The RAC Team

Peter W Danks

Director

Peter is an agri-environmentalist, with a practical background in agricultural engineering gained through working for two international suppliers of irrigation and pollution control equipment. Since joining RAC in 1986 he has mainly been concerned with the impact of agriculture on the environment principally through livestock related development, waste management, spray irrigation, water supply and soil-water matters, latterly working on environmental research projects.

He has presented expert evidence at Planning Hearings and Inquiries, and in the Magistrates, Crown, County and High Courts.
He is a Chartered Environmentalist, a Director of Reading Agricultural Consultants and a member of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s Agriculture, Environment and Animal Care Route Panel. He is a past: Chair of the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants’ Environment Division; Chair of the National Farm Waste Management Register; and member of the Environment Agency’s Thames Regional Environmental Policy Advisory Committee. For 17 years until 2007, he was an elected Trustee and member of the Board of Management of the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.
With colleagues, he has undertaken research for the Environment Agency, UKWIR and Water UK into catchment management, pollution prevention and the impact of intensive livestock production, pesticide use and land management on surface and groundwater.
With RAC he has participated in catchment-scale projects to assess and influence the role of land management in water quality and flooding, making use of a range of metrics, and radar and optical imagery from remote sensing. With the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, he is working to develop the use of remote sensing and existing datasets to estimate the health and carbon content of natural and agricultural soils across the UK.
Academic Qualifications
• BSc (Hons) Geography, Aberystwyth, 1977
• PGCert Education, Cambridge, 1978
Professional Affiliations
• Chartered Environmentalist
• Member of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers
• Fellow of the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants (retired)
• Practitioner Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment

Alastair Field

Director

Alastair is a Director and the Company Secretary of RAC. He has been a consultant in agriculture, agricultural economics, rural land use planning and soil science for over thirty years and has considerable experience of managing and carrying out assessments of the impact of all types of developments on agriculture and soils, particularly major infrastructure projects (highways, high speed railways, strategic rail freight interchanges, airports and pipelines); mineral extraction and restoration; residential, industrial and commercial developments; renewable energy developments; and managed coastline retreat, flood protection and habitat creation schemes.

He has developed soil resource plans for major infrastructure and housing developments to identify the soil resources available on site, advised on the most appropriate re-use of different soil types within the land use and green infrastructure proposals for sites, and supervised soil handling, storage and replacement works on site. He has designed, specified and supervised the implementation of new allotment sites.
He is commissioned by local planning authorities and by farmers and landowners throughout the country in relation to developments in the agricultural, horticultural, equestrian and other rural land use sectors. He has produced guidance and policy interpretation notes, provided training courses to local planning authorities on agricultural developments, drafted supplementary planning guidance, and prepared a guide for farmers on the planning issues involved in farm diversification proposals.
His agri-environment work has included preparation of agricultural land management plans for World Heritage Sites; the design of a Countryside Stewardship Special Project for medieval open strip fields; the impact of modern farming methods on English lowland landscapes; a study of de facto access to the countryside; evaluations of agri-environment schemes in England and Wales; advice on income foregone payments to farmers; and the application of ecosystem-based approaches to the management of protected areas.
He has given expert evidence at over 100 public inquiries, planning hearings and DCO examinations in relation to the impact of infrastructure and other developments on agricultural land and soils, and in relation to agricultural developments.  
Academic Qualifications  
• BA(Hons) Geography, Durham University, 1983
• Postgraduate Diploma, Agricultural Economics, Reading University, 1984
• MSc, Agricultural Economics, Reading University, 1985  
Professional Affiliations  
• Practitioner Member Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment
• Fellow British Institute of Agricultural Consultants
• Member Institute of Soil Science

Janette Baker

Financial Director

Financial Director

Alex Lawrence

Director

Alex has been in private practice for 19 years specialising in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and management of complex planning applications within the rural/agricultural sector. His planning experience not only relates to large, often controversial agricultural developments, but also includes other rural projects including: renewable energy schemes (specialising in anaerobic digestion projects); leisure facilities; concrete batching; steel fabrication; composting and other waste development sites. In order to be successful, complex planning applications require all potential issues to be identified at an early stage to ensure relevant environmental sub-consultants can influence the design and reduce the potential resistance to a project throughout the planning application process. Planning applications, especially those which have been subject to EIA, require a high level of project management to ensure the timely delivery of the desired decision. His EIA experience has developed through providing specialist agricultural and soils topic input to large EIA Reports, including High Speed 2; numerous highways schemes; residential and commercial urban extensions; airport expansion; golf courses; mineral extraction; and habitat creation schemes. He has also extensive experience of the EIA regulations for agricultural developments through advising clients on the requirements of the regulations in terms of a proposed development, and coordinating the EIA report to accompany any subsequent planning application.

