Regional Activities Committee

Philipp Tschavoll-Selenko

Chair

Philipp is a chartered town planner with over 12 years of multinational planning experience in both the public and private sectors. Originally from Austria, he did his undergraduate in Geography at the University of Innsbruck, and later on specialised in regional planning and spatial development at the University of Lille 1 in France. During his professional career at local planning authorities and consultancies in Germany and Austria, he focused on development planning, community engagement and planning policy advice. Philipp has recently moved to the UK, where he works as a senior planner for North East Derbyshire District Council. In this role he strives to deliver the new Local Plan for the district.

Derek McKenzie

Vice Chair

Derek graduated from Dundee University in Town and Regional Planning and from Durham University in Environmental Impact assessment. His career has spanned 30 years, with the latter half at Chief Planner level. He has also worked as Head of Planning with the Dubai based master developer "Nakheel" leading on a number of major projects including the Waterfront City and Palm Jumeriah. He has been a consultant since 2011 and also has a passion for overseas planning, with clients in the Middle East, Russia and China. He is a member of the RTPI's International Committee and a member of the Independent Consultants Network Steering Group. He has a passion for working with school pupils and students in influencing their career choices as a Schools Ambassador, and has previously volunteered for Planning Aid. Derek is the lead for inter professional development on the RAC.

Richard Wood

Immediate Past Chair

Richard is a chartered town planner and works as an independent planning consultant based in Hull. He set up Richard Wood Associates in 2016 and has a long track record of working in the Yorkshire region in the public and private sector.

Will Steel

Hon. Secretary

Will has an MSc in Town Planning from Newcastle University and is a Chartered Town Planner and Planning Consultant at Cushman & Wakefield. Will provides planning consultancy advice to local authorities, universities, developers, landowners, investors, several government agencies, and fellow real estate professionals from a wide range of backgrounds. He is currently advising on planning policies, estates strategies, site searches, a wide range of developments, and on the protection of operational and financial interests. Previously he worked at the City of York Council in planning policy, development management, transport planning, economic development and strategic planning. Will working on two development plans, York's Economic Strategy, a bus improvement study, and the case for York to become an affiliate member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Will was previously Chair for Make York (the young professionals' branch of York Professionals), has organised several inward investment projects, and is a member of the Young Planners' steering group.

Simon Johnson

Hon. Treasurer

Simon is a Principal Environmental Planning Consultant currently working for Delta-Simons Environmental Consultants Ltd in the national team. Simon specialises in the provision of Environmental Planning Services and advice to developers, land agents, fund managers, local authorities, town planning consultants, other co-professionals and colleagues. Before joining Delta-Simons, Simon worked for an award winning private and public sector regeneration partnership in North East Lincolnshire. Simon was the key senior consultant and project manager for the firm's largest private planning contract in the region. In 2008 Simon started his planning career at East Riding of Yorkshire Council dealing with predominantly major applications. As well as being a Chartered member of the RTPI he is also an Associate member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (AssocRICS).

Christine Naylor

Representative on the General Assembly

Christine took early retirement from Leeds City Council after a long career in local government planning. After several years with the new West Yorkshire Metropolitan County and after 'finishing' the Structure Plan, she moved to Leeds. There she managed and led teams involved in development management, with responsibility over the years for developments in the City Centre, North West and North East Leeds, as well as major projects across the District. After a couple of years involved mainly with family caring, but not having given up on the profession, she was keen to join the RAC and get back involved with the activities of the Region.

Stan Driver

Assistant Treasurer

Stan studied at the Department of Town & Country Planning at Newcastle University, graduating with BA (Land Use Studies) in 1965. He worked first for the West Riding County Council in the Environment Section of the County Planning Department, and was elected MRTPI in 1968. Following spells in development planning at Rotherham County Borough Council and York City Council, he returned to the West Riding County Council, from which he joined Kirklees Metropolitan council as a team leader in 1974, working initially on corporate planning including new housing and housing improvement schemes, and later on local plans. He followed this by work on Government regeneration projects, and was seconded to be the Housing and Environmental Regeneration Manager for Batley City Challenge between 1995 and 1998. On his return to Kirklees he became the conservation team leader, being elected as a member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation in 2001. Stan retired from local government in 2007, but remains a full member of the RTPI and the IHBC, and has since been a planning aid volunteer.

Becky Eades

Becky is a Chartered planner and is Head of Development Services at City of York Council. Since joining City of York Council in 2018 Becky and her team have lead led on a number of large scale schemes including the York Central site which is one of the largest brownfield sites in England; located next to the city's existing retail and business core and the railway station and is 45 hectare mixed-use development site. Before joining City of York Becky worked at Wakefield Council specialising in residential developments and also led on a number of large scale schemes including the Wakefield East expansion project and Newmarket Lane development site. Communication is a key part of Becky's work ethic and is always happy to promote planning whenever the opportunity arises. The future of planning is important to Becky as she sees it has part of her role to promote planning and has recently done talks in schools to promote the planning in future generations.

Lucy Bullock

Lucy recently completed the MSc in Town Planning at Newcastle University and is now working towards Chartered Town Planner status and gaining experience in planning practice. Since beginning her career she has already developed a wide range of skills in masterplanning, options appraisal, viability appraisals and valuations. Previously, she completed the BA Honours Geography and Planning degree at Newcastle University and undertook work experience at Peacock and Smith Town Planning and Development Consultancy and at Bradford Council Development Plans and Transport Planning Department.

