RMB - Who's who

Since graduating from UWE with an MA in Town and Country Planning Alexis started out in development management. After being made an offer he couldn’t refuse, Alexis transferred into transport planning where he now has over 10 years’ experience as a chartered Town Planner. Alexis has a wide range of experience from leading on the Western Gateway Sub-National Transport Body’s Rail Strategy, preparing major transport bids, writing supplementary planning documents, to delivering small scale projects on the ground. Not content with just the two degrees Alexis completed an MSc in Transport Planning and Engineering at the University of Southampton to broaden his knowledge and expertise in transport planning. Looking for new challenges Alexis moved back into development management and is BCP’s Transport Development Manager.

Dawn is a Principal Planning Officer for Sedgemoor District Council including managing the Area Team, and overseeing the registration process. She started her career as a Modern Apprentice for the I.W. County Council thus underlining her full support for the range of apprenticeships available, including in Town and County Planning. Gaining her Masters in Spatial Planning via day release at Oxford Brookes, and becoming RTPI accredited, she and her family moved 'off isle' to Somerset in 2015, progressing from a Senior into Principal role. She gained a CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership in 2018. Through her involvement with the RTPI SW Regional Activities she has promoted Planning Aid; organised and delivered CPD events for volunteers; and worked with Plymouth University determining awareness and outreach opportunities. 2019 sees more involvement in the RTPI SW Planning Awards and CPD programme. She still manages to enjoy fun times with her family and pets.

Harry is LandTech's Chartered Town Planner and has responsibility for running Give My View, LandTech's public consultation platform.  Alongside overseeing the continued success of Give My View, Harry works with LandTech's product and data teams to ensure that LandTech's platform, LandInsight, continues to offer our customers unparalleled site finding, site appraisal, and site funding tools. Prior to joining LandTech, Harry was a planner in the private sector, working in Bristol, London, and Sydney, Australia.   

Ian has worked in planning for 20 years and currently holds the position of Principal Planning Officer with Teignbridge District Council. During this time he has seen the profession change immensely; greater public scrutiny, greater access to information and Government changes in policy which have changed the planning landscape almost beyond recognition.

Ian became a planner to shape the places we live, work and play in and during his time in planning the importance of place making became his real passion and he returned to education to become a qualified urban designer. His extensive Development Management experience paired with his design specialism are facets that he can bring to the RMB.

Ian acknowledges the responsibilities of the role of Regional Chair but also the opportunities to give something back to the planning community. The opportunity to bring the creation of great places further into the consciousness of the planning community is one of his objectives as Chair. 

He would like to see the interest in the RTPI grow beyond just a means of getting CPD points and would like to try to encourage more of the planners in our great pool of talent getting involved; Ian believes so little is known about what the RTPI does locally and what individuals can get out of being involved as well as what they can bring to the organisation.

Tim has spent the majority of his career working as a Planner for various local authorities in Somerset and was Head of Service covering the area of both Taunton Deane and West Somerset, where he oversaw the delivery of major housing growth leading to Taunton's designation as a Garden Town. In April 2019 Tim left the Councils to set up his own Planning Consultancy. He now works regularly alongside the Planning Advisory Service providing service reviews and training for local planning authorities across the country, with a particular emphasis on improving development management performance and Planning Committee decision-making. Tim Burton Planning  also undertakes private sector work advising architects and SME developers on how best to navigate the complexities of local authority planning processes. Tim is a regular volunteer member of the Design Review Panel and has recently chaired a number of their on-line review sessions. Tim has been a member of the RAC for just over three years and appreciates this opportunity to engage with other planners from across the region promoting the positive role of planning.

Frances Summers is a Chartered Town Planner with experience working in the private and public sector. Frances is also a visiting lecturer at Bournemouth University. Frances has a wide range of experience in both policy, research, teaching, and development management being involved in the preparation and examination of local plans, determining major development schemes, researching best practice for preapps and PPA’s and teaching urban economics, and communities.  Outside of work, Frances enjoys the gym, walking with her two spaniels, and spending time with her two grown up children.

During my 35 years of planning working for Bristol City Council, the Department of the Environment (as a member of the Severnside Study Team), the SW Regional Planning Conference and Avon County Council I gained experience in a wide range of planning issues. I served as the last  Avon County Planning Officer. Over many years I have been a volunteer for RTPI SW including serving as Chair in 1982 and spells as Hon. Secretary 1997-2008 and 2016-2019. I was presented with the RTPI Outstanding Service Award in 2000. I have been a member of the Awards Judging Panel for the last 10 years and I am the Panel Secretary for 2021 having previously acted in this role from 2015 to 2019. This service on the Panel has certainly kept me up to to date with current planning practice.

John Marshall is a Chartered Town Planner with over 40 years of experience working in both public and private sectors .Public sector mostly with the then District Councils ,both policy/economic and development management ,up to chief officer level. Currently self-employed and mostly engaged by the Kingsley Group of companies in Cornwall on a range of projects.

John has a significant and wide range of experience including major urban expansion, commercial and retail development, holiday parks, mixed use schemes but also single bespoke residential.

Many years ago I was more active in the SW Institute affairs but after a dormant period I attended RTPI event on Falmouth Port and re enthused. Hope to bring a can do approach to planning and through the SW RMB may be able to influence Council and Government Agendas on getting things done ,promoting positive planning.

Outside of work an active member of the Better fitness group and living in Truro City in walking distance of good range of cultural ( Award winning Hall for Cornwall) and social venues and never too far away from fantastic coastline.