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Our People

Emma Barnett

Director

Emma is a Director and co-owner of Adams Hendry with more than 24 years experience gained in both the public and private sectors. Her local authority background and understanding of the political context coupled with her commercial awareness developed over 16 years in consultancy enables her to provide pragmatic solutions to deliver complex and often controversial schemes. Using her thorough understanding of planning and environmental policy and consents legislation, she regularly advises clients on residential and commercial schemes as well as major transport schemes. She has experience of the practical application of legislation governing both Development Consent Orders and Local Development Orders.

Andy Blaxland

Director

Andy Blaxland is a Director and co-owner of Adams Hendry. An experienced and committed town planner with 30 years experience in the public and private sectors, he has a particular focus on water and wastewater, energy and waste infrastructure, including DCOs, planning and related consent application preparation, examination and implementation. Andy provides strategic advice to Clients from project inception to implementation, taking both the technical lead role on individual projects as well as overseeing others as Project Director. A NIPA Council member, Andy has successfully led major applications including energy pipeline DCO, water and wastewater infrastructure and commercial schemes, and energy DCO implementation. Andy is currently advising Clients on regional and company water resources management plans, and water sector DCOs and other consent applications. He is an experienced expert witness in planning appeals and inquiries, successfully defending Client’s interests in cases at the lands tribunal, high court and court of appeal.

Phil Rowell

Director

Phil Rowell is a Director and co-owner of Adams Hendry with more than 24 years experience with Adams Hendry. Phil provides both strategic and detailed advice to Clients on a wide variety of planning matters and has led the preparation of numerous applications for strategic infrastructure schemes. He has extensive knowledge and expertise in environmental impact assessment, the planning aspects of compulsory acquisition proceedings and the consenting processes associated with major infrastructure projects – including through the Development Consent Order regime. Phil’s commissions have had a particular focus on ports, harbours and transport infrastructure, having been involved in the preparation, examination and implementation of a variety of different schemes and projects. Phil is an accomplished expert witness with experience of appearing at planning inquiries and examinations, at the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) and in providing evidence for High Court proceedings.

Gareth Bennett

Technical Director

Gareth has worked with Adams Hendry since 2007, and has over 24 years of experience gained in the public and private sectors. Gareth has extensive knowledge of the planning consenting systems for a wide range of infrastructure and major developments, and is a specialist waste, wastewater and water planner. Gareth brings his in-depth understanding of planning process and policy to all of his projects to help guide project strategy, project team management, stakeholder engagement and project implementation. Gareth has led numerous planning applications for Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 EIA developments and for non-EIA developments alike, and has experience of project delivery at all stages of the Development Consent Order regime. Approachable, practical and committed to providing high quality planning solutions, Gareth balances the need to understand the detail with an appreciation of the bigger picture required for the successful delivery of major developments and policy initiatives.

Suzanne Pidgeon

Technical Director

Suzanne has a breadth of planning knowledge and expertise gained in both local government and the private sector over more than 25 years. With an in-depth knowledge of the development control system and local government decision-making process, Suzanne secures planning permission for strategic infrastructure schemes. She has extensive experience in advising clients in the water industry on strategic water and wastewater resource development, including new reservoirs, strategic pipelines, major wastewater and sludge treatment projects, as well as providing input into Water Resource Management Plans and Drought Plans.

Andy Turner

Technical Director

With over 20 years experience, Andy has a breadth of expertise and knowledge of the planning system developed through a wide range of projects including planning inquiries for both private and public sector clients and numerous infrastructure projects, including commercial, housing, transport, water, wastewater, minerals and waste. Andy has considerable knowledge of development management and environmental impact assessment procedures, having successfully project managed a number of strategic, and in many cases controversial, infrastructure schemes.

Jane Parker

Technical Director

Jane has 30 years of planning experience of providing planning advice to public and private sector clients. With excellent project management skills Jane seeks a collaborative and pragmatic approach to finding planning and environmental solutions to secure successful outcomes for clients.  Jane’s has a wide breadth of planning experience and a detailed knowledge of planning regulations which has successfully helped to deliver numerous complex, strategic infrastructure projects including business and commercial development, port development, road and rail schemes and minerals and waste development. Her core skills span the full range planning work including local plan preparation, EIA, development control, expert witness, local development orders and providing advice on planning and consent strategies.

Jennie Reynolds

Associate

Jennie joined Adams Hendry in November 2006 with a successful track record of local plan policy work. Since then Jennie has expanded her experience through working on a wide variety of strategic projects including: the preparation and submission of a variety of planning applications for residential, wastewater and water infrastructure schemes, as well as advising on port and marine industry proposals. Jennie has also been responsible for the submission of representations on policy documents for numerous clients and appeared at local plan examinations. In addition, Jennie has worked on a number of Nationally significant Infrastructure Projects and gained experience of the Development Consent Order regime, particularly the statutory consultation process and its requirements.

Pete Errington

Associate

Pete has over 30 years experience in local and strategic planning having worked for a number of local authorities in Hampshire including Eastleigh and New Forest District Councils and Hampshire County Council. His experience has included working closely with the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) authorities on sub-regional planning and updates to the PUSH spatial strategy. He also worked on housing land supply, flood risk management, minerals & waste, infrastructure planning and nationally significant infrastructure projects. He is experienced in drafting and evidencing local plan policy; also in producing and presenting evidence at Public Examinations. Pete spent 8 years working for the Home Builders Federation where he represented the house building industry at numerous local and strategic plan inquiries and examinations across the wider south east.

