Preparing for Appeals, Hearings and Inquiries

Since graduating from UWE with an MA in Town and Country Planning Alexis started out in development management. After being made an offer he couldn’t refuse, Alexis transferred into transport planning where he now has over 10 years’ experience as a chartered Town Planner. Alexis has a wide range of experience from leading on the Western Gateway Sub-National Transport Body’s Rail Strategy, preparing major transport bids, writing supplementary planning documents, to delivering small scale projects on the ground. Not content with just the two degrees Alexis completed an MSc in Transport Planning and Engineering at the University of Southampton to broaden his knowledge and expertise in transport planning. Looking for new challenges Alexis moved back into development management and is BCP’s Transport Development Manager.

Chris is an Associate Director at Pure Town Planning, who are an RTPI Chartered Town Planning Practice and work on a wide variety of projects across the south of England with offices located in Bournemouth and Winchester.

Chris was born and educated in Bristol where he attained a First-Class BA (Hons) degree in Town and Country Planning and a Masters in Planning with Urban Design at the University of the West of England (UWE). Upon graduating from UWE in 2012, Chris moved to Dorset and began working as a Planning Officer at Dorset Council.

In 2014, Chris joined Pure Town Planning as a Planning Consultant and he worked on a variety of planning applications and appeals over a five-year period. In 2019, Chris was appointed by the Secretary of State to be a Planning Inspector, a position which he held for two years before re-joining Pure Town Planning in 2021.

Prior to joining the RTPI South West Regional Activities Committee, Chris was the Chair of the RTPI Dorset Young Planners Steering Group and he’s currently the Group’s Treasurer. He’s passionate about mentoring licentiate members and has helped several colleagues successfully work towards their chartered membership.

Helen deals with a variety of casework, including S78 planning appeals, Compulsory Purchase Orders, Tree Preservation Orders, Rights of Way, Common Land and Coastal Access.  She has also held some more unusual public inquiries under Section 31 of the Harbours Act 1964 for objections to harbour dues, and under S6 of the Transport Charges &C. (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1954 for an order to revise toll charges. Helen set up and Co-Chaired the Planning Inspectorate’s Women’s Network for several years.  She holds a first class degree in Environmental Science and is particularly interested in environmental and sustainability issues.  Outside of work she volunteers at a community garden and construction has started on her own sustainable house where, hopefully,  both the space heating demand and total energy consumption will be roughly half  the targets set in Policy SEC1 of the Cornwall Climate Emergency DPD.

Leanne is a specialist Planning and Housing practitioner. She has been previously recognised in Planning Magazine’s Guide to Planning Lawyers and Law Survey as one of the top planning juniors under 35. She was also included in the Women of Infuence 2018 list in the RTPI’s The Planner magazine. Leanne regularly advises and represents developers, Local Planning Authorities and Rule 6 Parties at all stages of the process on a broad range of planning matters including large residential developments, changes of use, stationing of mobile homes and caravans, development within residential curtilages and “granny annexes”, the interpretation and application of the Use Classes Order, Lawful Development Certifcates, Assets of Community Value (ACVs), highways and Rights of Way. She has also advised on planning policy making and interpretation of policy. Leanne’s dual expertise as both a planning and housing barrister, and her previous broad general civil litigation background, gives her a strong understanding of the litigation process which is particularly helpful in the context of injunctive proceedings in the County and High Court.

Planning Inquiries and Hearings
Leanne is regularly instructed to act for developers, Local Planning Authorities and Rule 6 Parties at inquiry and hearing covering a wide range of planning issues. She is an experienced advocate having appeared at more than 30 inquiries and hearings, both led and in her own right, since she started practising in planning law.

Lorraine is a Senior Associate within the Agriculture Planning Team. She specialises in providing advice on a wide variety of contentious and non-contentious planning matters including the drafting and negotiating section 106 Agreements; planning appeals; affordable housing; planning enforcement; highways; the interpretation of planning permissions; and general planning law. Lorraine has many years of experience from roles in both local government and private practice, providing advice to developers, housing associations, promoters, landowners and local authorities. Lorraine also has a MSc in Urban Planning.

Rachel is an experienced Chartered Town Planner having spent over 20 years at Bath & North East Somerset Council before leaving in 2018 to join Mendip District Council where she secured the role of Head of Planning managing a large multi-disciplinary team and oversaw a major review of the development management service.  Rachel now runs her own Planning Consultancy with extensive experience in development management providing services to both private clients and local authorities.  Rachel is also member of the RTPI South West Awards for Planning Excellence Judging Panel. Apart from planning, Rachel enjoys spending time with her family and friends as well as competing in Agility with her 3 dogs.

Richard is Planning Director with Origin3, a Planning and Design Consultancy based in Bristol.  Previously he was Head of Planning Policy with Cornwall Council and Strategic Planning Manager (Joint Local Plan) with Plymouth City Council, West Devon Borough Council and South Hams District Council.  With over 30 years of experience working in planning policy and all types of development plan, Richard brings a wealth of experience of planning policy from the public and private sector.

Biog to follow

Tom has been an Inspector for the last nine years and works primarily on appeals and local plans. Beforehand, from 2007, he led on various aspects of planning policy and legislative reform at DLUHC. He is a strong believer in the positive role that planners and Inspectors play, and is particularly interested professionally in the interaction of planning and academic, viability and finance.