:: Director

The new director introduces himself

I hav

e been a Town and Country Planner for 40 years, 36 of which have been as a Chartered Town Planner. Working in the rural parts of Lancashire, Norfolk and mainly Somerset, I have considerable experience of problems of development in rural areas, and also the problems associated with the lack of appropriate development! I have been involved in conservation projects in Kings Lynn and in many of South Somerset’s attractive towns and villages such as Bruton and East Coker.

Throughout my career I have cared passionately about communities and the conservation of those aspects of rural life that make this such a wonderfully varied and interesting country. I very much welcome the move towards communities having a greater say in local planning issues, provided a way can be found to express the views of the whole community and not just the vocal minority. I have been involved in a number of projects that have used techniques such as “Planning for Real” that have attempted to achieve this.

After 35 years in Local Government I am now working part-time advising a Housing Association and operating my own planning consultancy. I am currently the elected Hon. Secretary of the South West Region of the Royal Town Planning Institute and recently became a parish councillor.

I am very much looking forward to my new role in ASHTAV. One of the principal tasks I have set myself is exploring ways of involving younger people in their communities with a view to learning to cherish and thereby protect those aspects of our small historic towns and villages that in too many instances have been lost or seriously jeopardised.