Thames Valley Young Planners' Network

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.

Since 2016, Annabel has undertaken roles within both planning consultancy and housebuilding and in September 2022 joined Brookbanks as Development and Planning Manager, providing planning and project management expertise to major scale residential developments including a New Town.She is an active member of the development community, as well as her role as Chair of the RTPI TVYPN, she has undertaken regional positions with the; Association for Consultancy and Engineering Emerging Professionals, Building Magazine Graduate Panel and Women in Planning.

Annabel is passionate about continual learning and looks forward to leading an excellent variety of events through 2023 after  wholeheartedly enjoying delivering the Young Planners' Conference last year.

Laura is a Chartered Planner at Barratt Developments, joining the Northampton division in April 2020. Previously, Laura worked at a planning consultancy for two years after the completion of her Spatial Planning Masters’ Degree at Oxford Brookes University.

In her current role, Laura primarily manages immediate land, working on land bids and planning applications across Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.

Laura joined the Thames Valley Young Planner’s Steering Group in January 2019, and will be continuing her previous role as Secretary in 2023.

Lydia is a chartered town planner and has been working in consultancy since graduating from the University of Sheffield. Lydia has over five years of experience and currently works as a Senior Planner for Tetra Tech and is based in Milton Keynes. 

Within the committee, Lydia is passionate about encouraging other young planners to make the most of the Institute and this valuable network of people.

Suzi is a Principal Planner at Bidwells, based in the company’s Milton Keynes Office. She is a chartered town planner.

Suzi is involved in a range of projects across the Oxford to Cambridge Arc. She has promoted strategic land, provided planning appraisal advice, and implemented planning strategies. Notable schemes that she has worked on include MK Gateway and Campbell Wharf.

Suzi is Chair of Women in Planning South Midlands and a social media lead for Women in Planning UK. In 2020, she was named a Women of Influence in the Planner and shortlisted for RTPI South East Young Planner of the Year.

Adam is Special Projects Director for Milton Keynes Development Partnership. In particular, he oversees ‘Renaissance:CMK’ - a council-backed project to develop an even stronger, more dynamic, Central Milton Keynes, as well as placemaking in wider Milton Keynes and the regeneration of Bletchley. Prior to that he was a Development Manager for Lendlease for the Smithfield Birmingham Masterplan, a significant urban regeneration scheme and a joint venture with Birmingham City Council.

Adam is an experienced chartered member of the RICS, but has recently graduated with a RTPI-accredited degree from the University of Westminster and working towards his L-APC application in 2023.

Adam joined the committee in 2021 but was until then, Regional RICS Matrics Chair and so has extensive exposure to organising member events - including formal CPD sessions, careers & employability workshops, networking opportunities and national AGMs.

Emily is a Charted Planner at Turley, having joined the company in December 2020 and joined the Committee in May 2021.Previously Emily has worked at Lichfields and client side at Persimmon Homes. She graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 2018 with a degree in City and Regional Planning.

Emily is a Planner at David Lock Associates based in Milton Keynes.

She recently became chartered. She has previously worked Cerda Town Planning Ltd whilst completely her BSc and MSc in Urban Planning at the University of Birmingham.

Emily joined the committee in March 2022.

Joe is a Graduate Planner at Savills. Following his graduation from Cardiff University in 2021, Joe began his planning career at Quod, London in June 2021.

Joe is looking to submit his APC in November 2022 and is excited to get involved in organising future events within the region. Joe joined the committee in January 2023.

Holly is a Graduate Planner at Boyer starting in 2021, following her graduation from the University of Birmingham MSc Urban and Regional Planning (2021) and BSc in Geography (2019) at Oxford Brookes.

She joins the committee in January 2023 and is excited to get involved organising future events within the region.

Joseph is a Planner at Barton Willmore, now Stantec based in Reading, following his graduation from the University of Reading MSc Spatial Planning and Development (2021) and BA Geography at the University of Southampton (2019).

Joseph is currently working towards his chartership, and having joined the committee in April 2023, is looking forward to getting involved in future events.