Regional Activities Committee

Simon is a Senior Planning Officer and has gained his planning experience in central and local Government. He has focused on developing national and local planning policy, especially on retail, transport and infrastructure matters. Simon is a Chartered member of the RTPI and has been involved with the RTPI South East since 2018. He also supports the Kent Young Planners Network and has been a Steering Group member since July 2017. Simon takes a keen interest in infrastructure policy as well as issues surrounding community engagement in the plan-making process and promoting town planning as a profession. 

Laura is a Senior Planner at Gilling Planning. Prior to joining Gillings Planning she was a Senior Planning Policy Officer at Portsmouth City Council, having previously worked in the private sector, and has a range of experience consisting of environmental impact assessments, large infrastructure projects, planning appeals and residential developments. Laura was awarded RTPI South East Young Planner of the Year in 2019 and was elected as the RTPI Young Planner Trustee in 2020. Her main passions at work include creating effective engagement strategies, digitalising the planing process, biodiversity and connecting with future generations. Outside of work Laura runs a Brownie unit where she goes by the name of Flamingo, is part of a choir, loves a book or a podcast and enjoys long walks and bike rides. 

Jayanand is an Associate member of RTPI and an elected General Assembly member. He also represents the International committee of the RTPI. He has a Master’s degree in Built Environment and a Prince 2 qualification. Jayanand volunteered with Planning Aid England dealing with neighbourhood planning. In addition, he worked with a European funded organisation offering voluntary service for the construction sector. He has worked on numerous residential projects, both large and small in commercial and various other sectors. His skills have been considerably enhanced by working on a large number of diverse projects in the U.K.

Jeffrey is a chartered town planner and has extensive planning experience in the UK and Hong Kong. Jeffrey is currently working at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead as the Principal Planning Officer. Jeffrey has been elected to the RTPI Board of Trustees for 2022-2024 as Trustee for Young Planner. He has also held roles on the RTPI South East since 2018, as a member of the Regional Activities Committee, and later as Honorary Treasurer and a member of the Regional Management Board, supporting Region, the CPD development, minerals and waste planning, and the planning schools’ partnership in the Region. Jeffrey has a passion for volunteering in planning. Jeffrey was one of the UK representatives to attend the Young Planners Worksop of the European Council of Spatial Planners in Paris and Plymouth and was the Member of the International Committee. Jeffrey was also a member of the BOB-MK Steering Group to support the CPD training development. Before moving his planning career to the UK, Jeffrey was a member of the Faculty Board of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong. Jeffrey was also a Youth Ambassador of the Macao Urban Planning Forum, Hong Kong City Gallery, and the HKMTR Island West Line Community Project. Jeffrey has been rewarded with several highly prestigious scholarships and awards from his universities, employers, and the RTPI. Jeffrey is the winner of RTPI South East Young Planner of the Year 2018, the Finalist of the Young Planner of the Year 2020 and 2021, and the Finalist of the "Employee of the Year" 2018 in Surrey County Council.

Reece is a Senior Consultant at Lee Evans Partnership LLP, having worked in the private sector consultancy since 2015.

He both leads and contributes to the preparation, submission and negotiation of planning applications. He has particular experience in residential, commercial, and leisure developments, as well as strategic scale site promotions across the South East and, previously, in the home counties.

Reece was named the inaugural South East Young Planner of the Year in 2017, and a finalist for National Young Planner of the Year in 2018. He qualified as an Associate Member of the RTPI in 2017, and currently sits on the RTPI South East Regional Activities Committee. Reece also serves as the RTPI South East Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Lead for 2022.

Outside of work, Reece is a keen linguist and author having published his first bilingual poetry anthology in 2021.

Michelle is a Charted Town Planner with over a decade of experience. Michelle is currently an Associate Director at Boyer in the Wokingham office. Michelle previously worked for both a national housebuilder and in the public sector and she therefore, has a broad range of experience across London and the South East in different sectors.  Michelle works on a variety of projects but specialises in securing residential planning permissions in the Thames Valley. She has extensive experience in preparing, negotiating and managing complex development projects, working collaboratively with clients to develop planning strategies and securing positive outcomes for their assets.

Reece is a Senior Consultant at Lee Evans Partnership LLP, having worked in the private sector consultancy since 2015.

He both leads and contributes to the preparation, submission and negotiation of planning applications. He has particular experience in residential, commercial, and leisure developments, as well as strategic scale site promotions across the South East and, previously, in the home counties.

