RTPI Yorkshire Young Planners Steering Committee

Phoebe is a planning consultant with Carter Jonas, based in their Leeds office, and the Co-Chair of the Committee. Phoebe graduated with a Distinction in MSc Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Sheffield, having previously studied BSc Geography (Hons) at Sheffield Hallam University.

Phoebe currently advises a large range of clients on residential, commercial, healthcare and education developments. She joined Carter Jonas in 2021, having previously worked for Northumberland County Council, and became a chartered member of the RTPI in 2024.

Outside of work, Phoebe enjoys running, swimming and reading. 

Cara is a Planner at Stantec in their Leeds office and is the Co-Chair of the Committee. She specialises in residential, commercial, retail, and renewables development. She has been involved in the delivery of a number of allocated sites alongside local plan promotion work. This includes working with colleagues on the Waverley New Community and Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham. She works with small to large-scale landowners to realise the potential of their land.

She became MRTPI chartered in March 2023 and is very interested in raising the profile of the profession, as well as making it more inclusive. Cara also sits on the RTPI Yorkshire International Committee and believes in the importance of ongoing CPD and how connections between the public, private and third sector can better planning practice and can drive forward high professional standards.

In her spare time, Cara practises karate.

Alastair is the Planning Manager for Vistry Homes Yorkshire, part of the Vistry Group which was ‘Large housebuilder of the year 2021.’  

Alastair started his career at Canterbury City Council in Development Management as a Planning Officer whilst studying a masters part time in Spatial Planning from UCL. Alastair worked on a range of applications from tree works, to major developments and everything in between, including working within the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral a Grade 1 Listed Building and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Besides enjoying working within the heritage environment, he also relished the controversial and challenging applications, being a regular attender at Planning Committee. Of particular note was Alastair’s involvement in handling Gypsy and Traveller developments.

Following completion of his masters, Alastair moved to North Norfolk where he worked as the Senior Planning Officer in the Major Projects Team. Alastair handled a range of major developments and politically sensitive proposals which expanded his expertise in master planning, strategic sites, and large scale residential developments. Besides working on major residential applications, Alastair also handled a range of care facilities and accommodation for the elderly (C2 and C3) developing a specialist knowledge. Alastair worked predominantly in Major Developments but also assisted in development management and policy regarding site allocations.

Following his time in Local Authority, Alastair moved to La Ronde Wright/Planning Places Ltd as the Principal Planning Consultant, working again on a range of projects in terms of size and complexity. Alastair was engaged in strategic site promotion and policy representations through Regulation 18 and 19 stages of various Local Plans including securing a number of sites for adopted. Alastair also oversaw and project managed a number of proposals through the development process, ranging from Paragraph 79/80 dwellings through to major residential developments on both allocated and windfall sites. Additionally Alastair became heavily involved in estate management and diversification, undertaking a number of appraisals to revitalise assets and land.  

In June 2022 Alastair Moved to Yorkshire as the Planning Manager for Vistry Yorkshire, overseeing the planning for the region for a top 10 award winning housing developer. This role involves securing planning permission on a range of sites through either full, outline or reserved matters applications as well as undertaking appraisals and advising on strategic and immediate land. Alastair is involved from site acquisition and identification through to the sale of plots.

Owen is a Planning Officer within the Development Management team at City of York Council, having worked in his current role since 2022. Prior to this, he began his career in Planning as an apprentice at Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Owen is currently working towards a MSc in Urban Planning at Sheffield Hallam University, through an RTPI accredited part-time Degree Apprenticeship course, although nears the end of his academic studies as of 2024, progressing to seek chartership in 2025.

His current role focuses principally around domestic and minor development proposals in the city, although with progressive involvement and contribution to some larger scale schemes across the authority, with a particular emphasis around strategic and allocated sites, being pertinent to York in later stages of its Local Plan adoption.

Luci Birtwhistle is a Graduate Planner at Preston Baker and the Social and Sponsor Lead for the Young Planner Yorkshire RTPI committee. She holds a Master’s degree in Town Planning and has a strong interest in Custom and Self-build development. In her free time, she enjoys playing netball and hiking.

Joe is currently an Assistant Planner at Marrons and works on medium to large scale housing development projects, focussing on planning, policy and project management and applications for projects in the East and West Midlands.

He is excited to be the RTPI Yorkshire's Sport and Mental Health Lead, bringing his experience as Vice President of the University of Liverpool Men's Football team during his studies.

He is pleased to be able to provide opportunities for young planners and planning students in Yorkshire to participate in expanding their networks through the committee’s various sporting activities, while also emphasising the importance of mental health for those at the beginning of their careers.

Richard works as Principal Planning Officer at Calderdale Council. He is a major projects specialist with a keen interest in renewable energy and largescale infrastructure developments which deliver against the climate emergency and provide a strong foundation for economic growth. His career has taken him from Yorkshire’s industrial heartlands to the rural and coastal areas of North Norfolk, and back up to the hills and valleys of the Pennines. In 2024, Richard was Highly Commended in the RTPI Yorkshire Young Planner of the Year awards.

Outside of work, Richard is Vice-President of the British Sumo Federation and has represented Team GB at the World Sumo Championships in Tokyo, Japan. He currently serves as Team GB’s national coach and runs his own club in Barnsley.

