The terra firma Consultancy

terra firma is a leading firm of Chartered Landscape Architects with a high reputation for standards of work across the spectrum of Landscape Design Consultancy. Specialisms include master planning and environmental impact assessment, urban landscape design, rural planning and design as well as expert witness and giving evidence at Public Inquiry. Landscape Institute registered Practice. Investors in People Status (2004); Quality Assured to ISO 9001 (2015) Environmental Management Systems ISO 14001 (2015).

Lionel Fanshawe joined terra firma as equity partner in 1996 from Charles Funke Associates where he was Senior Associate Landscape Architect for over six years. A graduate of Leeds Polytechnic, his experience includes the design and implementation supervision of numerous parks, gardens, leisure, health, education, housing and commercial developments, private estates and urban regeneration projects at all scales. He has worked for private practices and public bodies in the UK, USA and New Zealand (where he was Project Landscape Architect for the 1990 Commonwealth Games Village). He is well versed in Environmental Impact Assessment and has frequently appeared as Expert Witness. He was recently a lead witness in a landmark appeal win for an EV charging and tourism facility in the South Downs National Park.

Since arriving at terra firma, Lionel has helped the practice to re-establish itself as a major player in the U.K. Landscape profession and has opened up an increasingly international client base. He set up alshamsi terra firma in Dubai in 2006, tf-LABLondon in 2013 and terrafirmaLT in Lithuania in 2014.

Lionel is an occasional writer and lecturer on landscape issues and has been involved in the wider profession as an external examiner at the University of Greenwich, Member of the Landscape Institute's International working group, Chair of its SW Branch and frequently as an annual LI Awards juror. He is also keenly involved in local community affairs and has been Chair of his local parish council and co-ordinated the production of its Parish Plan; sat on the East Hants District Council’s Architect’s Panel, was a founder member of the South Downs National Park Design Review Panel 2012-2016 and previously sat on both East Hants and NE Hants Design Panels. He was involved in the EHDC COP 26 initiative and has recently been appointed Director of the Hampshire Wide regenerative farming ELMS Convenor Test and Trials project for DEFRA.

Membership and qualifications
Elected Fellow of the Landscape Institute (2006), Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute (1987), Associate New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (1989), Graduate Diploma in Landscape Architecture (with commendation) - Leeds Polytechnic (1984), BA in Landscape Architecture - Leeds Polytechnic (1982)

Robyn Butcher joined terra firma as a graduate straight from university in 1995, becoming Associate 2007, Associate Director 2015 and Director 2020. Robyn currently sits on the Landscape Institute’s Environmental Standards Working Group and has been involved as an author on the recent Competency Framework Review. She sits on the South Downs National Park Authority’s Design Panel, the Test Valley Borough Council Design Panel and is a member of the Hampshire Gardens Trust Conservation and Development Committee. She is an external examiner for Leeds Beckett University.

Robyn regularly appears as an expert witness at planning appeals, including Cornwall’s largest ever Planning Inquiry, representing the Council against the development of a huge ‘Energy from Waste’ facility. She has written design guidelines for new dwellings in the Chichester Harbour AONB, now adopted as Supplementary Design Guidance by the Local Authorities, and has produced EIAs for various controversial exploratory minerals schemes.

Membership and qualifications
Elected Fellow of the Landscape Institute (2022), BA (Hons) Degree (1993) and Graduate Diploma in Landscape Architecture (1995) both at Leeds Metropolitan University.

Alison Galbraith joined terra firma in 2002, becoming Associate Director in 2015 and Director in 2020.  Alison currently chairs the Landscape Institute’s Professional Review Group at the University of Gloucestershire and until recently, sat on the Design Panel for the South Downs National Park. Alison occasionally lectures and regularly writes on landscape issues and mentors candidates on the Landscape Institute’s Pathway to Chartership scheme.

Alison’s design experience includes specialised settings such as mental health hospitals, secure children’s homes and schools, as well as residential, public realm and public parks. Alison has developed the practice’s expertise in large landscape planning studies such as landscape capacity and sensitivity studies and landscape character assessments and has acted as expert witness on behalf of local authorities in local plan examinations in public and appeals for public and private sector clients.

Membership and qualifications
First Class Honours BA and MA Degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Gloucestershire.  Elected Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute (2005).