Reece was named the inaugural South East Young Planner of the Year in 2017, and a finalist for National Young Planner of the Year in 2018. He qualified as an Associate Member of the RTPI in 2017, and currently sits on the RTPI South East Regional Activities Committee. Reece also serves as the RTPI South East Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Lead for 2022.

Outside of work, Reece is a keen linguist and author having published his first bilingual poetry anthology in 2021.

Zac is a Planner who joined Henry Adams from Arun District Council in early 2021, bringing a range of experience from his time there. Zac is currently completing a Town Planning Apprenticeship at London South Bank University and working towards Chartership with the RTPI. Zac has a wide range in planning experience, scaling from householder development, to residential and agricultural developments

Following her role as a Committee Member on the East Midlands Young Planners Committee, Mel joins the Thames Valley Committee as Vice Chair in January 2023.

Mel, now a Senior Planning Manager at Davidson Homes, has over 7 years’ experience in the private sector following her career at Fisher German LLP and Bidwells.Her current role involves managing planning applications and plan promotion within the strategic land team across the Northants, Beds, Bucks, Cambs, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire areas.She was awarded Young Planner of the Year (East of England) in 2022.

Mel is also an active member of the Women in Planning South Midlands Committee.

Joining the committee in 2021, Izzie is now Vice-Chair.

Izzie is a Transport Planner at Paul Basham Associates, having joined the company in June 2018 after graduating Oxford Brookes University with a BSc degree in Geography. In December 2020, Izzie completed the St John’s Ambulance Mental Health First Aid course, having taken an active interest in Mental Health awareness. 

Izzie is also a dedicated a committee member of the Women in Planning Thames Valley Branch,Izzie has got experience in planning events and CPDs and has highly developed teamworking skills including active listening and problem solving.

Joney (pronounced ‘Honey’) is a Chartered planner and a Principal planner at RPS. She is originally from Venezuela, where she obtained a town planning degree and worked as a planner for 3 years. In 2012 she moved to the UK and worked as a planning officer in policy and DM on different LPAs in London and the South East. She specialises in residential, commercial and leisure developments and enjoys spending time with her partner, her baby and her 2 dogs, as well as singing in a choir. She volunteers with Bookmark, a charity that helps children improve their reading abilities.

Tony Chadwick has been involved in the Institute at local level since 1980 having served on both the former South East Branch (including as Chair and Honorary Secretary) and the current South East Region RAC. Over the years he has made major contributions to developing CPD policy and the operation of Planning Aid in the South East, as well as helping organise many CPD events over the years. He currently works for Gravesham Borough Council dealing with NSIP projects like Lower Thames Crossing and transport matters in general, based on experience with HS1 and widening the A2. Bulk of his experience has been in Planning Policy.

Stefania obtained an MSc in Spatial Planning and Development in 2017 having undertaken a BSc in Geography from the University of Reading. Her first job in Planning was working as a graduate planner for an architectural firm in Maidenhead and then joined the Savills Reading office as a Planner in December 2018. She became an accredited planner in May 2020.

Stefania joined the TVYP network in January 2018. The network has become an important aspect of her career allowing her to organise and meet a wider range of professionals in the property sector. Stefania is people-orientated and loves to organise charitable events within her company, as part of a team of volunteers.

Luke is a chartered planner and Associate at Whaleback Planning & Design. Before joining Whaleback, he worked as an Associate in Troy Planning + Design, with seven years' experience gained through local government and private consultancy. Luke began his local authority career in rural Mid Devon managing proposals within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. He later moved to Sydney, Australia where he worked for one of the largest city councils, assisting with projects during a major re-zoning of suburban areas. Luke specialises in planning for protected landscapes, having also worked for the South Downs National Park Authority. He is passionate about the planning profession, particularly in relation to training and building resilience in others to the pressures of the profession.

Michele is a planner at LDA Design with a Masters in Urban Regeneration and Development from University of Manchester. Prior to joining LDA Design, she worked as an intern in Leeds City Council. She is working towards to being a Charted Planner.

She works on varies planning projects, including residential, industrial, and renewable energy projects. she also undertakes site appraisals and planning policy reviews to assist clients with their investment decisions.

She is keen to work in the planning and urban regeneration area as she believes that planning can have wide-ranging impact on how it unlocks the potential of land and areas of living.

