Sara currently has a senior planning and enabling role at Homes England and has held senior roles across the private and public sectors.
Congratulations to Sara Eustace who has been elected as Fellow of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
Chartered Fellow is the highest professional membership grade offered by the RTPI and is only awarded to chartered members who fulfil the criteria and have gone above and beyond to contribute to the planning profession.
Sara currently has a senior planning and enabling role at Homes England and has held senior roles across the private and public sectors. The roles include Regional Board Director at Vistry Group, Planning and Development Director at London First and roles in consultancy at CBRE, DTZ and Lichfields.
She is also the co-founder of Accession Network, supporting the next generation of professionals and promoting more inclusive leadership across the built environment sector.
Sara said: “Becoming a Fellow of the RTPI is an important milestone for me.
“Planning has always been part of my background. My uncle James was one of the first three planners in the Republic of Ireland, and his work inspired me to enter the profession. I’m proud to continue that family legacy.
“I’ve always been a strong advocate for planners and for the role planning plays. Through my work, and through Accession Network, I want to support others coming through the industry and help create a more open and collaborative profession.”
The nominations subcommittee highlighted Sara’s commitment to developing young planners and helping them to gain leadership experience by applying for volunteering roles at RTPI.
The committee were particularly impressed with her work developing the Accession Network to support young planners and break down professional silos by providing opportunities to interact with senior planners.
Her work at London First, particularly in relation to the Oxford Street pedestrianisation initiative and establishing the London Industrial and Logistics Sounding Board, displayed excellent examples of her leadership across sectors and with different stakeholders.
The next deadline to apply is 6 April 2026.