Academic Qualifications
• BSc(Hons) Environmental Science, Manchester Metropolitan, 2000
• PGCert Environmental Impact Assessment, Oxford Brookes, 2003
• MSc, Spatial Planning, Oxford Brookes, 2006
Professional Affiliations
• Licentiate Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute

Peter Williams

Associate

Peter has a BSc (Hons) degree in Agriculture from the University of Reading. Following employment in the Department of Agriculture at the University of Reading, he has been in private practice with Reading Agricultural Consultants for over 30 years. He is a practical agriculturalist with his own farm and a strong background in land use planning matters.

He has considerable experience of assessing the impact of developments on soils and agriculture as part of multi-disciplinary teams on over thirty highway schemes (including for Highways England); various airport development schemes; and other infrastructure projects. He has been heavily involved in the High Speed (HS2) rail project since 2012. These projects have required interviewing affected farmers and assessing the likely impact of development on farms; and proposing and designing mitigation and accommodation works.
Peter also has considerable experience in the preparation of appraisals (>1,000) for rural workers’ dwellings both acting for farmer-clients and local authorities; he has appeared at numerous Planning Inquiries and Informal Hearings to give expert evidence (>100).
  Academic Qualifications
• BSc(Hons), Agriculture, Reading, 1990
• OND, Agriculture, Berkshire College of Agriculture,1983
Professional Affiliations
• Fellow of the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants

Sophie Webb

Associate

Sophie is a soil surveyor and scientist with experience of assessing soil and land quality across England and Wales. As well as Agricultural Land Classification reports, she has tailored assessments for inclusion in ES Chapters, restoration progress reports and contaminated land investigations. Sophie is a member of the British Land Reclamation Society. Her independent research has considered the impacts of farming practices on soil compaction and subsequent greenhouse gas emission, and in a separate project, the behaviour and ecotoxicity of ionic and nanoparticulate zinc in the soil environment.

• BSc (Hons) Physical Geography, Queen Mary, University of London, 2010
• MSc, Environmental Management, University of Reading, 2011
• Member of the British Land Reclamation Society
• Member of the British Society of Soil Science

Howard Elliott

Associate

Howard has over 40 years’ experience of the competing interests in the countryside, drawn from a research background in land resource evaluation, some 13 years’ service as a senior officer of the National Farmers Union, and from private consultancy involving a wide range of rural planning and environmental issues. He has worked extensively with public and private interests in commissions concerning the assessment of the impact of urban developments and infrastructure proposals on agricultural and other rural resources; rural projects related to the development of the rural economy and conservation and recreational initiatives, and the appraisal of related policy frameworks; and individual agricultural and rural planning proposals, principally relating to commercial and residential developments in the countryside. He has extensive experience as an expert witness, having given evidence at over 150 public inquiries and planning hearings.  

Academic Qualifications
• BA (Hons), Geography, Sheffield, 1969
• MSc, Applied Geomorphology, Sheffield, 1970
• Certificate in Environmental Impact Assessment, Oxford Brookes, 2000
Professional Affiliations
• Fellow of the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants
• Practitioner Member of the Institute of Environmental
• Management and Assessment

Ieuan Williams

Associate

Ieuan is an agriculturalist and environmentalist with twenty-six years experience in practical agriculture, twenty-three of which have been spent in a managerial position on the family farm. He now owns and runs his own beef and sheep farm alongside his consultancy work. He has gained much experience working in a wide range of systems. His knowledge was enhanced through the completion of a Masters Degree in Environmental Management at the University of Wales and he sits on the examination panel of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment and lectures at workshops for prospective candidates for the Associate Open Book Examinations. He commenced rural land use and planning consultancy with Reading Agricultural Consultants in 2006. Ieuan is now routinely retained as a specialist agricultural planning consultant by seven Local Planning Authorities plus others on an ad hoc basis and has provided expert evidence at Inquiries and the Crown Court for a range of clients. Through his farm work and NFU associations he has gained considerable knowledge and experience of agri-environment schemes, particularly in Wales; Single Payment applications (formerly IACS); and farm diversification issues. He is also gaining experience in assessing the impact of major developments on agriculture and has successfully completed assessments of proposed housing, roads and pipeline development.

