If you want to know more about each of us, scroll down on this page and see our pen-profiles.

Keith Reed has over 37 years’ experience in planning, management and transportation and holds professional qualifications in these fields and as a Chartered Surveyor. Much of Keith’s career has been spent in strategic and local planning in the context of regeneration in Greater Manchester and in two of the country’s main growth areas, Berkshire and south Hampshire. He was responsible for the Oldham Borough Plan, which pioneered district wide local planning in the UK, for the Fareham Borough Local Plan and for the Berkshire Structure Plan. Until 2001 he was Director of Environment and Development at Manchester City Council and prior to that County Environment Officer at Berkshire County Council.

As an independent consultant Keith has assisted local authorities in North Yorkshire, North Northamptonshire, Somerset, Lancashire, Hampshire and Surrey with Local Development Frameworks, strategic development control, and major housing appeals. He has also been a consultant planning inspector in the Republic of Ireland. Keith is an expert in the management of planning services, having managed the externalised planning and highways services in Berkshire and developed good practice in best value. He has carried out reviews of DC and LDF performance at several district, county and unitary authorities and has had major interim management roles in Lancashire, Oxfordshire and the South Downs National Park.

Rob Shipway BA (Hons) MRTPI is a chartered planner with over 30 years experience in a wide range of planning, project management, urban design and community engagement work. Following a range of local authority posts Rob worked for 5 years at English Partnerships, initially as Urban Design manager and later on a portfolio of regeneration and development projects within the Thames Gateway.

Since 2007 he has been an independent planning consultant with a particular interest in infrastructure planning and delivery, including assistance to local authorities in identifying infrastructure needs and delivery responsibilities within emerging LDFs. A particular focus has been in acting as client project manager for an Infrastructure and Investment Strategy for all 11 Hertfordshire authorities. This has led to him developing ideas and options for an infrastructure planning delivery partnership covering the whole of the county. More recently the Hertfordshire authorities have asked him to put forward a change management strategy for the county’s planning services to enable them to make a positive response to the new world of planning including localism: concurrently he is also advising on them on the development of a positive working relationship (including advice on role definition for planning and delivery matters) with the newly established Local Enterprise Partnership.

Kate Bailey DipTP MRTPI MA(LD) CMLI is a chartered planner and landscape architect with over 35 years experience in a wide range of planning, housing, conservation, urban and rural regeneration work. Former main grade Planning Inspector; former Assistant Chief Planning Officer at Trafford Park Development Corporation, with responsibilities for a substantial programme of environmental and regeneration projects, and a variety of public sector positions in London and Nottingham. Worked for many years as a community planning volunteer and now Co-Chair of the North West Planning Aid Regional Advisory Panel, providing training for planning students and volunteers in techniques for community engagement and sustainable development. An independent planning and landscape consultant since 2002 specialising in mixed use urban extensions, heritage protection and conservation, landscape and environmental planning projects, sustainability appraisals, environmental impact statements and community consultation. Recent clients include a national developer of listed buildings, major landowners in the East of England, Sefton and Knowsley Councils on Merseyside, Craven District Council in Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Blackpool Borough Council and Wyre Borough Council in Lancashire.

Keith Keeley has more than 25 years’ experience in public and private practice in the UK and overseas. Keith has had posts with the Hong Kong Government; and with major planning consultancies including Llewelyn Davies, and Townland (in HK); Acer and Parkman (UK). He has a wide range of experience covering all aspects of planning work including urban regeneration, project and programme development and delivery, masterplanning and policy. He has held management posts in Local Government including Chester and Knowsley.

Keith became an independent planning and regeneration consultant in 2003. Recent clients include Blackpool Council, Barnsley Council, Birmingham City Council, Urban Living Birmingham, Newcastle City Council, Wyre Borough Council, and the Highways Agency. Keith has recently completed a long term interim management contract with Blackpool Council as Planning Regeneration Manager with particular responsibility for Inner Resort Neighbourhood regeneration. He managed a new team responsible for neighbourhood planning and the preparation of three Area Action Plans and radical new design guidance for the conversion of surplus holiday accommodation stock to modern family homes. He oversaw several high profile community engagement exercises and promoted the use of project management techniques and innovative communication media in the work of the team. Other recent work includes the preparation of the Wyre Borough Strategic Housing Land Assessment 2010 and preparation of the implementation strategy for the Fleetwood and Thornton AAP. He was also Planning Manager for the South Aston Masterplan (adjoining Birmingham City Centre).

David Williams BSc (Hons) MA MRTPI has over 20 years’ experience in urban planning and regeneration. Following 10 years at Trafford Park Development Corporation, with responsibilities for key area-based regeneration activities, and 2 years as Manager of Professional Development and Planning at Trevor Roberts Associates, David has been operating as a freelance planning and regeneration specialist since 2001. Work has concentrated on planning and regeneration activities covering a range of public sector clients. Assistance has been offered to local authorities with their LDF’s in both plan-making and ensuring a sound evidence base, helping the organisations to move their LDF’s forward in a professional and efficient way. Key project management roles for urban regeneration organisations have also ensured successful project delivery.

Jackie Copley BA (Hons) MA MRTPI is a chartered town & country planner with over fifteen years professional experience in planning, regeneration, and economic development work throughout the UK. For eight years Jackie held senior positions in private consultancies Atkins Ltd and Roger Tym & Partners, where she managed and inputted to a wide range of studies. Her previous clients include Homes and Communities Agency, English Partnerships, Regional Development Agencies, Local Planning Authorities and neighbourhood regeneration partnerships. Prior to this, her background was in neighbourhood regeneration delivery roles for both Manchester and Salford City Councils in inner city areas such as Hulme, Ordsall, Salford Quays and Seedley & Langworthy.

In the past few years Jackie has focused on research commissions to guide strategic decisions and to form the evidence base for Local Development Frameworks such as Employment Land Studies and Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments. Jackie has also led and contributed to a large number of evaluation studies. She has significant experience in employment, housing, retail, transport, health, education, coastal and community regeneration based projects. Jackie is confident in all forms of consultation. Jackie has strong survey and data analysis skills. Jackie’s master’s thesis focused on place marketing and she is currently studying for a Diploma in Urban Design.