Regional Activities Committee

Ben has spent most of his career working for Camden and Cheshire East Councils, writing planning policy and monitoring housing supply. He currently divides his time as a Principal Planner (Policy) for South Ribble council, independent consultancy and tutoring. He’s a supporter of ‘Garden Cities’ (having relocated to the Northwest from Welwyn Garden City) and new technologies which could ultimately lead to better informed decisions.

Darren is a Director at Pegasus Group in Liverpool. He comes from a multidisciplinary background having previously worked client-side in wind energy and residential development before moving into consultancy. He now advises public and private sector clients on a variety of developments across England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man. He holds two master’s degrees – a Master of Town and Country Planning (Hons) degree from the University of Manchester, and a Master of Science in Design and Construction of Zero Carbon and Ultra-low Energy Buildings from the University of Dundee. Darren is Chair of the Planning Aid England North West Task Group and co-founder of the North West Neighbourhood Planning Network.

Holly is a Senior Planning and Enabling Manager at Homes England, with a background in both the public and private sectors.  She has experience of working on a range of complex residential projects.  

Holly graduated with a Masters in Planning from the University of Manchester in 2016 and became a Chartered member of the RTPI in 2018. She joined the RTPI NW Regional Activities Committee in 2022 and currently supports the Awards Task Group.

Joanne is the Local Plans Manager (North) for the Home Builders Federation and represents the members of the HBF in seeking to influence the production of planning policy in the North of England. Joanne is an experienced policy planner with more than 20 years in the profession. After starting her career in the private sector Joanne has mainly working within local government, contributing to planning policy for Stafford, Halton and Cheshire East. Joanne is strong supporter of the planning profession and is currently the Honorary Sectary of the RTPI NW region and has previously served as RTPI NW Chair and as a Trustee of the RTPI. Joanne is a member of the CPD Task Group and is keen to help to support our local members through professional development and other RTPI services and events.

Chris has been a member of the North West RAC for 18 years now. Chris has focused on promoting the profession, and the work of the RTPI, to wider audiences. This included editing the publications produced by the NW Region, presently the End of Year Reviews. Over 2002-2006, Chris completed a PhD looking at community engagement practices in Housing Market Renewal Programmes in the North West. Since then, Chris has worked as a consultant for Warrington-based BE Group. He specialises in providing Employment Land Study Evidence bases for Local Plans and property market assessments for masterplans. Outside of the office, Chris likes to explore the region in different ways, though fell walking and Geocaching.

Matt is a Planning Director at Richborough, promoting strategic commercial sites across the UK.  With 18 years’ experience, he has a unique insight into the profession, having worked in the public sector (West Lancashire and St Helens) as well as for developers (The Emerson Group – Jones Homes/Orbit Developments) and consultancies (Indigo, WSP, Nexus). He graduated with a Distinction in the Master of Civic Design at the University of Liverpool in 2007 and became a Chartered Member of the RTPI in 2011.  Matt joined the Regional Activities Committee in 2021 and was NW Chair in 2024. He has also joined the General Assembly for 2025/26.

Ian is a Planning Director at Stantec with 17 years-experience advising public and private clients across residential, commercial, retail, leisure and conservation based projects advising on development management, plan-making and EIA processes. Ian sat on the RMB as EDI Champion in 2022 & 23. He is passionate about adding social value and ensuring that planning is used as an effective tool to engage across all sectors of the industry and its stakeholders; including the community. Ian is a member of the Education and Careers Regional Activities Committee and has focused on promoting planning as a career in local schools as well as mentoring a number of Licentiates through the APC process.

Kieran was the RTPI North West Chair in 2022 and is now the lead of the LPA Champion task group on the RAC. He is passionate about providing support for local planning authorities through tailored training and raising awareness of best practice. He is a Land & Planning Manager at Countryside Partnerships Manchester having previously worked for Kingswood Homes and as a planning consultant before that at Hive Land & Planning and Stantec.

Jake is a Chartered Town Planner with over 10 years-experience working in the private sector. He graduated from the University of Manchester in 2013 and has worked in various private sector roles, including planning consultancy, multi-disciplinary practice and more recently the housebuilding sector. Jake joined the Regional Activities Committee in 2017 and has been involved in various Task Groups. He chaired the Education and Careers Task Group in 2018 with a focus on reaching out to schools to promote planning as a career and re-launching the annual school competition to give an insight into different aspects of the profession. Jake is currently Task Group Leader of the Awards, working alongside other committee members and judges to administer awards for planning excellence within the North West.

