RTPI WM Summer Ball and Awards 2025

David has over 25 years of experience as both Planning Consultant and Developer, and presently leads the commercial planning team at IM Properties, one of the UK’s largest privately owned property development and investment companies. Responsible for unlocking the potential in sites, David’s experience includes strategic employment and large scale logistics developments with a focus on the Midlands. David has represented the IMP business on the BPF ‘Industrial Committee’, championing the contribution of the sector to the UK economy across economic, social and environmental agendas, and is heavily involved in delivering IMP’s Sustainable Futures Strategy

Multi award-winning and recipient of the prestigious national industry awards: The national BusinessDesk.com Leadership Award 2025, RTPI and BAME Planners Network for Excellence in Mentoring and Role Model 2024, and The Planner’s: Woman of Influence 2023, in the public sector. Artemis is now one of the most sought-after and considered as one of the Country’s leading authorities in transformation, service improvements and delivery, Artemis is a seasoned Director of Planning and Regeneration with over 25 years’ experience – passionate about best practice and promoting great place-making. More recently, in the last 3 years, having been influential the promotion of planning apprenticeships and working closely with universities and placing and introducing over 40 Planning Apprentices into planning departments, across the UK and coaching and mentoring a further 60 budding and seasoned planners across the UK.

Artemis is currently employed in a dual-hatted role as Director of Planning and Regeneration, on behalf of Lichfield District Council and Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services and heads up the UK’s first local authority planning consultancy – LWM Planning. Artemis is revolutionizing how planning and local authorities function with semi-privatizing functions by creating income streams to re-enforce and support the self-efficiency of statutory function of the Local Authority and able to offer bespoke service delivery functions to other local authorities across the U.K.

Kelly is the Lead Planning Manager at South Staffordshire District Council having begun her career in planning with the authority in 2004.
Kelly worked initially in strategic planning and was Local Plans manager before taking up her current post which encompasses Development Management, Planning Enforcement, Strategic Planning and Housing Strategy. Bringing the teams together through a restructure, and with investment and buy in from members and the corporate leadership team, as a collaborative planning service has transformed the planning offer in South Staffordshire.
Kelly is passionate about planning and how it can shape communities, and embraces change and looking for new ways of working. The changes brought about by her positive approach led to the planning team winning the West Midlands Planning Authority of the Year in 2023. The Chair’s Award for the way in which the planning team has worked to develop and nurture staff talent is testament to her positive leadership and passion for the role.

Mark is a chartered Town Planner with over thirty years' experience working in the public sector and advising clients in the private sector. Mark is a Planning Director at the Birmingham Office of Tetra Tech and is responsible for providing planning advice on development projects including minerals and waste, energy generation, housing, regeneration, planning appeals and environmental impact assessments. Mark has been a member of the West Midlands Regional Activities Committee since 2002 and was Chair of RTPI West Midlands in 2011. Mark is the Honorary Treasurer of RTPI West Midlands, a role he also undertook between 2014-2019. Mark was previously Chair of West Midlands Planning Aid and a member of the RTPI Young Planners Panel.

Philippa has worked in local government for over 30 years and has extensive experience in the planning and regeneration sectors. Following a number of years working for Sandwell Council in the areas of planning policy and regeneration, Philippa moved to Worcester City Council to manage the economic development and planning functions. She worked for a short time at Wychavon and Malvern Hills Councils concentrating on the production of the South Worcestershire Development Plan before returning to the Black Country to take on the role of project manager for the Black Country Plan.

Claudia is a Professor of Environmental Governance and Planning at Birmingham City University and Programme Director for the MA Planning Built Environments. She serves as a reviewer for the UKRI, various journals and publishers. Claudia teaches undergraduate and postgraduate planning and research methods modules and supervises Master’s and PhD students in Planning. Her research relates to city-region planning, climate change and social-ecological sustainability transformation with over 20 inter-/transdisciplinary national and international collaborations. Claudia led and contributed to developing cross-disciplinary approaches and methods (STEAM INC project) and tools for participatory planning and collaborative decision-making. Outputs include Participology, a resource for inclusive and critical-creative planning and decision-making using a board game format. Claudia studied geography and environmental management in Scotland and for many years worked in academia and applied research organisations. She has lived and worked in Birmingham since 2011 and became a chartered member of the RTPI in 2019.

Frances currently works as a Planning Manager for Spitfire Homes, who won Smaller Housebuilder of the Year (2023) at the Housebuilder of the Year Awards. Previously, Frances spent 1-year with property consultants Carter Jonas and 4-years at Rugby Borough Council, where she completed her Master’s degree in Planning and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University part-time. Frances became a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute in June 2022 and has been a member of the RTPI West Midlands Young Planners committee since 2019. Outside of planning she keeps herself busy with a number of sporting activities, competing for Leamington Cycling and Athletics Club.

