Chris heads up BPPA’s Planning and Community Engagement Unit.  He specialises in planning policy, community engagement, housing and local government, advising developers such as First Base Ltd, Fairbriar, Pettifer Estates and Farnborough Airport.

Chris has been an adviser to First Base for nearly two years, working with them to leverage their reputation as an innovative developer to influence public policy development on housing and planning in government and in the GLA. He has also advised companies on their responses to the Planning White Paper and their strategy for influencing the Planning Bill.

In 2006/07 Chris advised several County Council’s on their responses to the Government’s Local Government Review. He also worked with the Greater London Authority advising on their strategy for championing the Greater London Authority Bill 2007 during its passage through Parliament.

As a civil servant for nearly eight years, Chris is also experienced in advising on strategies for effective engagement with Whitehall and the Civil Service.

Prior to joining Bell Pottinger in January 2006, Chris spent over two years as Private Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott with responsibility for a broad policy portfolio including housing and planning policy, the sustainable communities agenda, London, the Thames Gateway and the Olympics. He also supported the DPM’s cross-cutting responsibilities as Chair of a number of Cabinet Committees. That role included working closely with Ministers, Special Advisers, and senior policy officials as well as drafting policy briefings for the DPM.

Chris started his civil service career in 1999 at the Government Office for London working on the establishment of the new London governance arrangements. That was followed by a two year posting as a Cabinet Committee Secretary in the Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat of the Cabinet Office. The role gave him extensive access to ministers and senior civil servants in all departments and No 10 policy officials, as well as an in-depth understanding of the collective decision making process.