Ian has taken an unconventional route to planning after running a Greater Manchester magazine whose cultural content increasingly considered planning issues. Now part of the Infrastructure Planning team at WSP’s Manchester office, Ian is a chartered consultant with over 8 years' experience who specialises on leading projects to achieve planning consents in the active travel and sustainable transport sectors. 

Over the past 6+ years, Ian has delivered a range of learning and social events via voluntary roles with the RTPI North West RAC including chairing the Young Planners task group across 2023 and 2024 and motivating group members to contribute to a busy programme, all of which has been recognised with the North West Young Planner of the Year 2024 award. In his remaining spare time, Ian engages with community groups to identify solutions to enable healthier neighbourhoods.

After his bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning, Uche began his career in planning as a town planner and rose to a consultant in planning and architecture in November 1990. He managed a small firm in Lagos Nigeria for sixteen years until 2006 when he relocated to England working initially as a Development Control Officer for Eden District Council. He later became a planning director for Raymond-Schortz UK Ltd in December 2008, providing planning services to Local Authority including the Royal Borough of Hackney in London. Uche was seconded to the US where he worked in various capacities including as Director of Planning in a number of cities in Texas USA. He has been a member of the Policy Task Group for the RTPI RAC NW. He has also been RTPI Assessor for the APC (Assessment of Professional Competence). Uche is keen on selling planning knowledge globally and can assist with the RTPI IDN.

Tom has worked as a Planner for eight years, initially in a rural practice in North Lincolnshire while studying part-time for a Masters in Town & Country Planning. Tom relocated to Manchester in 2016 to join the JLL Planning & Development team and provides advice to public and private sector clients across a range of sectors.

Georgina is an Associate at Asteer Planning LLP. Having previously worked at Avison Young since September 2018, Georgina has experience of advising clients across a range of sectors, including residential, commercial, student, and mixed-use developments. Georgina was elected as a Chartered Member of the RTPI in December 2020 and currently sits on the Regional Activities Committee for the RTPI North West and is part of the Education, Careers and Mentoring Task Group.

John is a freelance planner, with a background in both the public and private sectors. He primarily assists LPAs with complex and stalled major applications, as well as with appeals, hearings and NSIPs. John also teaches at the Manchester School of Architecture, on the Masters in Architecture and Urbanism course. He graduated from the Master of Town and Country Planning programme at the University of Manchester in 2014 and became a Chartered member of the RTPI via the Experienced Practitioner route in 2020. John joined the RTPI NW Regional Activities Committee in 2022.

Rachel is a Lecturer in Urban Design at the University of Manchester, teaching on the RTPI accredited MSc Urban Design and International Planning course. Prior to her transition to teaching in 2022, Rachel worked in practice, most recently as Associate Urban Designer at Tetra Tech, where she led the delivery of masterplans for town centre regeneration projects and residential-led, mixed-use developments. Rachel’s interests lie in communicating urban design as a technical process, as well as the delivery of design quality in new developments. Rachel is the outreach coordinator at the Manchester Urban Design Lab, working with built environment professionals to support the sharing of skills and experience between academia and practice. As a chartered planner, Rachel is committed to graduating students into urban design and planning careers with the skills and enthusiasm to successfully shape our built environments.

Jemma is a Senior Planner in Deloitte’s Regional Planning and Development Team. She joined the team in September 2019, after graduating from Oxford Brookes University with an MSC in Spatial Planning. She has worked on a range of projects across Yorkshire and the North West, including a number large-scale EIA developments within city centre regeneration areas and on strategic sites, the production of Strategic Regeneration Frameworks, as well as smaller change of use and listed building applications.

Jemma was elected as a Chartered Member of the RTPI in December 2021. Jemma is keen to support others early in their planning career and is helping licentiate colleagues work towards their chartered memberships.

Nia is a Chartered Senior Associate Planner at Fisher German, based in Chester, she is the team lead for the North West and North Wales region. She graduated with a First Class Masters from University of Liverpool in 2018 and became a Chartered Member of the RTPI in 2020. Nia recently won RTPI North West Young Planner of the Year 2022.  She is passionate about the rural sector and planning for rural communities and agricultural needs which can often be overlooked. Nia likes to promote careers within the industry and mentors a number of Licentiates through the APC process.