Luke Hillson, a Recognised Practitioner in Urban Design, MRTPI and Design Council CABE Built Environment Expert, with a background in town planning and expertise in urban design and masterplanning. Luke has broad experience in urban design, masterplanning and strategic land promotion. Project work has ranged from involvement on large-scale estate masterplanning studies to feasibility studies for mixed-use development, residential developments, public realm schemes and strategic land promotion. Through his contribution to design work Luke places emphasis on place-making through the application of best practice in design for accessibility, safety, mixed-uses, adaptability and sustainability. Recent work includes residential developments, design of sporting venues and masterplanning of sustainable new settlements and urban extensions. Luke is experienced in townscape analysis, place-making and a technical expert in the modelling and visualisation of both 2D and 3D urban landscapes.  Luke was RTPI West Midlands Chair in 2020.

Holly is a Heritage & Townscape Consultant at Node Urban Design, based in Birmingham. She joined Node in 2024 to pursue a career specialising in the historic built environment, following 4.5 years as a Town Planner at Arup. She is skilled in writing statements of significance and is interested in how heritage assets can be integrated into modern development contexts. 

Holly is also experienced in stakeholder engagement, and was seconded as an Engagement Officer during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Holly completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Birmingham and is a Chartered member of the RTPI. She is excited to be the Co-Chair alongside Immi for this year’s committee.

Victoria graduated from the University of Sheffield with a BA (Hons) in Urban Studies and Planning in 2006 and completed her masters between Sheffield Hallam University and Birmingham City University. She is a chartered planner with 14 years’ experience in the public and private sector having worked for various local authorities, private consultancies and housebuilders. She has worked as a Principal Planning Consultant with RCA Regeneration based in Worcestershire, working on a number of residential-led development schemes across the West Midlands region and for Keepmoat Homes. Victoria has a passion for dance, particularly salsa, and you can regularly find her out and about on weekends strutting her stuff on the dancefloor.

Ben Simm is the Team Manager for Transport Strategy and Policy at Leicestershire County Council and has worked across the private and public sector. In addition, he is an active member of the RTPI  and is on the West Midlands Regional Activities Committee as the regions representative on the General Assembly and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Lead for the Region.

David has over 25 years of experience as both Planning Consultant and Developer, and presently leads the commercial planning team at IM Properties, one of the UK’s largest privately owned property development and investment companies. Responsible for unlocking the potential in sites, David’s experience includes strategic employment and large scale logistics developments with a focus on the Midlands. David has represented the IMP business on the BPF ‘Industrial Committee’, championing the contribution of the sector to the UK economy across economic, social and environmental agendas, and is heavily involved in delivering IMP’s Sustainable Futures Strategy

Multi award-winning and recipient of the prestigious national industry awards: The national BusinessDesk.com Leadership Award 2025, RTPI and BAME Planners Network for Excellence in Mentoring and Role Model 2024, and The Planner’s: Woman of Influence 2023, in the public sector. Artemis is now one of the most sought-after and considered as one of the Country’s leading authorities in transformation, service improvements and delivery, Artemis is a seasoned Director of Planning and Regeneration with over 25 years’ experience – passionate about best practice and promoting great place-making. More recently, in the last 3 years, having been influential the promotion of planning apprenticeships and working closely with universities and placing and introducing over 40 Planning Apprentices into planning departments, across the UK and coaching and mentoring a further 60 budding and seasoned planners across the UK.

Artemis is currently employed in a dual-hatted role as Director of Planning and Regeneration, on behalf of Lichfield District Council and Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services and heads up the UK’s first local authority planning consultancy – LWM Planning. Artemis is revolutionizing how planning and local authorities function with semi-privatizing functions by creating income streams to re-enforce and support the self-efficiency of statutory function of the Local Authority and able to offer bespoke service delivery functions to other local authorities across the U.K.

Kelly is the Lead Planning Manager at South Staffordshire District Council having begun her career in planning with the authority in 2004.
Kelly worked initially in strategic planning and was Local Plans manager before taking up her current post which encompasses Development Management, Planning Enforcement, Strategic Planning and Housing Strategy. Bringing the teams together through a restructure, and with investment and buy in from members and the corporate leadership team, as a collaborative planning service has transformed the planning offer in South Staffordshire.
Kelly is passionate about planning and how it can shape communities, and embraces change and looking for new ways of working. The changes brought about by her positive approach led to the planning team winning the West Midlands Planning Authority of the Year in 2023. The Chair’s Award for the way in which the planning team has worked to develop and nurture staff talent is testament to her positive leadership and passion for the role.

