I fell into planning having been tempted by a bursary and pub crawl to enrolling on the BSc (Hons) City and Regional Planning in Cardiff in the early 1990s, which was then followed by a Diploma in Town Planning.  As a fresh-faced graduate I had my first proper job as an Assistant Planner in a private practice in East Sussex, working with a range of different professionals and one other much more experienced planner, and achieving my RTPI membership.  

A couple of years on I then moved to Dorset – where they say you go to retire, although in my case I did have a job offer (I am now working on the retirement plans!).  Sixteen years of my life was then spent in various Councils working on the policy side of the divide, ending up with the fancy title of “Head of Spatial Policy and Implementation” – which meant covering the Local Plan work, and managing specialist support services such as landscaping, urban design, planning obligations and housing enabling.  During that time I also completed a Diploma in Urban Design, which did feel much more like I thought planning would be than the Town Planning diploma.  However, when the Councils all started merging for the second time, and we were on the umpteenth local plan refresh, it felt like it was time to try something new.  

In 2014 I handed in my notice, said goodbye to the comfort of a regular paycheck, started up my own planning consultancy, and haven’t looked back.  I have supported over 40 local communities in their work on neighbourhood plans, as well as working with individuals and small companies to help progress planning applications and giving other sorts of planning advice.  Working across planning – not just policy – has been great as it helps me understand the different angles and issues encountered at the different coal faces of planning, as well as adding to the variety of what I do.