Mark Turner
BA (Hons) MA MRTPI
Why work with Mark?
Professional Summary
With over two decades of dedicated experience in the intricate world of planning, I bring a wealth of expertise to the table. Having served across various councils in Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Kent, and Norfolk, including a tenure as a Chief Planning Officer, I understand the nuanced challenges inherent in navigating the planning landscape.
A highly versatile and confident professional communicator, adept at engaging with stakeholders at all organisational levels
An adaptable and results-oriented leader, consistently excelling in diverse tasks and situations, equally effective in collaborative team environments and independent capacities.
Possesses strong organisational capabilities, enabling the effective resolution of complex challenges. Demonstrates a strategic mindset, effectively balancing long-term vision with the achievement of immediate objectives.
Proactively identifies new opportunities, challenges conventional approaches, and successfully ventures into new territories.
BA(Hons) Urban and Environmental Planning, MA Town Planning, Chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute
Who is Mark
Making planning arguments stick where others failed
Taking seamless key performance indicators offline to maximise the long tail.
My working life began long before I delved into planning, honing my skills in problem-solving roles that demanded innovative thinking and a penchant for challenging conventional wisdom. I firmly believe that the status quo isn’t always the best path forward, and my tenure reflects a history of breaking barriers and finding solutions beyond the ordinary.
Key Career Achievements
- Successfully secured funding and led the implementation as the first “live” Council to adopt the Government’s Digital Planning programme’s Back Office Planning Software (BOPS).
- Developed and presented the successful legal argument leading to a Senior Judge reversing a previous position and granting a permanent injunction with full costs against the Government’s agents in a case regarding the use of hotels for housing asylum seekers.
- Enhanced the performance of a 40-person team, achieving the highest rating in Kent with over 95% of applications processed within target timescales through targeted operational adjustments.
- Led a team through a period of low morale to successfully implement Peer Review recommendations, fostering a more positive organisational attitude. The team was subsequently recognised as an exemplar by Members for adopting and acting upon a devised Improvement Plan.
- Successfully navigated the development management process for Council-owned projects, advising the Executive Team and Members, and ensuring defensible outcomes despite community opposition. Secured withdrawal of challenges from Statutory Consultees by implementing necessary, albeit costly, design changes (e.g., reducing development size).
- Delivered training as a university lecturer (LSBU) and served as a keynote speaker at a National Planning Enforcement Forum; invited by Kings Counsel to participate in legal circuit briefing meetings on enforcement strategies.
- Drove significant improvements in planning service quality and user satisfaction, confirmed through focus groups and meetings with service users including agents and Members.
- Managed a complex series of planning applications for a Listed Building, its estate buildings, and associated heritage park land, contributing to one of the most comprehensive estate restorations in the UK.
- Led negotiations for a significant planning application in the Green Belt, involving 30,000 sq.m of commercial space and 450 dwellings, adjacent to an Ancient Scheduled Monument and AONB, on highly contaminated land impacting nine Parish Council areas and requiring significant negotiation with diverse stakeholders including the Secretary of State for Defence. Achieved unanimous Committee approval following these negotiations.
"The only source of knowledge is experience." - Albert Einstein
Experience
- 2022 – 2024: Head of Planning, Great Yarmouth Borough Council
- 2018 – 2022: Development Manager, Mole Valley District Council
- 2016 – 2018: Associate Partner, JCE
- 2015 – 2016: Development Manager, Sevenoaks District Council
- 2014 – 2015: Principal Planner, Basingstoke & Deane District Council
- 2013 – 2014: Planning Enforcement Manager, Elmbridge Borough Council
- 2007 – 2013: Senior Planning Officer, Wokingham Borough Council
- 2000 – 2007: Planning Enforcement Officer, Slough Borough Council