Countrywide has invested heavily in its dedicated land proposition to provide a fully owned and integrated land offering. A nationally based land division sources quality on and off-market sites throughout the UK using expert local knowledge to guide land vendors, housing associations and developers through the often complex planning process, helping them to shorten time frames and maximise return.Responsibilities included growing and developing the Countrywide North Land team stretching north from Oxford and including Scotland, with the aim of identification and acquisition of immediate and long term land opportunities for residential development to meet the region's land requirements. Through the acquisition of Lambert Smith Hampton, Countrywide PLC are in a strong position to provide clients with a greater range of services.

Managed the planning function for HBC which comprised four sections; Development Management including Enforcement, Spatial Policy, Tees Archaeology, and Conservation including Ecology, Arboricultural and consultancy work. Key Achievements:• Oversaw major planning applications such as the new £500 million Hospital at Wynyard and development of a Business Park at Wynyard comprising 275,205m2 of B1 floor space, 12,469m2 of B2 floor space and 26,504m2 of B8 floor space.• Managed the formation of planning policy for the Borough, for example the Hartlepool Local Plan, SPD’s including the Green Infrastructure SPD, Trees and Development SPD etc.• Lead at Examination in Public in January/February 2013 and in September 2013 for the Hartlepool Local Plan.• Manage the production of development appraisals/briefs for Council owned sites, Local Development Orders (i.e. those associated with Hartlepool’s three Enterprise Zones which were adopted in April 2012), and sustainability appraisals.• Manage the conservation section which includes the distribution of residential grants, the production of Habitat Regulation Assessments and consultancy work.• Established a ‘s215 working group’ comprising planners, housing officers, neighbourhood management officers etc. to tackle properties/sites in an untidy/poor state. • Introduced a charging schedule for pre-application discussions in 2010 this produced a small funding stream to contribute to the delivery of the service.

Handled a large workload made up of contentious and often politically sensitive planning applications, enquiries and negotiated complex developer obligations through legal agreements. This role was also the Head of Planning Enforcement, deputised for the Development Control Manager, and supported other staff. Presented the Planning Committee and provided in-house training to Councillors on Planning Matters. Had significant input into planning policy formulation for example with the emerging Core Strategy and also Supplementary Planning Documents. Key Achievements:• Lead on major planning applications such as the clearance of a highly contaminated site for residential development involving significant coastal defence works; the installation of a 5 x 125 metre wind turbines with associated equipment in a rural setting; the erection of a unique retirement village for 242 homes with varying degrees of care required.• Lead at Public Inquiry in an application which was ‘called in’ by the Secretary of State. This was a contentious application for large scale residential development which had significant issues surrounding contamination and coastal squeeze.• Secure developer contributions relating to major schemes such as on site and off site affordable housing, off site play contributions, and others such as multi-million pound highway infrastructure projects, £500,000 cycleway improvements and public transport provision linked with the proposed Wynyard Hospital. This required complex negotiations between two local authorities, the Highways Agency, landowner, NHS and PCT.• Witness at Compulsory Purchase Order Public Inquiry regarding a significant regeneration scheme for the Council.

The basic duties associated with this post comprised dealing with complex planning applications, enquiries and negotiating developer contributions through legal agreements, such as major housing estate developments. Regularly chaired the Council’s Pre-Application Service the ‘One Stop Shop’ and supported junior staff.Key Achievements:• Lead in complex applications such as largescale residential developments at Middle Warren, • Presentation to Planning Committee.• Participated at Appeal Hearing dealing with a hidden residential dwelling in a farm building in the rural area.

Dealing with planning applications and pre-application enquiries gave me a firm foundation in town planning. Developed the Council’s telecommunications mast register.