Meet The Team
Established in 2011, our team of planning professionals benefit from many years of practical experience within both the public and private sectors.
Chris Barker
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Chris set up ECE Planning in 2011 following nearly 5 years at DMH Stallard. After leaving University Chris first worked for Berkeley Homes Hampshire and, then moved onto work for several Local Authorities including Mid Sussex, Wealden and Lewes District Councils.
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At ECE Planning, his work has covered many sectors including private and affordable housing. Chris has an excellent track record at Appeal with recent successes for Roffey Homes and Martin Grant Homes.
Huw James
DIRECTOR
Huw has been a Chartered Town Planner and full member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (MRTPI) since 2003. Huw leads a full range of strategic and mixed use planning projects relating to education, residential, leisure, community, heritage, and commercial developments.
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Huw is experienced in dealing with major planning applications and appeals, the promotion of strategic sites through the development plan process, site appraisals, Environmental Impact Assessments, environmental studies and public consultation and strategy.
Sarah Hufford
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Sarah is an Associate Director at ECE Planning with over 20 years of experience, working for a number of well-known UK planning consultancies as well as in-house for Rocco Homes Ltd.
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Sarah has a wide range of planning knowledge, covering residential, mixed use, community and commercial developments. She has experience of dealing with sites of all sizes, from small brownfield regeneration schemes to large scale urban extensions. Her areas of expertise include site appraisal work, planning applications, including EIA developments, site promotion and appeals.
Adam Staniforth
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Adam is a qualified chartered certified accountant, having studied Accountancy with Business Law at Portsmouth University.
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Adam joined the Practice in 2015 as Financial Manager following 7 years working in the manufacturing industry, becoming Finance Director in 2018. Adam is responsible for the finances and HR functions of the ECE Group.
Sam Sykes
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Sam is an Associate Director at ECE Planning who works on a range of major planning applications, appeals, and the promotion of land through the development plan system.
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Sam has extensive experience in the public sector having worked for Adur & Worthing and Brighton & Hove Councils, in particular on the Shoreham Harbour Masterplan.
Rebecca Hoad
SENIOR PLANNER
Rebecca is a Senior Planner at ECE Planning having joined the team in 2015 from previous employment at Fowlers Estate Agents.
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Rebecca gained her Masters Degree in Planning in 2019 and has experience on minor and major applications. Rebecca was promoted to Senior Planner in April 2021 and was elected as a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute in August 2021.
Adam King
DIRECTOR
Adam is a qualified town planner and has an excellent track record of delivering planning approvals on ’challenging sites’ through collaboration with clients and local authorities.
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Combining his Architectural expertise with his planning knowledge, Adam is very experienced in preparing feasibility appraisals and detailed designs for rural, suburban and urban sites at all scales, with his clients including Vinci, Martin Grant Homes, J W Stratton and Hastoe Housing Association.
Saskia Lower
PLANNER
Saskia is a Planner at ECE Planning having joined the team in 2021 as a Graduate Planner following the completion of her Planning & Property Development degree at Oxford Brookes University.
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Saskia has adapted quickly to become a valued member of the ECE Planning Team. She is keen to get stuck in to all aspects of the planning process and will assist the team with daily monitoring of all applications and further administration of planning applications and appeal submissions.
Finlay Gardner
PLANNER
Finlay is a Planner at ECE Planning having joined the team in 2021
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Finlay has over two years planning experience, previously working for a local council.
Megan Smith
PLANNER
Megan is a Planner with ECE Planning, having recently joined the team in July 2022.
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Megan has five years’ experience in a variety of planning roles, including Planning Enforcement Officer with the London Borough of Newham, and planning officer roles with Local Authorities, Chelmsford City Council and Dorset. Megan has also worked in New Zealand as a Compliance officer, working on major projects with Christchurch City Council.
Maddie Warren
PLANNING MARKETING & ADMIN COORDINATOR
Maddie joined ECE Planning in 2019 after 3 years at ECE Architecture.
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Maddie has a degree in Business Studies and over 15 years experience of working in admin and marketing.
Jamie Wilkes
PLANNER
Jamie is a Planner at ECE Planning having joined the team in 2022 bringing over 4 years of Planning experience from his previous roles.
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Jamie graduated from Portsmouth University in 2015 with a BA Geography degree and went on to commence his first planning role in 2018 with a planning consultancy, where Jamie then graduated with an MSc in Town Planning from Brighton University in 2020. In 2021, Jamie joined a large planning consultancy as a planner where he worked on planning applications across a range of local authorities. Jamie is working towards becoming a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute.
Tobias Deacon
GRADUATE PLANNER
Tobias is a Graduate Planner at ECE Planning.
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He joined the team in 2022 after graduating from Cardiff University School of Geography and Planning with a BSc in Urban Planning and Development.
Tobias is avid about starting his career in planning and working towards achieving his RTPI accreditation within the firm. Currently he is assisting with the monitoring and administration of planning applications and appeal submissions.
