Regional Activities Committee

Scott is a Chartered Member of the RTPI working as an Associate Planner within the General Practice Planning Team for Fisher German. He has experience assisting and leading on a wide range of major and minor projects, predominantly within the rural, residential and commercial sectors. In January 2017, Scott joined the RTPI East Midlands Young Planners Committee providing support in organising a range of CPD and social events across the region. In 2018 the committee delivered the national RTPI Young Planners’ Conference in Nottingham where he was involved in budgeting and sponsorship. Following this great success in January 2019 Scott decided to volunteer on the RTPI East Midlands Regional Activities Committee to then be elected to the position of Vice Chair on the Regional Management Board in November. Going forward Scott will support the Chair, Chris Jesson in promoting great planning across the region alongside delivering a range of interesting and topical events.

John Scott, recently retired Director of Conservation and Planning at the Peak District National Park Authority, with over 30 years’ experience in both the public and private sector. John has been involved with the RTPI for many years, having been the East Midlands Region Honorary Secretary from 2004 to 2017. During this time he was also the Region’s representative on the Nations and Regions Panel and the General Assembly. John served as the East Midlands Chair in 2018 and 2019, having also been Chair in 2002. John has a great passion for Planning and the role of Planners – we have a really important job and the challenges that we face as a society simply underline the importance of planning – we need more of it, not less!

Chris is a Legal Associate of the RTPI with over 15 years’ experience advising on all aspects of town planning and development law at law firms within the East Midlands. He is a Partner in the Planning Law Team at Howes Percival LLP, having joined 5 years ago to create an East Midlands Planning Law team for the firm. He has extensive experience in advising and coordinating complex development proposals, including student accommodation, employment and residential development at regeneration sites and greenfield sites, and in the preparation and negotiation of infrastructure agreements. Chris is particular keen to promote general understanding of the fundamental importance of the planning system to enable the delivery of the sustainable development that the region needs. Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time with his family with any time left (not much, given he has three children including a two-year old) spent reading or watching football.

Andrew Grayson (MRTPI FHEA) is a Planning Adviser for the National Trust (Midlands and East of England) and Chartered Member of the RTPI. Previously a Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University where he led on town planning education at postgraduate level. Working with a wide range of professionals he taught planning practice and theory, helping to positively shape the careers of future built environment practitioners in the East Midlands. He actively pursues a research interest in rural planning. This includes rural policy and community issues.

Before teaching in higher education Andrew worked for twelve years as a town planner in the East Midlands. This includes roles at Chesterfield Borough Council, Bassetlaw District Council, the Peak District National Park Authority and as a consultant with Planning & Design Group.

Outside of work Andrew enjoys exploring the Peak District with his family, including with his little boy Felix.

Chrissy has been a chartered town planner for more than 15 years. She joined Heatons Planning in Derby as an Associate Director in November 2022 and sits within the residential and commercial team. Chrissy is currently working on a SUE scheme alongside other residential and employment projects of various scales. 

Chrissy lives in Derby. Prior to joining Heatons she worked from home for a planning consultancy based in the North East, which she joined after a successful career as a town planner in the public sector. She worked for a number of East and West Midlands authorities, being the lead case officer for a wide range of applications. This included many major residential, leisure and commercial developments with the most well known being St George's Park in Burton upon Trent ... the 'home of the English football'.

Chrissy has attended many RTPI CPD events over the years and joining the RTPI East Midlands Activities Committee is her first role with the RTPI. She is keen to use her organisational skills to assist the group and is particularly interested in planning law and balancing the many issues that the planning system seeks to consider and resolve. She enjoys how every day is a 'learning day' as a town planner.

Chrissy also hopes that taking this role will provide opportunities to meet more private and public sector planners, and associated professionals, from across the region and beyond. 

Nigel is a Chartered Town Planner with over 35 years’ experience and is currently Lead Planning Director for WSP in the Midlands. He has extensive experience working both in the private sector and in the public sector. He works across all development sectors to deliver a full range of services, from making the strategic case through promoting land and property in plan-making, and the submission and monitoring of planning applications. It also incorporates large scale mixed use urban developments, development feasibility studies, spatial planning, regeneration, and being an expert witness at Planning Inquiries. Outside of work Nigel is a keen Leicester Tigers supporter having been a member for over 25 years.

National Section 106 Lead

NHS England

Simon was elected a Chartered Member of the RTPI in 2022.  He moved into planning in 2013, starting life as an enforcement officer for a County Council focussing on monitoring and enforcement of waste and minerals activities.  He subsequently moved to lead on developer contributions towards education, bringing about agreements for millions of pounds of contributions and ensured the delivery of a new primary school while in post with multiple more schools agreed as part of planning permissions.  Since early 2022, he has been the lead for developer contributions at NHS England, working with NHS systems and the Department of Health on matters relating to developer contributions and town planning more generally.  This is his first role in the RTPI’s regional bodies and he looks forward to promoting the profession.

Dharmista manages Design:Midlands' Design Review Panel specialising in the promotion and recognition of design quality, providing timely design and engagement interventions across a range of projects. Dharmista is a Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI) with experience in development management, conservation, regeneration and urban design.