Academic Qualifications
• BSc(Hons), Agriculture, Reading, 1984
• MA, Environmental Management, Newport, 2007
Professional Affiliations
• Associate of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment
• Member of the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants
• Member of the National Farmers' Union

Alan Bloor

Associate

Alan qualified with a BSc (Hons) in Animal Husbandry and has a practical background in agriculture gained through working as a farm manager on a large Government research establishment, industry bodies and government departments. He has experience across a wide range of livestock species: dairy and beef cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry and horses; as well as specialist knowledge of livestock breeding, feeding, management, grassland management, animal behaviour and welfare programmes. Since joining Reading Agricultural Consultants in 2000 he has been involved with a wide variety of clients including farm animal housing, business plans and agricultural appraisals, quantum and validation of claims for cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, quantum and validation of claims for accidents at work and bio security programmes.  

Academic Qualifications
• BSc (Hons), Agriculture, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1973
Professional Affiliations
• Member of the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants
• Member of the Royal Agricultural Society of England
• Member of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation

Harry Day

Associate

Harry Day specialises in soils, agronomy and the environment. He holds a BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection in field vegetables and is a Member of the BASIS Professional Register, a legal requirement for those selling, supplying or advising on pesticides. Harry holds FACTS Qualified Fertiliser Advisor (FQA) status. Harry has carried out work for loss adjusters and insurance companies to investigate the causation of yield reduction due to herbicide damage and pest and disease, in a wide variety of crops including field vegetables, cereals and soft fruit. He has carried out analyses of agronomic records, collection of field data, interpretation of pesticide residue analyses and quantification of losses. Harry has carried out Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) and soil resource surveys across more than 1,000ha of land for large infrastructure projects, including high speed rail. He has carried out multiple research projects in the agriculture-environment arena, including catchment management to reduce and predict agricultural pollution. Harry has researched trends in agricultural technology and how they might affect potential future changes in risks to drinking water. Harry has made successful licence applications to regulators for permitted activities, including: water abstraction; intensive livestock farming; and anaerobic digestion. He has experience carrying out groundwater source investigations.

  Academic Qualifications
• BA (Hons) International Relations and History, University of Leicester, 2008
• MSc Environmental Management candidate, Open University, 2012
• BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection in field vegetables
• FACTS Horticulture Certification & Training Scheme
Professional Affiliations
• Member of the BASIS Professional Register (MBPR)
• FACTS Qualified Fertiliser Advisor (FQA)
• Practitioner member of the Institute of Environmental
• Management and Assessment (IEMA)
• Associate of the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS)

Charity Mercer

Associate

Charity is a soil surveyor and scientist with experience of assessing soil and land quality across England and Wales, producing Agricultural Land Classification reports. Charity is an Associate Member of the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS). She has experience in the horticultural sector from assisting the running of her family’s market gardening nursery. She has undertaken research to assess the impact of onshore shale gas drilling on the energy production in the UK, assessing the environmental, social and economic factors.

Academic Qualifications
• BSc (Hons) Geological Oceanography, Bangor University, 2012

• Associate Member of the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS)

Olivia Wojniak

Associate

Olivia has worked in private and public practice since graduating, specialising in rural planning and policy. Her experience over the last 11 years of private and public practice has seen her work across a variety of agricultural and rural land-uses including livestock units, arable, horticulture, aquaculture, equestrian, residential and commercial property management as forms of diversification, and Local Plan policy writing. She is regularly engaged by farmers, rural businesses and local planning authorities to appraise a wide range of rural enterprises and to assist with planning applications for new dwellings, buildings and facilities; changes of use; Certificates of Lawfulness; and discharge and removal of conditions, appeals and public inquiries. More recently she has started working on infrastructure projects carrying out Farm Business Interviews.

Academic Qualifications
• BSc(Hons) Rural Land Management, Royal Agricultural College, 2010
Professional Affiliations
• RICS Associate (Land Pathway)
• BIAC Associate

Dr Stephen Heming

Associate

Stephen Heming has a very broad range of experience in soils in the agricultural context – especially laboratory procedures, sampling for pH, nutrients and mineral Nitrogen. His speciality is the interface of soil chemistry and physics, interpretation of laboratory results into lime and nutrient recommendations for arable crops, grassland and, more recently, vines. He has published papers on Phosphate/ Potassium balances from on-farm soil analysis data in the UK, is computer literate and developed farm fertiliser programmes. He has been making fertiliser plans for over 50 farmer clients in southern England, with full integration of animal manures, sludges, wastes etc. He currently provides soil advice and lime and fertiliser recommendations for thirteen commercial vineyards in southern England. In the early 1990s his then company pioneered nutrient evaluation and ‘marketing’ of sewage sludges. He is currently involved in the development of Precision Farming techniques. He is instructed in soil survey and has conducted routine surveys on a large number of farms, also for specialist ALC grading, troubleshooting poor reinstatements, assessing soils for waste management planning and experience on sports soils. With his extensive practical experience, he is involved in teaching FACTS and principles for correct application of fertiliser and manures (Defra booklet RB209, NVZ rules etc), and requested to produce training bulletins.

