Alastair Curran

Alastair brings experience from both the public and private sectors, with a broad professional portfolio encompassing a wide range of development types. Throughout his career, he has led large multidisciplinary teams of more than 80 staff, including during periods of organisational change and operational pressure, ensuring continuity of service alongside effective crisis management. Alastair has been responsible for developing and implementing new business strategies and operational frameworks that have delivered financial resilience, organisational stability and demonstrable improvements in service provision.

While his professional foundation is firmly rooted in planning and residential development, Alastair’s experience extends well beyond this, including complex mixed-use schemes, strategic land promotion and estate diversification. He began his career in local government and later returned to the public sector as Head of Planning and Place (Chief Planning Officer) at Bassetlaw District Council. In this role, Alastair managed a high volume of complex and often contentious work, regularly dealing with politically sensitive matters and establishing a reputation for clear, measured and efficient decision-making.

He is recognised for a personable and pragmatic approach, supported by strong communication, negotiation and persuasion skills. Alastair is comfortable operating in challenging environments and brings particular value to projects requiring careful judgement, balanced assessment and strategic clarity. Alongside this, he demonstrates strong leadership and management capability, with the ability to hold both strategic objectives and operational detail in view simultaneously.

In consultancy roles, Alastair has advised a wide range of stakeholders, including developers, land promoters and professional teams, providing planning strategy advice and securing consents for large-scale, complex and non-standard proposals. He has a strong track record of successfully managing departures from policy through committee, supported by a robust appeal history. Alastair’s experience includes leading and advising on Regulation 18 and 19 plan-making stages, securing preferred site allocations, and supporting projects from early conception through to delivery, completion and post-completion matters.

Within the private sector, Alastair previously held the role of Planning Manager for Vistry Homes Yorkshire and subsequently Vistry East Yorkshire following the transition to the partnerships model. In these roles, he oversaw all planning matters for the regions, advising on land acquisition, new site promotion and the optimisation of existing assets, balancing short-term delivery with longer-term strategic growth. He is currently Head of Planning at Newett Homes, overseeing all planning matters for the business, with a particular focus on growth and the identification of new development opportunities.

Alongside his professional practice, Alastair sits on the RTPI Membership Application Assessment Panel and serves on the Yorkshire Young Planners Committee. He is actively committed to supporting emerging professionals, widening access to the profession, and encouraging younger people to enter and progress within the planning and built environment sectors.