Deborah Lovatt

Deborah joined AEF in 2016 in a new role designed both to strengthen our relationship with existing members and to seek the views of communities outside our membership who are affected by aviation. Formerly an Associate Lecturer for the Open University, Deborah has a PhD and a Graduate Diploma in Law. She has extensive experience of working for advice-giving charities, and a strong interest in environmental campaigning and in engaging with the planning system, both as a member of the public, and for environmental charities. Deborah ensures that AEF’s members’ views and concerns are reflected in our work programme. She also writes AEF’s website guides, including on the legislation and policy around aviation noise, the aviation-related planning system and airspace change policy.

Deborah has given presentations to the Environmental Law Foundation and to the Strategic Aviation Special Interest Group on planning legislation and policy, focusing in particular on the difficulties of local planning authority decision-making in the context of climate change and the Heathrow third runway decision.