Janet Long

Janet Long
Owner and Director RTPI

Janet is a qualified Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and has worked both as a Local Government Officer and as a consultant in private practice for many years.

Her early years as a professional planner were spent in London where she worked for a number of specialist planning consultancies and an architectural practice. After a spell of 6 years with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham she moved to Surrey and worked for a short period with Guildford Borough Council to gain experience in Green belt and Countryside/rural planning.

Janet set up Planit Consulting in November 2006 to provide specialist planning services. Over the years Janet has established a network of specialist consultants including Legal Advisors, Architects, Highway Engineers, Structural Engineers and designers.   

Tim Dawes

Tim Dawes
Planning Director RTPI

Tim is a qualified member of the Royal Town and Planning Institute and has significant local authority experience at a senior level.

His first Local Authority job was with Eden District Council in the Lake District, then Wealden District Council in Sussex,  followed by 5 years with two Berkshire Authorities and then over 20 years with Guildford Borough Council in Surrey encompassing 4 roles. His most recent position was as Head of Place, managing Development Management, Building Control and Land Charges.

His strengths are communication, mediation, and the ability to find a way through. He is comfortable dealing with the larger more complex schemes and appeals.

On 8 November 2021 Tim joined the team at Planit as Director of Planning and brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge of the local area and processes.

Tara Everson

Tara Everson
Associate Director RTPI

Tara has over 20 years of broad ranging planning experience, gained in both the private and public sectors. She has a wealth of knowledge to help steer you through every stage of the planning process, including strategies to help maximise the development potential of Green Belt sites; Paragraph 80 ‘exceptional quality design’ houses; replacement dwellings and extensions in the Green Belt; Permitted Development and Prior Approval applications; appeals and Lawful Development Certificates (existing and proposed). She also provides advice to the filming industry and has obtained permissions for several Hollywood blockbuster films.

With her experience, Tara would be pleased to assist and advise on any planning matter.

Tara has been a full member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) since 2000 and joined the team at Planit in August 2016.

Nefeli Georgantzi 

NefeliGeorgantzi
Architect ARB, TCG

Nefeli is a qualified Architect (ARB, TCG) and Urban Designer from Greece. She achieved a Diploma in Architectural Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Urban Design from the Bartlett School of Architecture with a specialisation in computational design and urban data analytics. 

Nefeli has worked in architectural practices in Greece and the UK and has led projects from concept design through completion and handover. She has acquired extensive experience in the residential, commercial and hospitality sector, with projects ranging from extensions to large scale new-built developments, as well as Landscape and Urban Design redevelopments. 

She has worked on listed buildings and conservation areas in Greater London, being in close contact with planning authorities and consultants. She is very experienced in collaborating with engineers, designers and contractors and is currently responsible for coordinating the architectural planning process for Planit. 

Darius Ardeshirian

Darius Ardeshirian
Senior Planner RTPI

Darius has a degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Western Australia, a postgraduate certificate in Property from the University of Newcastle and full membership to the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Darius has worked in public and private sector planning in the UK, Sydney and Perth, with a broad range of experience in residential, commercial, rural and infrastructure development.

Darius joined Planit as a Senior Planner in June 2021. Prior to joining the team he worked in the development management team at the London Borough of Havering dealing with a range of planning applications from high density residential apartments to listed building consents in a range of settings including town centres, the Green Belt and the conservation area.

Darius has extensive experience dealing with planning applications, appeals and permitted development applications in the Green Belt, AONB, town centres and conservation areas.

Astrid Lynn

Astrid Lynn
Senior Planner RTPI

Astrid is a qualified member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Chartered Management Institute and has many years of experience across all planning sectors.

Initially a consultant based in London, working on high profile cases such as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, early Crossrail phases; Thameslink and International tourism development projects; she has also run small businesses, worked for charities and as a Head Teacher.

Prior to joining Planit in April 2021, Astrid spent some years working in Local Authorities in both rural England and rural Wales, including as a Team Leader/Principal Planner. It was a huge privilege for Astrid to work on the Test Valley Design Panel and for one of her cases to be nominated for an RTPI Excellence Award in 2019.

It is a great pleasure to know that the small part Astrid played in the preparatory work on the  Eurostar Terminus at Waterloo has led to widespread customer improvements at that station, whilst the team work invested in St Pancras and Kings Cross areas is now a global success story in the innovative re-use of buildings, community and heritage. In April 2021 Astrid joined the team at Planit bringing her unique and mature skills set.

Harrison Harvey

Harrison Harvey
Senior Planner

Harrison joined Planit Consulting in January 2022 as a qualified Town Planner from Australia. Prior to starting at Planit Consulting, Harrison performed in a senior planning role for a planning consultancy based in Australia.

Working in private consulting, Harrison has developed extensive experience in coordinating and negotiating a wide variety of planning applications from small scale residential developments through to complex high profile industrial and commercial developments, such as large format warehouses, food processing facilities and showrooms. In every project, Harrison is committed to advocate for his clients through each phase of the planning process to ensure the delivery of efficient, feasible and high-quality planning and development outcomes.

Ben Shaw

Ben Shaw
Assistant Graduate Planner

Ben joined us as a graduate assistant planner on a gap year from a four-year course with the University of Sheffield. Ben joined us in June 2021 and will be leaving us at the start of July 2022 to re-join his course in Sheffield. Ben has submitted planning applications and certificate of lawfulness applications and has prepared letters of objection for clients and has assisted on many projects of varying degrees of complexity.

Sophie Sherman

Sophie Sherman
Office manager

Sophie joined Planit in April 2021 from Grillo Chartered Surveyors based in Godalming. Sophie tries to keep us all in check and is often the first point of client contact and for new business. Sophie’s role includes keeping the office running smoothly; from health and safety, to IT to accounts as well as answering the phones. She plays a fundamental supporting role to Planit consultants.

Gillian Hanson

Gillian Hanson
Consultant

Gillian is a qualified Town Planner with 18 years’ experience across the public and private sectors. 

Gillian has a BSc in City and Regional Planning and Post Graduate Diploma in Town Planning and is a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Before joining the team in February 2017, Gillian worked for 14 years in the public sector as a Senior Development Management Officer for Guildford Borough Council, Wiltshire Council and Kennet District Council.

Gillian is a very experienced Town Planner with experience across a broad range of application types and site designations. This includes residential, retail, healthcare, commercial, agricultural and householder proposals in the Green Belt, AONB’s, National Parks and Conservation Areas. 

Gillian has extensive practical knowledge of the planning system, permitted development rights, lawful development, and the appeals system, and has represented clients at complex hearings and Public Inquiry. 

Sarah Jarvis

Sarah Jarvis
Consultant

Sarah has worked for 19 years as a Town Planner in both public and private sectors roles, following completion of a  geography degree.

Prior to  working as a consultant for a number of Surrey and Hampshire Authorities she spent several years working  for Cornwall Council as a planning officer. Sarah has worked for Planit for 5 years, and has a good working knowledge of national and local planning policies and their application, together with a practical understanding of Permitted Development Rights for commercial and residential properties.

Maxi

Tea, sympathy and cuddles.