Alistair joined Birketts in October 2025 and is a Solicitor in the planning and environmental team based in the Cambridge office.
Alistair specialises in environmental law and planning law, both contentious and non- contentious. Alistair acts for a range of clients including manufacturers, landowners, developers, local authorities and private clients in respect of environmental and planning work on issues including environmental permitting, statutory nuisance, Biodiversity Net Gain, Nutrient Neutrality, section 106 obligations, section 73 applications, highways, planning conditions, enforcement matters and planning due diligence.
Alistair also advises on ESG due diligence and compliance, including sustainability reporting, supply chain due diligence and regulatory developments. Alistair is a member of the UK Environmental Law Association Nature Conservation Working Party.
Prior to qualification Alistair worked for over 20 years in the nature conservation sector, advising governments, intergovernmental organisations, research institutions and policy makers in the UK and EU on compliance with multilateral environmental agreements, UK and EU environmental law, and the development of policies and legislation for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
Alistair qualified as a solicitor after gaining experience in construction and criminal compliance and regulatory, and specialising in public law, environmental law and planning law for private and public clients.
Recent work highlights
Advising on ESG Strategy
Providing advice to a financial services client on scoping and developing an initial ESG strategy that addresses stakeholder and investor expectations with a view to incorporating ESG factors into the company’s longer-term business planning.
Environmental and planning warranty advice
Advising a commercial client on the wording of environmental and planning warranties in a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) in connection with the transfer of a company and a mixed-use commercial and residential property owned by the company being transferred.
Planning enforcement advice
Advising private sector clients in relation to enforcement notices and planning complaints relating to changes of use, nuisances, and Local Planning Authority compliance with statutory duties under planning law in relation to planning applications.
Experience & education
2025 Solicitor, Environment and Planning at Birketts LLP
2023 Associate in Public Law, Environment and Planning, Browne Jacobson LLP
2024 ESG Pathfinder, Browne Jacobson LLP
2023 Qualified as a Solicitor
2008 Senior EU Policy Officer, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
2006 Programme Officer, Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)
2002 Biodiversity Liaison Officer, Natural History Museum (NHM)
1999 Policy Officer, UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)
1998 European Masters in Environmental Management, European Association for Environmental Management Education (EAEME)
1996 LLB (Hons) English Law and European Law, Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London and Université Pantheon-Assas (Paris – II)
Areas of Expertise
Accreditations
UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA)
Member
UKELA Nature Conservation Working Party
Member