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About Myself

I am a heritage professional and a chartered town planner. I am proud to be a founding member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and have been a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) for over 30 years. I have practised on a wide range of planning issues affecting historic buildings and areas in the North West of England and beyond for more than 35 years. For most of that time, I worked in the public sector for three local authorities, latterly for Liverpool City Council 2001 - 12 where I was the World Heritage Officer. I have been operating as an independent heritage consultant since October 2012, developing a varied portfolio of successful projects. These include: providing heritage advice on the conservation and conversion of the monumental warehouses at Stanley Dock, Liverpool and the Royal Haslar Hospital, Gosport and; appearing as expert witness for Newcastle under Lyme BC at a public inquiry into the refusal of an application for 92 new homes. (for further details, see Portfolio of Projects).

As a Conservation Officer and World Heritage Officer, I had responsibility for ensuring the proper conservation of some of the North West’s most significant heritage assets, including Grade I listed buildings and Liverpool’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. I provided heritage advice to Liverpool City Council, during the most intense period of the regeneration of its city centre and waterfront. During this period I worked on:

- Grosvenor’s Liverpool One

- NML’s Museum of Liverpool

- British Waterways’ (now Canal and Rivers Trust) Leeds and Liverpool Canal Link

- Neptune’s Mann Island Development

- the renaissance landscaping project of Liverpool’s Pier Head

- Merseytravel’s Ferry Terminal

- Peel Holding’s Liverpool Water project

- the regeneration of Ropewalks, notably through the Townscape Heritage Initiative for Buildings at Risk


I always seek to capitalise upon the synergy between regeneration and conservation rather than perceiving them as opposing forces. I seek to build bridges and understanding between regeneration and heritage, working closely with Historic England, UNESCO and ICOMOS as well as Liverpool Vision and private developers. I aim at building consensus and delivering projects which capitalise upon a site’s heritage and which are both economically viable and memorable. The trick is to understand, conserve and transmit the significance of heritage but also be mindful of the economics. Valuing and caring for cultural heritage leads to a more fulfilling future for all. As World Heritage Officer, I represented Liverpool around the world, giving lectures at conferences in China, Japan, South Korea, India, Canada and the USA, as well as across Europe, providing an insight into how Liverpool has utilised its maritime heritage as a catalyst for its rebirth and how the city has achieved the delicate balance between heritage-led regeneration and sustainable new building.


I presented the case for the significance of the cultural value of Liverpool’s heritage to the judges who ultimately awarded the city European Capital of Culture 2008.


I submitted Liverpool’s application to exhibit at the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010 - the only city from the UK to do so.


I have had numerous articles on heritage and planning topics published in specialist journals, principally Context, and have recently contributed to Liverpool - World Heritage City and Old Dock, Liverpool.


I lived for over 20 years overlooking Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral in a Grade II* Listed Building Georgian house which I carefully maintained and restored with a grant from English Heritage. I now live in in an unlisted Edwardian house with views across to Liverpool but have nevertheless respected and enhanced its character both internally and externally, with Morris wallpaper, a harmonious extension, stained glass and timber sliding sash windows: integrity and respect for heritage go beyond statutory requirements!


I am a member of the Georgian Group, Victorian Society, National Trust and Merseyside Civic Society. I am the Professional Advisor to the Lathom Park Trust which I helped to form. I was the secretary of the Liverpool Urban Design and Conservation Advisory Panel.


For my full CV visit here