A dedicated planning professional with excellent communication and negotiation skills with strong commitment and resilience in managing a heavy and varied workload. Quick to grasp new ideas, concepts and technologies whilst demonstrating a logical and analytical approach to problem solving as a result of experience in spatial planning and development management. Possess excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to relate to stakeholders from a range of social and cultural backgrounds. Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). Enjoys being part of, as well as leading a successful and productive team and thrives in highly pressurised and challenging working environments.
KEY SKILLS
Excellent oral and written communication skills as well as strong negotiation skills for discussions with key stakeholders such as developers, local government authorities, regulatory organisations.
Ability to coordinate professional advisors such as legal advisors and technical specialists including the delegation of actions to internal colleagues.
Strong planning and organisation skills which is vital in a highly prescriptive system that the planning system has become. This involves preparing detailed responses to spatial and development management planning consultations in tight timescales.
Decision making skills have developed throughout previous roles to allow clear and definitive advice to be provided to senior management, project teams and external stakeholders.
Healthy working relations, allowing the ability to work with and influence where appropriate, a range of colleagues and external stakeholders such as politicians, professional and technical advisors and the general public.
CAREER SUMMARY
Local Development Framework Assessor / Planner, United Utilities PLC: July 2012 – Present
Report directly to the Planning Manager within Developer Services & Planning, with two key elements to the role. Firstly, to influence development across the North West of England through spatial planning policy to coordinate development in line with clean and wastewater infrastructure investment. To negotiate with developers and Local Authorities to minimise the impact of development on utility infrastructure where infrastructure capacity is limited, reducing the environmental and financial consequences. Secondly, to promote land identified as surplus by the utility company for development across the region. This involves seeking alternative uses for development and securing this through land use zoning or planning permission and disposing of the site responsibly for development whilst generating non-regulated income for the benefit of United Utilities. This also involves addressing any planning requirements of the company on its non-operational sites such as accommodation needs and securing the necessary consents for development. Key responsibilities are outlined below.
To build and maintain excelling working relationships with Local Planning Authorities across the North West of England to understand schedules for United Utilities contribution in planning policy consultations.
To proactively work with Local Planning Authorities to identify potential areas for development in the North West region, which United Utilities can service with its infrastructure and identify areas where development would not be cost beneficial due to a lack of infrastructure or capacity to help form planning strategies for Local Authorities. Ensuring this information is fed back to United Utilities for it to understand the extent of growth and factor this into Integrated Asset Planning and Supply and Demand studies.
Coordinating and formulating detailed responses on planning policy / strategic policy consultations within limited timescales.
Identify land which may need allocation to support capital programmes for United Utilities infrastructure investment through liaison with internal stakeholders and Local Planning Authorities, securing this using detailed representations being submitted during key policy consultation opportunities.
Provide planning advice United Utilities Property Services Ltd (strategic property arm of United Utilities PLC) to maximise the commercial, environmental and social value of surplus and other redundant assets.
To submit planning applications for surplus land to increase the value of Property Services land bank.
Review relevant changes to national planning policy changes and consultations, liaise with internal stakeholders to prepare and submit a detailed response to consultation on behalf of United Utilities.
To assist in the preparation of submissions to strategic policy examinations in conjunction with the Planning Manager.
Undertake detailed planning appraisals of surplus assets and inform Head of Development in Property Services of the development potential of land and set out recommendations on disposal strategy.
Assistant Planner, United Utilities Property Services Ltd: August 2008 – July 2012
Reporting directly to the Senior Planning Manager at United Utilities Property Services Ltd with the key responsibility of identifying ways of securing financial, economic and social benefits from surplus land and advising on land disposal strategies. Key responsibilities are outlined below.
Undertake detailed planning appraisals of surplus assets and inform Head of Development of planning and disposal strategy for surplus assets.
Undertake details planning appraisals of 3rd party land to be purchased by United Utilities for its Capital Investment Programme and investigate potential development loss claims.
Prepare, submit and monitor planning applications for Project Ranger (United Utilities accommodation strategy) and SCaMP (Sustainable Catchment Management Programme) and other planning applications for the wider business.
Manage planning consultants and other technical consultants and oversee planning applications submitted on behalf of United Utilities and Property Services.
Review and monitor existing planning permissions granted to Property Services to ensure conditions are discharge accordingly and permissions that are unimplemented on surplus land yet to be sold, do not lapse.
Produce and update budgets for surplus assets identified as having development potential.
Review and circulate information on national, regional and local planning policy changes which impact United Utilities and Property Services.
Secure land allocations on Property Services surplus assets through planning policy consultation opportunities.
Produce responses to non-statutory consultations on planning applications and statutory consultations on strategic policy consultations in respect of the operational building and its infrastructure (United Utilities).
EDUCATION
2009 – 2011 MSc Environmental Planning, Liverpool John Moores University
2005 – 2008 BA (Hons) Business Studies, Manchester Metropolitan University
