy schemes. In recent years, much of his planning appeal work has focused on residential development.

Recent successful schemes include the proposed development of 500 dwellings at the Wheatley Campus, Oxford Brookes University. The site was located within the Green Belt, and Gary provided expert evidence on landscape and Green Belt openness. The scheme was subsequently approved by the Secretary of State.

Gary also provided landscape character and appearance evidence at Colney Heath, where consent was granted for 100 dwellings on a Green Belt greenfield site prior to the latest NPPF. Other Green Belt schemes where consent was secured at appeal include an Extra Care village at Solihull, a Motorway Service Area at Warrington, and a residential development at Nutfield, Surrey, where grey belt issues were considered.

Other residential schemes for which Gary has acted as expert witness include Sutton-in-Ashfield (300 units), Long Melford, Suffolk (150 units), Cliffe Woods, Kent (225 units), Horncastle (300 units), Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire (225 units), Knaresborough (170 units), Tutshill, Gloucestershire (95 units), Boreham, Essex (155 units), and Sissinghurst, Kent (65 units).

Landscape and visual impact assessment for energy developments is another area of expertise, including both wind and solar schemes. Gary has acted as expert witness on a number of renewable energy projects.

Gary’s landscape character assessment experience includes the Charnwood Forest Landscape Character Assessment, which was a finalist in the Landscape Institute Awards in the Landscape Planning category.

Gary also produced the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) on ‘Location and Design for Major Waste Management Proposals’ for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The SPD provides clear, accessible guidance for developers and public authorities and was awarded a Landscape Institute Award.

Gary is a former winner of the Landscape Institute Travel Award, which enabled him to undertake research into the environmental effects of tourism in Turkey. He is also a Fellow of the Landscape Institute and a Professional Practice Examiner.