Director of Planning and Growth
The people and the ambition of the Council is what makes Enfield really special, and the focus on delivering for local people.
In Planning, we need to work collaboratively and in partnership with all stakeholders to get the very best outcomes. This includes external and internal stakeholders, statutory and non-statutory partners, communities and councillors.
The council’s key behaviour of listen and learn very much resonates with me. It’s about ensuring good communication and that there’s a shared understanding about where we are, what we are doing and the outcomes we’re trying to achieve. A key aspect of a shared understanding is the phrase of seek to understand, before being understood.
I need to seek to understand from your perspective and your views before I then seek to express my views and I think it’s incredibly important to foster shared understanding. Taking responsibility means taking ownership not only in terms of professional duties, but also council priorities and how our work links back to them.
I joined Enfield to take a director role that goes beyond planning and building control, which is my expertise. Therefore, I am taking on teams that I’ve not had experience of before, such as transport, town centres and culture. This really stretches and develops my skills as I learn and understand these areas.
My team is currently developing a new Local Plan, which will support the council to deliver its ambitious Council Plan for the next 10 to 15 years.
The Local Plan will sustainably address our housing, employment, infrastructure and other land use needs. It also outlines how we will create high quality places that tackle climate change, the nature emergency, inequalities, and promote health and wellbeing.