About Me
Qualifications
I have a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in Town and Country Planning and was elected as a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute in 1980.
General Experience
I have extensive professional experience in planning, in both the private and public sectors, and have been involved in a wide range of development projects throughout England, Wales, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
Consultant
I have practised as a planning consultant for over 30 years (including with a leading national consultancy).
Planning Authorities
I have previously been employed by three UK planning authorities at different levels, with roles in urban master-planning, local plan preparation and development management. From time to time I represent planning authorities as a consultant.
Inspector
For eight years I worked as a part-time Inspector for An Bord Pleanála (the Irish planning appeals board) dealing with appeals in the republic, many of which involved large-scale mixed-use developments and complex issues.
Author
I have written widely on planning law and practice. This has included acting as a co-compiler of ‘Development Control Casebook’, Planning magazine’s weekly legal and planning appeals digest, in which I also replied to readers’ queries in the Forum Q&A slot, being a consultant editor to Development Control Practice (the profession’s principal reference work on planning practice); co-authoring the RIBA Good Practice guide to the planning system of England and Wales (A Guide to Negotiating the Planning Maze); writing and reviewing learning modules for the RTPI’s former web-based Centre for Performance Support; and contributing articles to the NBS.com.
Guest Speaker
I have been a guest speaker at various seminars for property specialists, including RIBA and RTPI CPD events (e.g. Planning Summer School, Reading University 2004).
International Planning
In 1998 I was a member of a delegation of UK town planners that visited the Czech Republic on an International Networking Exchange.
Hobbies
Away from planning I am a keen walker and enjoy travelling, having visited over 50 countries, and have a particular interest in elephants.