Bob Wolfe

Hon. Secretary

Bob retired from commercial planning practice in 2012, following a successful and fulfilling career. Since then he has been Honorary Regional Secretary of RTPI Yorkshire where, amongst other things, he has led on the inception and development of the Great North Plan. He was recently elected to the RTPI General Assembly. He is particularly interested in hearing from anyone in, or considering joining, the planning profession, about how the RTPI can improve its services to members.

Harriet Fisher

Harriet currently works at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) leading a team on leasehold reform. In previous roles at the Ministry, Harriet led the refresh of NPPF policy and guidance on viability and developer contributions. Harriet is a Chartered Planner and active member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, an Assessor for the Assessment of Professional Competence, and a member of the Women in Planning network.

Paul Leeming

Yorkshire Conference Series Chair

Paul is a consultant with Carter Jonas in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. He has been a member of the RAC and volunteer with Yorkshire Planning Aid since 1996. Paul served as the Chair for the RTPI Yorkshire Region during 2006 and since 2009 has chaired the Yorkshire Conference Series in partnership with the two planning schools at Leeds Metropolitan University and Sheffield Hallam University.

Alyn Nicholls

Alyn graduated with an Honours degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Oxford Poly in 1979 and was elected a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute in 1982. He joined the Development Planning Partnership as an assistant planner in Bedford and subsequently became an equity partner in the business. In 1990 he left to establish his own consultancy. Since establishing his own practice he has been involved in a wide range of private and public sector work throughout Yorkshire, the North West and beyond. Clients have included Land Securities, the National Trust and local authorities. He has also undertaken extensive work for Morrisons, Asda and the Co-operative Group, Waitrose and John Lewis. Alyn has extensive experience of public inquires, hearings and examinations and has spoken at a number of RTPI seminars on the role of the expert witness at inquiries.

Tony Ray

Planning Aid Representative

Tony is a freelance Town Planner (MRTPI), previously a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University, and prior to that worked for Wakefield and Leeds City Councils. He recently retired from being Hon. Secretary to the RTPI in Yorkshire. He is a Planning Aid volunteer. He specialises in Community Planning and has supported a number of local communities in preparing Parish Plans, Action Plans, Neighbourhood and Village Design Statements, and Conservation Area Appraisals. Tony was presented with an RTPI Outstanding Service Award at the Region's Annual General Meeting on 3 December 2013.

Beth McQue

Young Planners' Chair

Bethany is a Senior Planner in Indigo Planning's office in Leeds and has been working as a planner in the private sector since 2014, previously working at Turley. She is involved with and supports a broad range of projects, including residential, retail, commercial and agricultural schemes across the country. Bethany qualified as a chartered town planner in 2016 and has been on the steering group since 2017. She became Chair of the group in June 2018.

Pat Sutor

Pat studied geography at Newcastle University and planning at Oxford Poly. He came to Yorkshire for the glorious job of Village Plans Assistant at the Whitby area planning office, which covered a quarter of the North Riding. After Ryedale, Pat spent thirteen years at the North York Moors National Park, then went to East Lindsey in Lincolnshire for twelve years as Assistant Director in charge of planning. He has freelanced since 2000, mainly doing LPA support, especially at Harrogate, York and back to the North Yorkshire Moors, but also at Selby and Scarborough. He also works for private clients. Pat was presented with an RTPI Award for Outstanding Service in 2016.

Jennifer Winyard MSc MRICS MRTPI

Regional Awards Chair

Jennifer is a dual qualified Chartered Town Planner and Chartered Planning & Development Surveyor, with a background in architecture. She is currently Senior Strategic Land Manager at Barratt Developments PLC. Based in Barratt & David Wilson West Yorkshire Division, she is responsible for securing new land opportunities and promoting the existing strategic land portfolio through the planning system. There is focus on land acquisition in West Yorkshire and across South Yorkshire. Prior to working for a national house builder Jennifer spent several years at Turley and was involved in a broad range of multi-disciplinary projects for a variety of clients across the UK, including major retail, leisure and health. Jennifer has been a Member of the RTPI for over 10 years; is past Chair of YORnet and led the organisation of the 2013 Young Planners' Conference. She was also a "Young Planner of the Year" finalist in the 2014 Planning for Excellence Awards. She currently Chairs the RTPI Yorkshire Awards Group. Jennifer was also Chair of Women in Property's Yorkshire and North East Branch between 2013 and 2015.

Phil Crabtree

Policy Advisor

Before retiring Phil was Chief Planning Officer at Leeds City Council. Previously, Phil worked for Birmingham City Council for over 22 years in a variety of roles in Planning, Regeneration and Economic Development, culminating in 9 years as Assistant Director responsible for Development Management and Conservation. His first job was with Sedgefield District Council where he was part of the team which won the RTPI Silver Jubilee Cup for the regeneration of Shildon following the closure of the historic wagon works. He was the founding Chair of the Core Cities Planning Group. Phil has given talks at a variety of national and regional planning conferences and workshops and published papers on Economic Development and Neighbourhood Planning. He has been an External Examiner and a Visiting Teaching Fellow at Birmingham University and is currently a member of the Joint Distance Learning Partnership Board.

John Craig

RTPI Champions Representative

Joe Vargra