Property experts to help you achieve your goals

Andrew Gray

Associate Director

Andrew is a full member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, as well as the Institute of Economic Development. He has over fifteen years of experience having worked in urban design, master-planning and landscape practices; where he worked on a wide range of complex mixed-use regeneration and residential projects, which include an RTPI award for excellence in the delivery of housing.

Throughout his time at Aitchison Raffety he has been involved a range of planning applications and undertaken planning appeals via written representations and public hearings. He has experience of undertaking planning appraisals, as well as promoting land through the development plan process.

Bruce O’Brien

Senior Planning Consultant

Bruce is responsible for managing a range of projects and providing planning guidance to clients from all sectors of the development industry, including private landowners, developers, housing associations, local authorities, schools and businesses.

Bruce has a Master of Science Degree in Town Planning and is a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. He completed an undergraduate certificate in Historic Buildng Conservation at Cambridge University.

Bruce gained a wealth of experience within the construction and development industries before moving into the planning sector. He previously worked within several local authority planning departments, including Colchester Borough Council, East Hertfordshire District Council, Tendring District Council and Uttlesford District Council.

Bruce has significant experience of planning related developments, including residential, commercial, employment and mixed use. He enjoys working within the historic built environment and has worked closely with Local Council Conservation teams. He also has considerable experience in pre-application discussions and undertaking appeals, including Written Representations and Hearings.

Duncan Thomas

Head of Planning & Development Advisory

Duncan joined Aitchison Raffety in August 2024 as Head of Planning and Development, based in our London office.

Duncan has over 25 years’ experience of development, planning and regeneration projects nationwide gained through roles in both consultancy and client-side in the public sector. His projects have spanned various market sectors and ranged in scale from small scale opportunities through to major town and city centre mixed use developments and the delivery of new communities.

Leading the Planning and Development team Duncan is passionate about coordinating the delivery of high-quality advice to both existing and new clients of the business.

 

Hayden Todd

Associate Director

Hayden joined Aitchison Raffety in 2014 having previously worked within several local authorities planning departments, including the London Borough of Harrow, London Borough of Newham and St Albans City and District Council.

He has a wealth of experience handling a diverse range of planning related developments, including residential, commercial, employment and mixed use developments.  Hayden also has considerable experience in pre-application discussions and undertaking appeals, including Written Representations, Hearings and Inquiries.

In January 2019, Hayden was promoted to an Associate Director.

Areas of work

• Planning Applications
• Appraising development opportunities
• Appeals
• Promoting sites in emerging Local Plans
• Enforcement Notices

Achievements

Since joining Aitchison Raffety, Hayden has worked on a range of planning schemes, including the following:

• Large scale mixed-use scheme for construction of 268 flats and 1404 square metres of office space.
• Conversion of an office building and its subsequent remodelling and extension to form a high rise city centre development.
• Sensitive heritage led major development for the conversion and redevelopment of a Listed public house to provide four residential units, and seven town houses.
• Presented evidence at a Public Inquiry for a retirement village.
• Redevelopment of a Green Belt site to provide nine dwellings.

Jonathan Weekes

Technical Director

Jonathan is a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and has 20 years experience working in planning consultancies.  He has been involved in submitting a wide variety of planning  applications, including Planning, Conservation Area, Listed Building, Certificate of Lawful Use/Development and Prior Approval Notices.  This experience incorporates residential, commercial, employment and mixed use developments through projects for national companies, through to individuals within both the public and private sectors.

Jonathan has also been involved with a number of planning appeals, via the Written Representation and Hearing routes as well as supporting management for Inquiries.   He also advises on the development potential of sites and has experience of promoting land through the development plan process.

Jonathan was promoted to Director in 2018.

Kevin Rolfe

Consultant

Kevin joined the company in 1988 having previously worked for a PLC house builder.  He has 30 years’ experience in the sale of residential development sites and mixed use projects.

With vast market knowledge and understanding of the development process, Kevin is able to identify sites and provide a full project management disposal package. He has extensive experience of maximising asset value via all forms of disposals including option, conditional contracts, sale by informal and formal tender, and private treaty sale.

Kevin works with individual property owners through to public sector organisations and major companies.

Areas of work

• Acquisition and disposal of sites
• Market appraisal and advice
• Securing planning consent
• Optimising design
• Project managing a professional team
• Marketing and disposal of the finished product

Testimonials

“Thank you for your education, advice and guidance towards what became a successful sale of London Road Business Park. It was a pleasure to work with you and gain otherwise unobtainable knowledge and experience with the right choice of company to negotiate with. You were always available when I called or would promptly return my call which is a rare thing these days! I always felt like I was in good hands. I would not hesitate to recommend you and will not hesitate to come back to you myself in the future should I require help and assistance with the same area of property sale or purchase.” Hemel Hempstead Property Co (Apsley) Limited

“I have known and worked with Kevin for many years. With a comprehensive knowledge of the market, ability to identify the right housebuilders for the right sites and great attention to detail, often involving complex legal contractual and title issues, Kevin is a first-rate development land agent.” Richard James, Director, Marchfield Group Ltd

“With timely and appropriate communication throughout what was, at times, a very sensitive set of negotiations, Aitchison Raffety provided the reliability and market-knowledge we needed to achieve our goals.  The Board expressed complete comfort and satisfaction with the service and the value provided.” Dr Ken Young, Bursar, St Margarets School, Bushey, Hertfordshire

“We have been extremely impressed with the sound and clear advice you have provided over the past 21 months or so. We could not have achieved the result we have without your tremendous support and knowledge. It has been a pleasure to have worked with you.” Private Individual

 

Leanne Castle

Technical and Operations Coordinator

Nigel Ozier

Director

Nigel has more than 40 years experience in town and country planning including work in Central and Local Government spheres, private practice and educational establishments.

He has represented national oil companies, major house builders and local authorities on a wide spectrum of planning work.  Over the last 30 years, he has been involved in the assessment of all planning matters relating to the evaluation of sites and their acquisition and development.

Nigel is experienced at negotiating on small and large projects, planning applications, legal agreements, appeals, development plan inquiries and local development framework representations.

 

Sally Stroman

Associate Director, Planning

Sally is responsible for providing planning guidance to clients from all sectors of the development industry including private land owners, local developers and local businesses, dealing with projects of all types, uses and scale throughout the UK.

Sally was elected as Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute in 1993. She has over 25 years’ experience in town planning both in the public and private sectors.

Prior to joining Aitchison Raffety in September 2022, her experience includes working in local government in both development management and planning policy, town centre and regeneration projects, leisure and theme park developments, representing private clients for bespoke individual dwellings together with working with small developers in the delivery of small housing schemes.