Adrian has some thirty years’ experience in Local Government and has been a Chartered Member of the RTPI since 1994.  He has managed planning departments at District, Unitary and Metropolitan level as well has running other place based functions. His current post is Director of Growth and Regulatory Services at Trafford Council where he has responsibility for Planning, Housing, Regeneration and Public Protection. In December 2020 he was appointed to the Secretary of State’s Urban Centre Recovery Task Force.

Sophie is a Planner at P4 Planning LTD in Manchester having relocated from the North East in September 2023. She graduated her Masters Degree in Urban Planning in 2021 from Newcastle University whereby she was awarded the David Lock Award for her research titled “‘Rainbow Regeneration’ in Newcastle Upon Tyne’s LGBTQ* Scene: Working Towards Sustainable Inclusivity and Representation”. This research was then published in Cities Forum’s Urban Action Avenue. 

Sophie has experience working across various sectors of Planning (housing, heritage, commercial/retail, renewable energy, transport, tourism and more) working alongside private clients, organisations, charities, community groups and Local Planning Authorities. In terms of her passions, Sophie continues to strive to promote Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in Planning to deliver schemes for increased social and societal benefits. 

Sophie was awarded RTPI North East Young Planner of the Year 2023 and was elected as a Chartered Member of the RTPI in November 2023. Using her platform, Sophie is keen to support others in their development as Planners as well as highlighting the importance of planning for diverse and complex urban places we occupy. Sophie volunteers within the RTPI North West Young Planners Committee, the Regional Activities Committee (RAC) and is a member of the North West’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) task group.

Lesley is Directorate Admissions Lead for Built Environment, Architecture and Acoustics at the University of Salford and Programme Leader for the MSc Town and Country Planning. She made the transition to teaching in November 2019, following a successful career in practice, with 25 years’ experience in planning, development and asset management for The Boots Company, De Montford University, Network Rail and The Arch Company. As a chartered town planner and surveyor, Lesley is interested in promoting multi- disciplinary working and collaboration in the built environment and introducing the next generation of future town planners to the profession.

Marc is a Senior Planner at RJP Town Planners, through which he also supports Network Rail as Consents and Environment Advisor for Northern Powerhouse Rail. He graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2014 and continues to be involved with the university as an eMentor for aspiring planning and geography students. Shortly after becoming chartered in 2016, Marc spent five years overseas travelling and working as a planner in Australia and New Zealand, getting involved in a big variety of projects and avoiding an even bigger variety of poisonous animals.

Carolyn has over 20 years of experience in planning policy primarily in the North West, working across all 3 tiers of Local Government in this area. Whilst at Salford council working on behalf of the ten Greater Manchester Authorities, she was also involved with Urban Vision Partnership which included work supporting planning authorities across the Country. She also managed delivery of the Greater Manchester Waste Plan and Minerals Plan. Now at Preston Council, managing the planning policy team, she is involved with delivery of the Joint Central Lancashire Local Plan as well supporting delivery of a number of neighbourhood plans.

Natalie is a chartered associate town planner in Arup’s Manchester Office. She has about 13 years of planning experience in East Asia, specialized in urban regeneration (master planning), stakeholder engagement and social value advisory.  Natalie is passionate to spread influence on embedding social value in the planning and design process to promote an inclusive, equitable and just society. Recently relocated from Hong Kong, Natalie is enthusiastic about engaging with RTPI members, actively seeking collaborations, and sharing insights drawn from her international experience.

Melanie is an experienced chartered town planner who has worked across various public sector roles in Greater Manchester and the wider North West. She focuses on creating inclusive, sustainable, and resilient urban environments. 

A strong advocate for public sector planning, Melanie is particularly passionate about addressing climate change, reducing carbon emissions, and enhancing resilience to climate impacts. 

She is also skilled in infrastructure planning, housing, design, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), Section 106 negotiation, and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). Additionally, she holds a qualification in project management and is certified as ‘carbon literate’.

Kath Lawless has an extensive career in Local Authority Planning. She began her career in  Sefton Merseyside and has also worked for a number of Authorities in the North East. She was the Chief Planner for Newcastle City Council responsible for DM, Forward Planning, ecology, landscape, design and conservation. In 2020 Kath took up an Interim position at Wirral leading their planning services. Kath’s current role is the Lead Local plans manager and she is responsible for taking the Local Plan through to adoption.  

