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Our Team

Based in Warwickshire, with reach throughout the country, our team is made up of experienced professionals in politics, planning, consultation and community engagement. 

Keep in touch with our company news and updates by following our Engage Planning company page on LinkedIn.

Rachel Carson

Director

Rachel is a founder member of Engage Planning. Rachel has led pre-application consultation and engagement programmes on a wide range of projects, including large strategic sites, brownfield sites and redevelopment projects. Rachel also leads on co-ordinating project websites and consultation materials for the company. Prior to working in communications within the development industry, Rachel worked as a parliamentary officer for a conservation charity and for a county council, where her close involvement with the county departments and local district councils gave her a valuable insight into the workings of local authorities. Rachel has worked as parliamentary researcher for Sir Bernard Jenkin MP, during which time she dealt with constituents’ casework.

Cyra Carley

Senior Project Consultant

Cyra has worked in public relations for over nineteen years, focusing on the property and planning sector since 2004. She has extensive experience of devising and implementing consultations across a variety of sectors including residential, regeneration, retail, energy, utilities and education, on projects throughout the UK, from small housing schemes to DCO applications. Cyra has an in-depth understanding of the issues associated with development proposals and the ability to communicate complex planning applications to communities. She is highly effective in building positive relationships with a range of stakeholders including councillors, interest groups, residents and the media.

DAVE BROWN

PROJECT CONSULTANT

David is experienced in community and stakeholder engagement, media relations and local politics.

Following a career in marketing, he has been a local councillor for 13 years and is currently the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. David sat on the Planning Committee for many years and has been involved in many planning matters as a Councillor covering the consultation, development and adoption of the Local Plan. As a consultant, he has been involved in community and stakeholder engagement for housing, commercial, retail and leisure developments, as well as in the energy and utility sectors.

David has also worked as a Charity Trustee for 15 years and is the Chair of Trustees for two local community centres.

CHRIS BROWN

Senior Project Consultant

Chris is a CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) Chartered Practitioner of PR and holds the CIPR Diploma in PR. In the last 15 years, Chris has managed a huge range of consultation programmes across the UK on projects for housing, retail, commercial, leisure, education, waste/recycling, energy, health, Local Authority and regeneration schemes and he has managed large stakeholder engagement programmes. He has also developed and delivered a CPD course on Effective Community Engagement to council planning officers in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. Chris has over 20 years of political experience, including currently being a local councillor on South Norfolk Council and a Parliamentary candidate in 2017 and 2019. He holds an MBA from Bristol Business School.

Vicky Wetherell 

Project Consultant

Vicky has 17 years experience in the environmental policy and planning sector, working within the public, private and voluntary sectors. Her experience extends from local government planning policy and development, to designing and implementing compensation proposals for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (HS1) and advising central Government on protected landscapes and sustainable rural transport policy.

Lisa Kember

Business Development Manager

Lisa leads on Business Development, focusing on engaging with businesses on new projects requiring our involvement. This includes small rural developments to large, mixed-use projects and urban regenerations. Lisa has over fifteen years of experience in sales and marketing, having worked in business development for communications consultancies for ten years.

Rachel Carson

Director

Rachel is a founder member of Engage Planning. Rachel has led pre-application consultation and engagement programmes on a wide range of projects, including large strategic sites, brownfield sites and redevelopment projects. Rachel also leads on co-ordinating project websites and consultation materials for the company. Prior to working in communications within the development industry, Rachel worked as a parliamentary officer for a conservation charity and for a county council, where her close involvement with the county departments and local district councils gave her a valuable insight into the workings of local authorities. Rachel has worked as parliamentary researcher for Sir Bernard Jenkin MP, during which time she dealt with constituents’ casework.

CHRIS BROWN

Senior Project Consultant

Chris is a CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) Chartered Practitioner of PR and holds the CIPR Diploma in PR. In the last 15 years, Chris has managed a huge range of consultation programmes across the UK on projects for housing, retail, commercial, leisure, education, waste/recycling, energy, health, Local Authority and regeneration schemes and he has managed large stakeholder engagement programmes. He has also developed and delivered a CPD course on Effective Community Engagement to council planning officers in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. Chris has over 20 years of political experience, including currently being a local councillor on South Norfolk Council and a Parliamentary candidate in 2017 and 2019. He holds an MBA from Bristol Business School.

Cyra Parkes

Senior Project Consultant

Cyra has worked in public relations for over nineteen years, focusing on the property and planning sector since 2004. She has extensive experience of devising and implementing consultations across a variety of sectors including residential, regeneration, retail, energy, utilities and education, on projects throughout the UK, from small housing schemes to DCO applications. Cyra has an in-depth understanding of the issues associated with development proposals and the ability to communicate complex planning applications to communities. She is highly effective in building positive relationships with a range of stakeholders including councillors, interest groups, residents and the media.

Vicky Wetherell 

Project Consultant

Vicky has 17 years experience in the environmental policy and planning sector, working within the public, private and voluntary sectors. Her experience extends from local government planning policy and development, to designing and implementing compensation proposals for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (HS1) and advising central Government on protected landscapes and sustainable rural transport policy.

DAVE BROWN

PROJECT CONSULTANT

David is experienced in community and stakeholder engagement, media relations and local politics.

Following a career in marketing, he has been a local councillor for 13 years and is currently the Cabinet Member for Finance for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. David sat on the Planning Committee for many years and has been involved in many planning matters as a Councillor covering the consultation, development and adoption of the Local Plan. As a consultant, he has been involved in community and stakeholder engagement for housing, commercial, retail and leisure developments, as well as in the energy and utility sectors.

David has also worked as a Charity Trustee for 15 years and is the Chair of Trustees for two local community centres.

Lisa Kember

Business Development Manager

Lisa leads on Business Development, focussing on engaging with businesses on new projects requiring our involvement. This includes small rural developments to large, mixed-use projects and urban regenerations. Lisa has over ten years of experience in sales and marketing, having worked in business development for communications consultancies for eight years.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

“The standard of graphic presentation and slick organisation of our recent exhibition and Rushden East was first class and portrayed our business in the best light.”

Barratt Developments

“Thoroughly impressed with the professionalism and approach of Engage Planning to a recent two-day public consultation event. The materials prepared were of the highest standard and included a number of thoughtful and useful additions which I had not seen elsewhere.”

Taylor Wimpey Strategic Land

“We have found online consultation to be an excellent way to conduct community consultation. It has proved to be popular with local residents and stakeholders, reaching a wide demographic and generating a substantial amount of feedback, which stands up to scrutiny from local authorities.”

Vanderbilt Strategic

“Vistry have worked with Engage Planning across numerous projects of various sizes. We have always been impressed with the quality of service and the high professional standards employed by the Engage team. From websites through to consultation events the quality of service has been superb.”

Vistry Homes

“We have worked with Rachel for 14 years and she has consistently supported us and delivered professional, high-quality comms that have supported our business. Rachel is extremely personable, she listens, understands the brief and executes it perfectly every time!”

David Wilson Homes

“Thanks for your support with the public consultation work stream and I am happy to confirm Engage Planning led the pre-application community engagement for two brownfield sites in Stoke-on-Trent. We were pleased with the organisation of the exhibition, the consultation materials produced and importantly, the level of attendance and engagement from the local community.”

University Hospitals North Midlands NHS Trust
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Tel: 01926 623095