About Me

A&DP Ltd

Planning Director – April 2019 to present day

As Director and Senior Planning Consultant at A & DP Ltd, I manage a broad portfolio of planning projects across the residential, commercial, mixed-use, and leisure sectors throughout Essex, London, and the wider South East. I lead projects from initial feasibility and site strategy through planning application, negotiation, reserved matters approvals, discharge of conditions, s73 amendments, and appeal, often on sites with complex planning constraints or restrictive policy designations.

A significant part of my work involves major residential development and strategic urban extensions, including the delivery of large multi-phase housing schemes. I regularly manage reserved matters submissions, amendments, and post-permission approvals across multiple development parcels, working closely with developers, land promoters, and consultant teams to ensure that complex permissions are translated into deliverable development. This includes coordinating planning strategy across several phases of large sites, ensuring consistency of design, infrastructure delivery, and compliance with outline approvals.

My residential experience ranges from strategic greenfield allocations and urban extensions delivering several hundred homes, through to smaller residential schemes in villages, infill sites, and developments within the Green Belt.

I have been involved in projects at every stage of the planning process, from early feasibility and site promotion through to detailed design approvals and implementation.

I have also played a key role in strategic land promotion and Local Plan representation, supporting the allocation and promotion of significant residential and employment sites.

Alongside residential work, I advise on a range of commercial, leisure, and mixed-use developments, including projects for hospitality operators, equestrian facilities, and emerging leisure uses. My work also includes specialist areas such as rural diversification, holiday and glamping accommodation, barn conversions, and Certificates of Lawfulness.

A recurring theme across my work is securing planning permission in challenging policy environments, including sites within the Green Belt, Conservation Areas, and other constrained locations where careful planning strategy and negotiation are required.

My portfolio of work can be viewed here.

Plainview Planning Ltd

Planning Manager – February 2013 to April 2019

As Planning Manager at Planview Planning Ltd, I led a wide range of complex planning projects across England, acting for private developers, landowners, public bodies and commercial operators. My role focused on securing planning permission in challenging policy contexts through robust planning strategy, evidence-led submissions, and effective negotiation and appeal work.

My residential experience spans a wide range of project types and scales. This included: infill, backland sites and residential subdivision, replacement dwellings, urban redevelopments, self-build projects and sensitively designed flatted schemes, village extensions and greenfield sites of approximately 100 dwellings. This included developments within the Green Belt, protected open space, National Parks and sites outside of settlement boundaries.

This breadth of experience includes securing planning permission and planning appeal successes for residential development in both straightforward and highly constrained planning contexts, as well as obtaining Certificates of Lawfulness for existing residential uses and developments.

My experience also covered a broad range of specialist schemes. This included commercial schemes, such as a hotel near London City Airport, town centre redevelopments, holiday-let accommodation, leisure, medical facilities, and the conversion of redundant agricultural buildings. I also advised on changes of use of public houses and the delivery of ancillary and guest accommodation.

In addition, I acted for extensive landowners and bodies of various sizes providing planning strategy and feasibility advice in relation to complex operational sites and surplus estate portfolios.

Alongside application work, I prepared and managed numerous planning appeals, including successful hearings and written representations, demonstrating a strong track record of securing consent where proposals conflicted with adopted policy but were supported by material considerations.

Ransome and Company Ltd

Planning Director – April 2009 to February 2013

Alongside my local authority roles, I established and developed a private planning consultancy, advising a range of private clients and managing projects from initial feasibility through to decision and appeal.

I successfully prepared, submitted, and project managed planning applications and appeals across a wide range of development types. I advised on extensions and alterations to existing buildings and on significant residential development proposals within the Green Belt, navigating complex policy constraints and planning balance considerations.

I also submitted development plan representations on behalf of a national commercial landlord, helping to protect client interests and influence emerging employment policies.

My experience also covered residential new-build developments, care home proposals, and a wide variety of change of use applications—from homeworking and gyms to other commercial uses—often within areas subject to restrictive planning policies.

Maldon District Council

Principal Policy Planner – November 2011 to February 2013

As a Senior Policy Planner in Maldon District Council’s Strategic Planning Team, I have played a key role in progressing the Council’s Local Development Plan, with responsibilities spanning evidence preparation, spatial strategy development, and policy drafting.

I prepared, managed, and authored the Council’s Infrastructure Delivery Plan and led the progression of a wide range of technical evidence-base documents, including the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment, Strategic Housing Market Assessment, Characterisation Study, and Sustainability Appraisal.