Melissa is an Associate Director of Planning at LUC with over 15 years’ experience in planning. She has a background in Local Government, having worked for several Local Authorities in the West Midlands. In 2015 she moved back to the Northwest, and into consultancy. She now supports Local Authorities and other clients with a range of planning projects, predominantly working on Local Plan support, preparation of planning guidance, and as an expert witness at appeals. 

She graduated from the University of Manchester with a first class Masters in Landscape, Planning & Management in 2009 and has been a Chartered Town Planner since 2012. She was selected as one of The Planner’s Women of Influence in 2021. She is passionate about encouraging the next generation of planners and leads LUC’s chartership support programme.

Kamil Rog is an interdisciplinary planning advisor at AtkinsRéalis. He engages with pioneering approaches to biodiversity net gain and works to integrate nature-positive outcomes in development. His experience includes advising on green infrastructure and securing planning approval across diverse infrastructure and residential schemes. Kamil was nominated for the RTPI’s West Midlands Young Planner of the Year in 2021 recognising his diverse and forward-thinking approach to embedding social and environmental benefits in the development process.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamilrog/

Jade is a Principal Planning Officer for Salford City Council with 20 years’ experience.  During this time Jade has managed various panning submissions within the commercial, residential, renewable energy, and minerals and waste sectors within both the private and public practice.  In addition, Jade has undertaken the role of Community Planner to assist a community with their particular needs and volunteered with Planning Aid.  These various roles have provided an excellent understanding of the planning system (including planning policy development) with experience in stakeholder engagement.  Jade keeps placemaking at the centre of her professional endeavours, and is currently a member of the Regional Activities Committee for the RTPI North West.

Ryan is Principal Planning Officer in Development Management at Rochdale Borough Council and has worked there since 2019. He graduated from his Masters in Town Planning and Real Estate at the University of Manchester in 2020 and is working towards becoming a chartered member of the RTPI. Ryan is passionate about securing high-quality design in new development and the role which placemaking has in the economic development of an area.

Rob is a Lecturer in Urban Planning & Placemaking at the University of Manchester. He has research interests in the role of urban design within the planning system, and currently teaches courses on Placemaking and Neighbourhood Planning. Rob has a PhD from the University of Glasgow, through which he worked collaboratively with a local authority to study the local implementation of the Scottish Government’s placemaking policy agenda. He relocated to Manchester from Glasgow in autumn 2024, having previously held academic roles at the University of Glasgow, and at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Housing and Planning Research.

Natalie is a Planning and Enabling Manager at Homes England working to unlock land for housing development across a range of projects including urban regeneration and large-scale urban extensions. Having focussed on Urban Design in her studies, Natalie is committed to securing high quality placemaking through planning and design.

Sam is a planning graduate from the University of Sheffield and Birmingham and has worked for Tesni Properties for over six years where he currently holds the position of Planning and Development Manager. Sam has been an Associate member of the RTPI since 2018, and is currently working towards becoming fully chartered.

Rhiannan Farrell, Planning and Infrastructure Associate (Solicitor), Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP 

Rhiannan is a Planning and Infrastructure Consenting Associate (Solicitor) at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP. Rhiannan offers a unique perspective having completed her training contract in-house in a shared local authority legal service, where she advised several London Boroughs on a number of aspects of planning and administrative law. 

Upon qualifying, Rhiannan moved into private practice, where she has continued to build and refine her expertise. She has experience advising a variety of clients, including local authorities, registered providers, landowners, statutory undertakers, private developers, and lenders. 

Rhiannan has assisted in the delivery of residential, commercial, and mixed-use large-scale regeneration projects, infrastructure projects, and Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). Rhiannan also advises on Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO), Stopping-up Orders and other statutory processes fundamental to complex development projects. Her expertise also spans various aspects of contentious and non-contentious planning and infrastructure law, including drafting and negotiating S106, S278/S38 and water/apparatus adoption agreements. Rhiannan has also advised on planning enforcement, judicial review, statutory appeals, Town or Village Green applications and the planning aspects of real estate due diligence.

Rhiannan is an Associate member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). She joined the RTPI NW Regional Activities Committee and the RTPI NW Young Planners Committee in September 2024. 

Rhiannan is passionate about promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) in the planning profession and is a committee member of the BAME Planners Network Steering Group.