Expert witness

Ian is an arboricultural consultant. He manages a team of arboricultural consultants and surveyors delivering all aspects of arboricultural management, including BS-5837-related services for the planning system, National Joint Utilities Group advice for utility providers, tree preservation orders, tree risk surveys for tree/landowners and utility arboricultural advice to electricity distribution network operators.

Ian holds a BSc degree in arboriculture and is a Professional Member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters.

David is a horticulture consultant with over 15 years’ experience in specialising in all aspects of ornamental crop production (protected and outdoor, container and field grown). He primarily supports large commercial nurseries’ crop production but has in-depth knowledge of the wider ornamentals industry and its key drivers. His research interests include weed control, pesticide application, plant growth regulators, biopesticides and pest control.

David holds a BSc (Hons) degree in commercial horticulture, is a BASIS member and is FACTS qualified.

Brendon is a FACTS and BASIS Soil and Water Qualified Advisor with over 15 years’ experience working in the environmental and agricultural sectors for the Environment Agency (EA), United Utilities and more recently RSK ADAS.

Brendon specialises in providing advice to farmers and industry to assist in complying with environmental regulations, focusing particularly on pollution prevention and investigation, assessment and design of farm infrastructure and nutrient management planning, incorporating advice on the use of organic manures and fertilisers. Brendon has extensive knowledge of environmental regulations, covering nitrate vulnerable zones; silage, slurry and agricultural fuel oil (SSAFO); diffuse pollution from agriculture; environmental permitting for both waste and water; and trade effluent.

On behalf of the EA, Brendon led responses to pollution incidents in which he collected evidence in line with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, and he has written a number of case files that were presented in court by EA solicitors, which led to a number of successful prosecutions

Jason is ADAS Technical Director for Livestock, formerly a senior poultry consultant. He has extensive knowledge of poultry meat and egg production systems, with a particular emphasis on animal welfare, product quality and food safety, and biosecurity. Jason leads a team of livestock consultants who provide consultancy relating to eggs and meat for government departments and agencies, trade organisations, commercial producers and packers. His key areas of expertise include costs of production analysis, environmental impacts, legislation and training

Jason has led multiple research projects on the sustainability of livestock systems, the improvement of animal welfare and improving the profitability of farm businesses.

Kirk is a technical director within ADAS’s Agricultural and Land Management team. He has been delivering project management and technical expertise for over 20 years in relation to flood risk management, soil husbandry, land drainage, land restoration and agricultural land classification.

Kirk was a co-author of the AHDB ‘An introduction to field drainage’ guide. He has worked on hundreds of cross-country pipeline schemes and provided government-funded advice to farmers on the control of diffuse water pollution from agriculture. As a national expert in soils, land drainage, drainage law and land restoration, Kirk can act as an expert witness in soils and drainage disputes throughout England and Wales.

Kirk holds a BSc (Hons) degree in environmental management (with environmental policy) from the University of Gloucestershire and a HND in environmental and agricultural engineering from Rycotewood College. He is a Member of the British Society of Soil Science (MI Soil Sci), a Member of the British Hydrological Society and is certified by BASIS in soil and water management.