Newland promoted at Tendring

Alison Newland has been promoted to the role of development management team leader at Tendring District Council in Essex.

Newland has been at the council since 2007, when she joined as a planner before being promoted two years later to senior planner.

She will manage a caseload of applications, provide pre-application advice, represent the council at appeals and contribute to projects, in addition to leading the council’s major applications team.

Newland told Planning: “As a senior planner I was signing off a lot of planning applications and it is exciting that I will now be able to do the same for much bigger projects.”

She said that the job will be challenging because the council’s local plan is currently out of date and planning policy officers are trying to find enough sites for 12,000 new homes in a new version, currently being developed.

The need for the new homes between now and 2031 was established by the council's strategic housing market assessment, based on a predicted population increase of around 18,000.

“We are currently relying on the National Planning Policy Framework and need to decide whether proposals are sustainable,” she said.

Newland began her planning career at Babergh District Council in 2004 as a planning assistant, after graduating with a masters in town and country planning from the University of West England.

She gained MRTPI status in 2007.

Cath Bicknell, head of planning services at the council, said: “In the interview, Alison gave us some really clear practical examples of how she motivates manages and finds solutions to problems – the effective skills you need for the role.”

Has your organisation recently made a new appointment or promotion? If so, please let us know by emailing planning@haymarket.com