As a dedicated professional with a passion for sustainability, and inclusivity, Raj is committed to making a positive impact and driving innovation in her chosen domain. She has had the privilege of working on a diverse range of projects and collaborating with talented individuals internationally. Currently she is working as a Graduate Regeneration officer at Ashfield district Council and managing various towns fund projects and planning applications.

Raj’s journey in Architecture and Urban Planning has equipped her with a deep understanding of community spaces and community living. She is particularly interested in urban policies and place-making ideas in consonance with SDGs, where she has achieved RTPI Young Planner awards and other ( RTPI Chief Planner of Tomorrow, IGBC, IMUN) acknowledgments.

Her approach to work is characterized by creativity, problem-solving, and being a team player and she thrives on achieving user satisfaction. 
In addition to Raj’s professional pursuits, she is an advocate for diversity, gender-sensitive planning, and mitigating climate change impacts. She is a firm believer in giving back to the community and contributing to a better future.

Joseph is a Graduate Town Planner at Mott MacDonald, where he joined the Leeds office in October 2023. Since starting his career in planning, Joseph has got involved in a wide range of exciting projects, covering the defence, justice, education, water, energy, and minerals sectors. Prior to this Joseph studied his undergraduate degree at Leeds Beckett University on the BA (Hons) Human Geography and Planning course.

A highlight project so far was working on the preparation, submission and subsequent approval of a Reserved Matters planning application and associated discharge of conditions for an electricity converter station at Drax, North Yorkshire; as part of the wider Eastern Green Link 2 scheme.

Ben is a Chartered Town Planner within the Leeds team at Stantec having joined the company in September 2021 following completion of his integrated Masters degree at the University of Sheffield.

Ben has worked on a number of projects ranging from householder extensions to applications for hundreds of dwellings across Yorkshire. Recently, Ben has been working on several renewable energy schemes across England.

Ben joined the Yorkshire Young Planners Steering Committee in July 2024.

Outside of the world of planning, Ben is a Leeds local and a lifelong supporter of Leeds United.

Anvesha is currently pursuing a Masters in Urban Planning at the University of Sheffield, following a diverse journey that shaped a passion for urban development. Growing up in India and earning a Bachelor's in Architecture, Anvesha was inspired by a lifetime of travel and living in various cities, which sparked an interest in how urban systems work and the impact of planning reforms on people's lives.

Beyond her studies, she has dabbled in seismic-resistant architecture in Bhutan, and spent a year as an architectural journalist, gaining insight into emerging trends in architecture and urban design.

Her interest lies in understanding how thoughtful urban planning can create more sustainable, equitable, and efficient cities. She is particularly inclined towards sustainable transport planning, seeing it as a critical tool for enhancing quality of life in urban areas. For her dissertation, she explored urban regeneration policies in the UK's context and examined their alignment with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Sean is a Chartered Town Planner sitting in the Planning Policy and Economics Team in Arup, Leeds which he joined in May 2019.

Sean has worked on a variety of projects, but his latest focus has been on major infrastructure and transport projects.

A highlight has been to work on the TransPennine Route Upgrade in a project management role where Sean has been coordinating and preparing a substantial number of plans and drawings for submission.

In addition, Sean has also been working with investors and businesses to create detailed planning appraisals of land they either own, or, are looking to acquire. Along with the appraisals Sean provides planning strategies of how to realise the potential off these sites

Dana is a Town Planner in the Planning Policy and Economics team in Arup, Leeds. Dana grew up in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates until moving to the UK for university and then starting as a Graduate Planner at Arup in September 2022. She is now actively working towards her RTPI chartership.

Dana has been involved in various projects regionally, including large infrastructure schemes, specifically related to water and energy. Dana has also engaged in small- and large-scale masterplanning schemes focused on public realm, regeneration, and sustainability, which has involved her working with a wide range of teams and clients.

Chirag is a Policy Planner and plays a specialist role of policy making for Local Plan at Hull City Council. He also volunteers as CPD Lead for RTPI Yorkshire and has previously volunteered for CPRE Cambridgeshire.

He is a curious individual, who is always looking to interlace planning aspects and devise holistic strategies based on varied statistics and evidence base. He enjoys strengthening planning policies and is always keen on exploring relevant trending tools and themes. In year 2023, Chirag worked in private sector in East Anglia, pre-dominantly looking over rural development sites including DEFRA projects, farm-diversification, residential development as well as strategic appeals.

Prior to coming to England for studies and making a career in planning, Chirag studied architecture in India and practiced there in zoning-system. Chirag worked for three years in India as an Architect as well as a Planner overlooking projects including masterplans for multiple mass-residential projects, hospital design and commercial buildings.

Olumide is a Town Planner with 11 years of expertise in development management, urban planning, and environmental sustainability. He has successfully led large-scale projects, including a development guide plan for two slum communities with over 5 million residents.

Olumide is passionate about delivering sustainable urban solutions. He holds professional certifications from the Town Planners Registration Council, Nigeria.

He is currently pursuing membership of the RTPI through Associate route. He has his first degree in Urban and Regional Planning in Nigeria and second degree in Project Management at Aberystwyth University. He is currently serving as Planning Volunteer at Campaign for the Protection of Rural England.