2024 RTPI Planning Enforcement Conference

The Planning and Environment Group at No5 is widely acknowledged by industry professionals and the legal press as being one of the leading sets of planning and environment barristers in the country. Host to some of the leading barristers in the field, members have been involved in many of the UK’s major cases over the last three decades. Expertise includes energy and infrastructure projects, minerals and waste, retail and commercial development, residential developments (including new town settlements), environmental law, Compulsory purchase, and Enforcement.

Richard Blyth has been Head of Policy Practice and Research at the RTPI since September 2011. Since then he has established the RTPI’s new policy paper series starting with Housing in 2013 and also the special RTPI Centenary Planning Horizons research programme with 5 projects being published in 2014. He is in charge of the RTPI’s work on Brexit and the RTPI’s England policy. Prior to this he was an Associate Director at Capita Symonds where he worked on commissions for local authorities on infrastructure planning to support core strategies, and for a number of private clients on regeneration schemes. He spent over four years in the Civil Service, including being responsible for Local Plans in England. Richard led a small team within the Joint Strategic Planning Unit which produced the last Berkshire Structure Plan and has also worked for district councils on local plans. He spent two years in the Gambia West Africa as a physical planning officer working on physical development plans and market regeneration.

Lindsey Richards BA (Hons) DipTP FRTPI

Lindsey is a chartered town planner with over 30 years’ experience in planning, design and delivery. She has extensive background primarily working in the public sector, experienced in community engagement and bringing together multi-disciplinary teams to deliver key housing projects.  Lindsey’s previous roles included leading the planning team at Milton Keynes Partnership, responsible for the expansion of Milton Keynes and introducing the Milton Keynes Tariff.  Lindsey moved to English Partnerships (now Homes England) in 2009 to head up the delivery team in the Midlands. 

Lindsey’s last role was Head of Planning at Homes England, where she worked  in a consultancy role providing specialist advice to Homes England delivery teams. Lindsey was responsible for driving design quality standards and introducing BfL12 ( forerunner to BfHL) as an assessment tool on Homes England sites. She was a member of the Garden Town and Villages Programme Board and worked closely with DLUHC on policy formulation.  Lindsey strongly advocates the value that early community engagement contributes to projects and oversaw the introduction of a community engagement strategy and toolkit to support Homes England projects. 

Lindsey was Head of Profession within Homes England. She undertook a mentoring role to promote the profession and support licentiate members.  Lindsey established the Planners Network within the Agency and oversaw  training and Homes England annual planning conference. 

Lindsey stepped down from her role at Homes England in April 2023 to concentrate on her Vice-Presidential role with the RTPI.

Lindsey is a member of the General Assembly of the RTPI, vice chair of the Education and Lifelong Learning Committee and became a Fellow in 2018. She is RTPI President 2024.

Lindsey is a Trustee for Design: Midlands

Adam joined the University of Birmingham in 2024 as an Assistant Professor of Urban Planning. Prior to this Adam taught for over a decade and a half in the RTPI Planning School at UWE Bristol, as well as at the university of Gloucestershire. Adam moved into academia from industry in 2007, having previously worked in Development Management for a number of Local Planning Authorities. Gloucester based, Adam now teaches and undertakes research focused upon placemaking, design, development management, enforcement, community participation, decision making/policy interpretation, urban rewilding and Biodiversity Net Gain, planning implementation, aspects of planning history, and research methods.

Claire is an experienced Planning Inspector specialising in enforcement and gypsy and traveller appeals. She has managed Inspector groups and was more recently appointed as Operations Lead for the enforcement appeals service.

I have worked in Local Authority Planning Enforcement for 10 years. My experience spans across County, District and Unitary Councils. I now work for the second largest and newest Unitary in England – Buckinghamshire. I love my work, as it is so varied. I enjoy the challenge of negotiation and the sense of achievement the role gives you. Outside of work, I am an avid animal lover and love spending time with my two daughters

Izindi Visagie LLB, MBA, LARTPI is a solicitor who previously worked in the planning legal teams at a few London local authorities before setting up Ivy Legal. Izindi has a hands-on approach to enforcement work and is as experienced on an early morning raid as she is as advocate at a planning inquiry. Izindi’s experience within local authorities means that she fully understands the needs of her LPA client and the subtle interaction of politics, policies, resourcing, and legal requirements that bedevil planning enforcement.