Meet the team
We’re a team of experienced and passionate town planners
Whether you’re a large company or an individual, we’re committed to providing you with the same high-quality service. We operate regionally as well as nationwide and have a good working relationship with local authorities. We encourage you to contact us to discuss your planning and development requirements.
The Team
Oliver Rider MSc MRTPI
Director
Oliver’s client portfolio includes looking after the planning and development needs of a regional airport, historic estates, housing developments, large businesses, as well as smaller private developers and landowners.
Contact Oliver on:
t: 01242 335 544
m: 07817 903 943
e: oliver@zestaplanning.co.uk
James Griffin MA MRTPI
Director
His key areas of work have been large scale business parks, commercial development, extensive heritage projects, town centre regeneration schemes and new build care village development.
Contact James on:
t: 01242 335 567
m: 07841 707 062
e: james@zestaplanning.co.uk
Rob Ellis MA MRTPI
Director
He has an in-depth knowledge on all aspects of the development process from initial site assessments to practical completion on site, covering all sectors from residential and commercial, to leisure and rural development.
Contact Rob on:
t: 01242 896 566
m: 07736 936108
e: rob@zestaplanning.co.uk
John Hinett BSc Dip TP MRTPI
Associate Director
John has extensive experience dealing with a wide range of development proposals including large-scale residential schemes, flood alleviation schemes, commercial developments, solar farms, barn conversions, farm diversification projects, changes of use and works to listed buildings.
He also has an in-depth knowledge of planning policy and an understanding of many of the constraints affecting rural areas, including the Green Belt and AONBs.
Contact John on:
t: 01242 896 568
e: john@zestaplanning.co.uk
Matt Tyas MSc MRTPI
Associate Planner
Matt has significant local authority experience in both plan making and development management. Matt joined Zesta Planning from Tewkesbury Borough Council where he worked as a Senior Planning Policy Officer and played a lead role on the production of the Tewkesbury Borough Plan from its inception through to its examination in public.
Matt previously worked as a Senior Planning Officer within the Development Management Team at Tewkesbury Borough Council where he dealt with a range of major and other complex planning applications including proposals for new housing on greenfield sites. Matt’s other roles include working as a statutory consultee at the Environment Agency advising LPAs and developers on flood risk and water environment related issues.
Matt specialises in land promotion, policy development, housing land supply, rural housing, Green Belt and environmental matters including flood risk and water management, green infrastructure, habitats sites and biodiversity.
Hannah Rose BSc (Hons) MSc
Principal Planner
Prior to joining Zesta, Hannah gained ten years of local authority experience in development management and has developed invaluable experience dealing with applications and appeals for a wide range of development proposals including large-scale residential and commercial schemes as well as development proposals involving historic buildings and rural housing and enterprises.
She has in-depth understanding of the many constraints affecting housing in rural areas, including landscape character and AONBs.
Contact Hannah on:
t: 01242 335 574
e: hannah@zestaplanning.co.uk
Andy Powick MSc
Principal Planner
Andy has gained much experience across development management, planning enforcement and planning appeals, being involved in a wide variety of projects predominantly covering residential, commercial and rural developments. Some of the key projects he has been involved in include, a large commercial extension, town centre apartment scheme, major rural housing development, new truck stop facility, and a student accommodation block.
Anne Kenchington BSc (Hons) MSc MRTPI
Principal Planner
Working in both the public and private sectors, Anne has gained experience across a broad range of development types and scales, from single household extensions to strategic scale mixed use schemes as well preparing Local Plan Representations and assisting with planning appeals.
Contact Anne on
t: 01242 895 945
e: anne@zestaplanning.co.uk
Emily Penkett BA (Hons) MSc MRTPI
Principal Planner
Emily began her planning career in 2016 after completing a Geography degree at the University of Leeds and whilst studying for a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Birmingham.
She has worked with local private planning firms on residential projects for housebuilders and landowners, gaining experience in planning inquiries, site promotion and rural diversification, including leisure developments.
She later joined multidisciplinary firms in Birmingham, focusing on commercial schemes such as logistics, data centres and business park expansions. Emily also contributed to a new settlement proposal, worked on green-belt residential inquiries and advised on city centre PBSA schemes, building a broad portfolio across both residential and commercial sectors.
Contact Emily on
t: 01242 895 395
e: emily.p@zestaplanning.co.uk
Cameron Berry MPlan
Senior Planner
Cameron is a town planner with over four years of experience across both public and private sectors. He holds a master’s degree in Urban Studies and Planning from the University of Sheffield (RTPI and RICS accredited). Cameron began his career at Cotswolds District Council, progressing to Planning Case Officer where he managed a broad range of applications including householder developments, listed buildings and change of use.
At Pegasus Group, Cameron specialised in renewable energy, residential and telecommunications projects, successfully coordinating planning applications for solar farms, battery storage, wind turbines and more. He brings strong communication, project management and analytical skills to every project and is currently working towards full RTPI chartered membership.
Contact Cameron on
t: 01242 805 040
e: cameron@zestaplanning.co.uk
Kate Drewett BSc MSc MRTPI
Principal Planner
Kate joins us with over five years’ experience in planning and environmental consultancy. Having built her career in the utility and infrastructure sector, she brings extensive expertise in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) legislation, planning applications and environmental consents.
Previously a Principal Environmental Planner at Dalcour Maclaren, Kate has led a variety of projects ranging from small-scale utility installations to major infrastructure schemes and large solar developments. She is highly skilled in stakeholder engagement, project management and commercial strategy, and has played a key role in shaping sector growth and innovation.
Contact Kate on
t: 01242 894 870
e: kate@zestaplanning.co.uk
Hugo Purcell
Assistant Planner
Hugo has been an Urban Planning Student at the University of Gloucestershire since 2023 and will complete his degree in the summer of 2026.
After spending his second year gaining experience through placements with various charities and Local Planning Authorities in both rural and rapidly developing areas, his focus on inclusive consultation processes developed into a passion for the planning process as a whole.
During the summer of 2025 Hugo started work experience at Zesta, which allowed him to get an insight into the private sector. Hugo is now working as an Assistant Planner supporting the Senior and Principal Planners in tracking and submitting live applications.
Contact Hugo on
t: 01242 894 871
e: hugo@zestaplanning.co.uk
Kessia Rider BA (Hons)
Operations Manager
Kessia has worked for some large companies, across Insurance and Retail Sectors in various Sales Development and Marketing Roles. Within Zesta Planning she is responsible for all aspects of Accounts, Marketing and Business Operations.
She brings her varied experience to the role, to ensure a smooth running business supporting the Planners, to ensure the Clients receive the service they expect. Kessia is able to deal with any queries you may have around your account.
Contact Kessia on
t: 01242 335 544
e: kessia@zestaplanning.co.uk
Mika Jameson BA (Hons)
Business Development & Office Manager
Contact Mika on
t: 01242 895 393
e: mika@zestaplanning.co.uk
Careers at Zesta
