Meet the South Downs planning team…10 quickfire questions with Carol
August 8, 2022
Introducing Carol Brown, DM Systems and Technical Support Manager for the South Downs National Park Authority.
Three words that sum up your job in planning?
We Help Everyone
Okay, so what’s your role at the National Park?
I manage the Development Management Technical Support Team at the Park. My team support the professional officers with planning application casework, but I also oversee the management and ongoing maintenance all of the systems that underpin development management. In reality, we also support the admin teams and professional officers at our five partner authorities (approximately 230 users all in), and all of the public and consultees that view and comment on our planning applications (25,000 registered users on public access). I respond to all manner of data requests, for example, the statutory Government performance reports, as well as internal performance monitoring and Authority Monitoring Report (AMR) data, and also provide data for Freedom of Information (FOI) for planning.
What appealed to you about working in planning?
Well I actually wanted to be in the RAF as an engineer, but my folks wouldn’t sign my forms, so when I did leave school I decided my next best option was to work in a technical drawing office. Coming from Glasgow, it was either a job at the council or in the shipbuilders. Back in the early eighties, shipbuilding was very much a man’s job, so I took a Youth Training Scheme post at Strathclyde Regional Council, and was assigned to the Department of Physical Planning (Countryside Section). One of the first tasks I was given was plotting the boundary of Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park! In all, I have 37 years’ experience in Local Authority Planning – nine of which were as planning and building control business expert with a software company serving planning authorities like ours across all of the UK.
Can you describe your typical day?
Well every day is different. I try to plan my week so I have a regular routine, but most days I am answering support calls or dealing with more complex emails and matters flagged to me by the team. Yesterday I answered about 220 emails, three internal support calls, coordinated seven refunds for planning fees, held our regular team meeting, and marked up my diary for July and August. We have a major system upgrade in August, so it’s important to plan that well, so I have had to factor in test plans for July, and take notes on how we notify all users of the changes that will occur.
Best thing about working in planning for a National Park?
I think for me, from the 30,000 emails my team process annually in our main inbox, is seeing how much passion there is out there for the National Park. A lot of people put their absolute heart and soul into their letters of representation, and most trust us to do the right thing.
What do you love about the South Downs National Park?
I love being outdoors, so for me I think the vastness of the National Park offers so much variety – coastal, inland, hilltops and foreshores, heaths, grasslands, meadows and forests. There really is something for everyone, regardless of the seasons.
Currently reading/watching?
I’m revisiting Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell Trilogy, so almost finished Wolf Hall (audiobook), and mostly watching Wimbledon when I’m not at a laptop.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Spaghetti bolognese
Who inspires you?
Difficult one. Inspiration for me comes from many places, and from many people. People like Claire Lomas, for example, absolutely astound me, and make me ashamed of my first-world problems. Sometimes we all ought to give our heads a wobble.
Describe your perfect day (when not working, of course!)
A very remote all-day trek across the Scottish Highlands. Solitude, a landscape unspoiled, and complete tranquillity.
And a very small tent (Leave no trace).