Chris is a Lecturer in Planning at the University of Reading. He is a chartered planner and started his career as a planning policy officer in English local government, following a PhD at the University of Sheffield. His research interests focus on issues of professionalism, decision-making and multi-scalar plan-making. He joined Real Estate & Planning in August 2019 as a Lecturer in Planning, with research interests in plan-making and professionalism.

Chris previously worked at Anglia Ruskin University and as a Planning Policy Officer for Bassetlaw District Council. Prior to this, he studied for his PhD at the University of Sheffield. His PhD draws on different ways in which the ‘public interest’ can be understood, and how these variations are present in plan-making. The fieldwork explored case studies of spatial plan-making in Central Lincolnshire and the Peak District National Park, using multiple qualitative methods. At the core of Chris’ research interests is understanding the relationship between normative theories of planning and the practice environment; both how planning theory should shape practice and how practice should influence the development of theory.

Chris says "I really enjoy learning about the people and exploring the interesting projects that are entered into the awards – it’s great to be part of recognising what good planning can achieve!”

Roger Smith is a Planning Director at Savills in Oxford. He has worked as a town planner since 1984 with experience in local government, house building and in consultancy. He specialises in the planning promotion of strategic and mixed use sites for a variety of clients including landowners, housing developers and land promoters.

Joney (pronounced ‘Honey’) is a Chartered planner and a Principal planner at RPS. She is originally from Venezuela, where she obtained a town planning degree and worked as a planner for 3 years. In 2012 she moved to the UK and worked as a planning officer in policy and DM on different LPAs in London and the South East. She specialises in residential, commercial and leisure developments and enjoys spending time with her partner, her baby and her 2 dogs, as well as singing in a choir. She volunteers with Bookmark, a charity that helps children improve their reading abilities.

Andrew is a Senior Lecturer on the RTPI-accredited MSc Town Planning course at the University of Brighton. The course specialises in coastal planning , climate change and regeneration and was one of the first to offer the Chartered Apprenticeship degree course for training the planners of the future. He is also a planning and environmental consultant, focusing on climate change adaptation, flooding and integrated water management. Until September 2016, Andrew was a senior advisor at the Environment Agency, helping to develop national planning policy and guidance. He has served on the RTPI's General Assembly and various Committees since 2015. Outside work, Andrew enjoy spending time with my family, representing Surfers Against Sewage, surfing, cycling and supporting Fulham FC

Roger had a professional career of 35 years in town planning , working  in 3 councils in and around London ,involving most fields of planning. Time was also spent as Northern Officer for the Town and Country Planning Association supporting two regional forums helping inform the TCPA on national policy making and contributing articles in the TCP Journal. He led a team supporting citizens actively improving  sites, buildings and places around  Manchester.  Roger spent time producing  protocols and design aids for planning staff. Since semi-retirement, work continues on finding better connections between planning  and citizen involvement.

Connor is a planner at Barton Willmore, now Stantec having previously worked in the public sector in Buckinghamshire. Connor began his career at Buckinghamshire County Council assisting on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and planning policy. As part of unitarisation in Buckinghamshire, Connor’s work shifted to economic growth and regeneration, focusing on strategic funding bids, such as the Levelling Up Fund and sub-regional issues, including the Ox-Cam Arc.

After completing his Spatial Planning MSc at Oxford Brookes, securing an RTPI South East award for Academic Excellence for his research into Strategic Planning and deal-based agreements in Oxfordshire, Connor joined Barton Willmore, now Stantec. His role has him actively involved in a wide variety of projects whilst working towards his chartership.

Amy Powell is a senior planner at Edgars Limited, a private planning consultancy based in Oxfordshire. Amy was one of the first apprentices to complete the RTPI’s apprenticeship programme, with her successfully becoming a Chartered Member in May 2022. She is an advocate of young planners and the important voice they have within the planning discourse and seeks to champion other young planners through her professional work and membership of the RTPI.

Mark is a Lecturer in Planning & Development in the Department of Real Estate & Planning at the University of Reading. His PhD Thesis examined the role of planning under the austerity and localism agendas of the Cameron-Osborne Coalition and Conservative-led Governments 2010-2016. Mark’s main research interests focus on planning and development theory, policy and practice; particularly in relation to the role of power and politics in shaping plan-making and decision-making processes and outcomes. His current research examines the role of participation and time in planning. He teaches on several core real estate and planning undergraduate and masters practice-based modules.