Mark is a chartered Town Planner with over thirty years' experience working in the public sector and advising clients in the private sector. Mark is a Planning Director at the Birmingham Office of Tetra Tech and is responsible for providing planning advice on development projects including minerals and waste, energy generation, housing, regeneration, planning appeals and environmental impact assessments. Mark has been a member of the West Midlands Regional Activities Committee since 2002 and was Chair of RTPI West Midlands in 2011. Mark is the Honorary Treasurer of RTPI West Midlands, a role he also undertook between 2014-2019. Mark was previously Chair of West Midlands Planning Aid and a member of the RTPI Young Planners Panel.

Philippa has worked in local government for over 30 years and has extensive experience in the planning and regeneration sectors. Following a number of years working for Sandwell Council in the areas of planning policy and regeneration, Philippa moved to Worcester City Council to manage the economic development and planning functions. She worked for a short time at Wychavon and Malvern Hills Councils concentrating on the production of the South Worcestershire Development Plan before returning to the Black Country to take on the role of project manager for the Black Country Plan.

Claudia is a Professor of Environmental Governance and Planning at Birmingham City University and Programme Director for the MA Planning Built Environments. She serves as a reviewer for the UKRI, various journals and publishers. Claudia teaches undergraduate and postgraduate planning and research methods modules and supervises Master’s and PhD students in Planning. Her research relates to city-region planning, climate change and social-ecological sustainability transformation with over 20 inter-/transdisciplinary national and international collaborations. Claudia led and contributed to developing cross-disciplinary approaches and methods (STEAM INC project) and tools for participatory planning and collaborative decision-making. Outputs include Participology, a resource for inclusive and critical-creative planning and decision-making using a board game format. Claudia studied geography and environmental management in Scotland and for many years worked in academia and applied research organisations. She has lived and worked in Birmingham since 2011 and became a chartered member of the RTPI in 2019.

Frances currently works as a Planning Manager for Spitfire Homes, who won Smaller Housebuilder of the Year (2023) at the Housebuilder of the Year Awards. Previously, Frances spent 1-year with property consultants Carter Jonas and 4-years at Rugby Borough Council, where she completed her Master’s degree in Planning and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University part-time. Frances became a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute in June 2022 and has been a member of the RTPI West Midlands Young Planners committee since 2019. Outside of planning she keeps herself busy with a number of sporting activities, competing for Leamington Cycling and Athletics Club.

Luke Hillson, a Recognised Practitioner in Urban Design, MRTPI and Design Council CABE Built Environment Expert, with a background in town planning and expertise in urban design and masterplanning. Luke has broad experience in urban design, masterplanning and strategic land promotion. Project work has ranged from involvement on large-scale estate masterplanning studies to feasibility studies for mixed-use development, residential developments, public realm schemes and strategic land promotion. Through his contribution to design work Luke places emphasis on place-making through the application of best practice in design for accessibility, safety, mixed-uses, adaptability and sustainability. Recent work includes residential developments, design of sporting venues and masterplanning of sustainable new settlements and urban extensions. Luke is experienced in townscape analysis, place-making and a technical expert in the modelling and visualisation of both 2D and 3D urban landscapes.  Luke was RTPI West Midlands Chair in 2020.

Holly is a Heritage & Townscape Consultant at Node Urban Design, based in Birmingham. She joined Node in 2024 to pursue a career specialising in the historic built environment, following 4.5 years as a Town Planner at Arup. She is skilled in writing statements of significance and is interested in how heritage assets can be integrated into modern development contexts. 

Holly is also experienced in stakeholder engagement, and was seconded as an Engagement Officer during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Holly completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Birmingham and is a Chartered member of the RTPI. She is excited to be the Co-Chair alongside Immi for this year’s committee.

Victoria graduated from the University of Sheffield with a BA (Hons) in Urban Studies and Planning in 2006 and completed her masters between Sheffield Hallam University and Birmingham City University. She is a chartered planner with 14 years’ experience in the public and private sector having worked for various local authorities, private consultancies and housebuilders. She has worked as a Principal Planning Consultant with RCA Regeneration based in Worcestershire, working on a number of residential-led development schemes across the West Midlands region and for Keepmoat Homes. Victoria has a passion for dance, particularly salsa, and you can regularly find her out and about on weekends strutting her stuff on the dancefloor.

Ben Simm is the Team Manager for Transport Strategy and Policy at Leicestershire County Council and has worked across the private and public sector. In addition, he is an active member of the RTPI  and is on the West Midlands Regional Activities Committee as the regions representative on the General Assembly and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Lead for the Region.