Academic Qualifications
• BSc(Hons) Soil Science, University of Reading, 1979
• DPhil Soil Chemistry, University of Reading, 1983
• FACTS Qualified Fertiliser Advisor
Professional Affiliations
• Member, Institute of Professional Soil Scientists

Alex Mitchell

Associate

Alex Mitchell is a soil surveyor and scientist specialising in the assessment of land quality and the reuse and reinstatement of soil resources. He has carried out Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) and soil resource surveys for a variety of infrastructure schemes across England and Wales, including railways, highways and renewable energy projects; for residential and commercial developments; and for mineral extraction and restoration sites. He has prepared soil resource and ALC reports; drafted soil and agricultural land sections of Environmental Statements; prepared restoration progress reports and soil resource plans. Alex has provided Computer Aided Design and GIS support for planning applications and large infrastructure schemes, analysing geospatial data and creating maps.

Academic Qualifications
• BSc (Hons) Geology, Cardiff University, 2016
Professional Affiliations
• Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment
• Member of the British Society of Soil Science

Roger Sewill

Associate

Roger qualified as a Land Agent in 1989 having studied Rural Estate Management at the Royal Agricultural College (University) Cirencester. He has worked in private practice, for the National Trust and Dorset County Council, as well as running his own rural planning consultancy. He is a property manager with wide experience in Public Sector rural and general estate management, having run the Dorset County Council’s County Farms Estate for over 10 years. He led a significant estate transformation programme for the County Farms Estate, as well as being the Council's Strategic Estates Manager responsible for wider council assets and estate team. Since 1992 he has been supporting local authorities and private clients in agricultural and equine planning assessments and appeals.

Academic Qualifications
• Rural Estate Management Diploma, Cirencester
Professional Affiliations
• Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors MRICS

Robert Wytchard

Associate

Robert is an experienced farm business manager having spent 28-years managing the a 2,500 acre Mapledurham Estate near Reading. He was directly responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day control of the dairy and arable operations, as well as execution of marketing and sales including securing a Marks and Spencer premium milk contract. He has in depth knowledge of the development of renewable energy projects from their inception to completion including anaerobic digestion plants and biomass energy. He has experience of managing a large number of residential properties and commercial lettings, as well as a number of other farm diversification activities and other businesses including two golf courses, two pubs, paintball, fishing, Mapledurham stately home and watermill opening, film sets, paintball, weddings, fayres, and arranging leases for camping and parking with Reading Festival.

Sophie Berry

Associate

Sophie has been a professional planner since 2006, during which time she has worked in various development management roles at local authority level and also as a Planning Manager at the Welsh Government. She has been operating as a private planning consultant at Reading Agricultural Consultants since mid-2019. Her experience is varied and includes urban and rural projects. The applications she has handled range from complex regeneration and housing schemes to major rural leisure developments, diversification schemes and rural conversions, where she has tackled matters involving Environmental Impact Assessment, Appropriate Assessments, land contamination, protected species, historic environment, noise and other constraints. Sophie spent a number of years working in planning enforcement, handling retrospective applications and appeals and subsequently going on to assist the Welsh Government in developing a research project and new planning enforcement legislation in Wales. Planning appeals and enforcement remain a particular interest, as Sophie utilises her local authority and Welsh Government experience to help clients achieve appropriate and acceptable forms of retrospective development. Sophie also has experience in presenting to planning committees, giving evidence in court and making representations in planning appeals. Sophie was a contributory author to ‘The Essential Guide to Planning Law: Decision Making and Practice in the UK’ Shepherd Et Al, Policy Press (2017).  

Academic Qualifications
• BSc (Hons) – City and Regional Planning, Cardiff University, 2008
• MSc Regeneration Studies, Cardiff University, 2013
Professional Affiliations
• Licentiate Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute

Linda Breadmore

Office Administrator

Office Administrator