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.

Daniel Stephenson

Director, Head of Consultancy

Daniel has extensive corporate real estate experience, including development management, strategic planning and asset management. Daniel joined Aitchison Raffety in 2022 and heads up the Consultancy team advising clients on property strategy.

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.

Jacob Kaven

Senior Planning Consultant

Jacob 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 and  businesses across various sectors.​

Jacob has 8 years of consulting planning experience, managing multiple development applications and promoting sites on behalf of a wide range of clients.  He is a strong project manager with demonstrated problem solving and facilitation ability, enabling him to effectively liaise with Councils and stakeholders to secure planning consent for his clients.

He obtained a Master in Environmental Studies (Urban Planning) in Canada in 2012 and qualified as a Registered Professional Planner (Canadian equivalent of MRTPI) in 2017. Prior to moving to the UK in 2021, Jacob practiced as a consulting planner in the Greater Toronto Area of Canada for six years where he specialised in regenerative, high density mixed-use development in transit hubs / corridors. He has experience in securing consent for large scale residential developments, including apartment blocks.

Prior to joining Aitchison Raffety in May 2023, Jacob was a planning consultant in the East of England where he provided planning advice to a range of clients, including national house builders, rural estates, soft fruit growers, and poultry farmers. He successfully achieved Chartered Town Planner status with the Royal Town Planning Institute in November 2022.

Jonathan Weekes

Regional 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.

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.