Adam Collier

Associate

Adam joined Adams Hendry in 2018 and has over 18 years’ worth of planning and environmental experience within both the public and private sectors. His experience prior to joining Adams Hendry includes extensive knowledge of the development plan system gained through 10 years in the public sector undertaking plan-making. At Adams Hendry, he has experience of the preparation of applications for both major development and Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, including industrial, energy, waste, wastewater, port and transport infrastructure. He also continues to undertake work for public sector clients including minerals and waste planning, local plan development, and s73 planning appeals. Adam is committed to providing a high quality product, which meets the client’s aims and requirements, understands the complex details of projects and the wider planning context that is required to achieve successful project outcomes.

Joanne McLeod

Associate

Jo has 17 years of experience as a planner working in the private sector. She provides planning advice on major infrastructure projects across a range of sectors including water, wastewater, ports and transport. She guides clients through the planning process and works as part of multidisciplinary teams to deliver complex projects. Jo applies her in-depth knowledge of the development management process to prepare and submit planning applications which often require EIA. Jo also has experience in applications for listed building consent, DCOs, Local Development Orders and marine licences.

Rachel Murrell

Associate

Rachel is a chartered town planner with 20 years’ experience gained in both the public and private sectors. With an in-depth understanding of development management and experience of leading multi-disciplinary teams to secure planning permission, Rachel will be supporting Adams Hendry’s work on some of the country’s most complex and challenging infrastructure and development projects.

Matthew Barron

Principal Planner

Since joining Adams Hendry in 2015, Matthew has gained a breadth of experience working on projects in both the public and private sectors, including on commercial and industrial, transport, energy, and water and wastewater developments. Matthew's work has included contributing to the development and delivery of a number of major infrastructure projects, and providing local planning policy support in Hampshire and West Sussex. Through his work on several nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), Matthew has developed knowledge, understanding and experience of the development consent order (DCO) process. Matthew works closely with colleagues at Adams Hendry, along with clients, stakeholders and other disciplines, to find practical solutions to complex planning issues.

James Clancy

Principal Planner

James joined Adams Hendry in October 2021 bringing expertise and knowledge of the planning system gained by working on a wide range of projects at a number of private sector planning and architecture consultancies. His experience has included the preparation and submission of small to medium planning applications, planning appeals, listed building consent applications and permitted development applications. James has worked on large strategic planning applications coordinating a number of consultants and collaborating with other team members. He has also gained experience in a wide range of planning areas including greenbelt, heritage, mixed use sites, commercial and residential.

Emily Reid

Senior Planner

Emily joined Adams Hendry as a Senior Planner in May 2023, bringing four years’ experience across both the public and private sector. Her experience includes the preparation and submission of planning applications for a range of infrastructure projects, including community wastewater and water supply schemes and telecommunication network upgrades while working in a multi-disciplinary consultancy. She also has experience in processing planning applications for a range of activities, including wastewater and stormwater discharges, coastal activities, construction phase activities, and small to medium scale residential development. She has experience in working closely with clients, stakeholders, and experts across various disciplines to achieve successful planning outcomes.

Iman Alsumsam

Planner

Iman joined Adams Hendry in September 2022 as a Planner whilst studying for an MSc in Spatial Planning at Oxford Brookes University. Before joining Adams Hendry, Iman was a busy researcher exploring the social and spatial qualities of public spaces and helping to improve the quality of urban public spaces through her work. She has worked on various projects since joining the company for both private and public clients in a variety of sectors - including transport, wastewater, and ports. Iman has gained experience through these projects by working on drafting planning statements, appraising sites, and submitting planning applications.

Henry Marley

Planner

Henry joined Adams Hendry in July 2023 having attained a First Class degree in Urban and Environmental Planning. Since then, Henry has gained experience through work on a number of projects within the company for both public and private sector clients. Henry has gained experience with work surrounding many different infrastructure projects. These include Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects in a variety of fields such as: energy, waste, wastewater, port and transport infrastructure. He has experience drafting planning applications, planning statements and EIA screening opinion requests, working closely with clients to achieve planning outcomes successfully.

Niki Mein

Graphic Designer

With over 20 years experience, Niki heads up our in-house graphics team. Experienced in design for print, illustration, typography, document layout and GIS, Niki contributes to the production of plans, publications, exhibitions and consultation material for many of our projects. We produce the majority of this material in-house. Our graphics team use a range of software to bring together complicated information from map and engineering based files and produce clear, accessible, attractive graphics. Niki has particular expertise in the design and artwork for large Environmental Statement documents and supporting material for planning applications, including designs for public consultation leaflets, brochures and exhibition panels. This material is often additionally produced for use on the internet.

Mark Simmons

Graphic Designer

Mark has 20 years of experience as a graphic designer. He creates artwork and designs for the many and varied projects at Adams Hendry for both local authority and private sector clients using a full range of design software, including Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. Mark also has the skills required to work in esri ArcGIS Desktop and QGIS, including editing existing data in maps, producing new data and presenting the results in a number of ways. His expertise lies in the design, illustration and production of plans, publications, exhibitions and consultation material, he is experienced at taking complicated and complex information and presenting it in a clear and attractive manner.