A central part of my role involved developing the Council’s preferred spatial strategy, including the identification and assessment of strategic housing allocations of over 3,000 dwellings, alongside reasonable alternative options. This work required careful consideration of objectively assessed housing need and the Duty to Cooperate.

I also drafted both strategic and development management policies for the Local Development Plan up to the Preferred Options stage and acted as lead planning officer for the delivery of the new Maldon Community Hospital, coordinating planning policy input for a key piece of community infrastructure.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

Senior Policy Planner – January 2010 to April 2011

As a Senior Policy Planner in the Strategic Planning Team, I project managed the preparation of Southend-on-Sea’s Development Management Development Plan Document from inception through to Proposed Submission. This role involved leading policy development, coordinating internal stakeholders, and managing statutory consultation.

I drafted the Development Management Issues and Options consultation paper and the Submission document.

Alongside policy drafting, I was responsible for key supporting assessments, including Habitats Regulations Assessment screening reports for both the Development Management DPD and the Southend Central Area Action Plan, as well as the Equalities Impact Assessment.

I also ensured that the evidence base was accurate and up to date, researching and preparing technical documents as required, and drafted the Development Management Proposed Submission document.

Thurrock Borough Council

Senior Policy Planner – April 2009 to January 2010

I worked as a Senior Policy Planner within Thurrock Borough Council’s Strategic Planning Team during the preparation of the Core Strategy Submission document. My role focused on policy drafting, evidence-base management, and supporting the examination process.

I drafted housing and employment policies for the Core Strategy and provided technical expertise on employment land matters. This included leading the update of the Thurrock Employment Land Review and preparing employment capacity assessments for proposed employment sites, ensuring that policies were supported by robust and up-to-date evidence.

I worked closely with external consultants on the preparation of technical documents, represented the Council at sub-regional planning meetings, and provided evidence and professional support during the Lakeside Basin Single Issue Review Examination in Public.

In addition, I project managed the Minerals and Waste Development Plan Document Issues and Options consultation, overseeing the consultation process and coordination of technical inputs.

RPS Planning and Development, London

Planning Consultant (September 2006 – April 2009)

As a Planning Consultant at RPS, I worked with a wide range of private clients, including an international supermarket retailer, national warehouse operators, a leading London housing association, and a pension management company. This role marked my transition into planning consultancy and provided broad experience across development management, appeals, and strategic planning.

I was responsible for managing and submitting complex planning applications for retail, residential, and commercial developments, including the coordination of technical consultants and the negotiation of proposals with local planning authorities.

I also worked on several major and sensitive projects, including feasibility work to support the relocation of a Premiership football club, planning and evidence gathering for an urban extension to Harlow, and proposals for major gas infrastructure development in South Essex.

My experience included the preparation and management of planning appeal submissions, as well as drafting representations to development plan documents on behalf of residential developers and commercial property portfolio holders across London and the South East.

In addition, I supported the expansion of national industrial, trade-counter, and self-storage operators in locations subject to restrictive planning policies, and prepared retail impact assessments. I also contributed to urban design frameworks, concept statements, and Design and Access Statements for residential schemes promoted by national housebuilders, providing clear, commercially focused planning advice throughout.

Chelmsford Borough Council

Planning Assistant (February 2003 – August 2005) & Policy Planner (August 2005 – September 2006)

I began my planning career at Chelmsford Borough Council, working across policy development, evidence gathering, and public consultation during the transition to the Local Development Framework.

My role included drafting the Council’s responses to representations on the Chelmsford Local Plan and assessing major greenfield housing sites promoted by developers through early LDF consultations. This involved site appraisals, constraint analysis, and input into decisions shaping the Council’s spatial strategy.

I contributed to employment land review work and the preparation of key evidence-base documents, including the Chelmsford Employment Land Review, and provided written input into the Core Strategy and Development Control Development Plan Documents. I also assisted in preparing evidence for Planning Inquiries, gaining early experience of how local plan policies are tested at examination.

Further work included contributions to the Chelmsford Town Centre Area Action Plan, production of the Annual Monitoring Report, and the management of cross-boundary planning projects involving multiple Essex local authorities.

Alongside policy work, I was involved in Local Development Framework public consultation, including stakeholder engagement, public exhibitions, and website content management, and regularly provided planning advice to development management officers and developers.