Senior Leadership Team

The Authority is led day-to-day by a Senior Management Team comprising of:

Tim Slaney – Chief Executive (Interim)

Contact: tim.slaney@southdowns.gov.uk

Tim Slaney is the Interim Chief Executive Officer for the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), working with Members, partners and colleagues to set the overall vision and strategy for the Authority. He is responsible for ensuring the organisation delivers on its priorities of Nature Recovery, Climate Action, and National Park for All.

He is passionate about Britain’s newest National Park being accessible to everyone, and promoting the multiple benefits the area has to offer to residents and visitors alike. During his formative years, Tim was lucky enough to spend much of his childhood visiting Britain’s countryside. He is keen that young people and those from underrepresented communities can visit, enjoy and learn about special landscapes.

Tim joined the Authority in 2011, as the first Director of Planning. He set up and led one of the country’s busiest planning teams, adopting a unique partnership arrangement with other planning authorities. Tim has overseen the creation of the award-winning, eco-system driven, landscape-led South Downs Local Plan. This relied in part on a leading neighbourhood community planning programme that also undertook consultancy work. The plan focuses on delivering the National Park’s purposes and duty, providing affordable housing and infrastructure for local communities and visitors. He negotiated and introduced the first groundbreaking Community Infrastructure Levy scheme in a National Park.

Tim has taken a leading role on managing operations at the iconic Seven Sisters Country Park. He has experience across the SDNPA and collaborating with other National Parks and National Landscape colleagues across a range of activities.

He has worked in a number of urban, rural and unitary authorities in the southwest and southeast, in a variety of management and leadership roles.. This includes leading highly successful planning, transport and highways, building control and conservation functions.

Tim is responsible for the day-to-day leadership, culture and management of the Authority, ensuring the accountability and value for money of its programmes and advising the Members on its policies, future direction and the implementation of strategic plans.
Mike Hughes – Director of Planning (Interim)

Contact: mike.hughes@southdowns.gov.uk

Mike Hughes is the Interim Director of Planning for the South Downs National Park Authority. He started work with the National Park Authority in 2017 and previously managed the Major Projects and Performance team. Prior to that, he has worked as a planner in both the private and public sectors, including time spent abroad.

During his time at the Authority, Mike has led on multiple projects including major planning applications, major infrastructure projects, the SDNPA’s Sustainable Construction and Design Supplementary Planning Guidance, the SDNPA’s Design Awards and a number of performance initiatives.

Mike leads and oversees the provision of the National Park Planning Service, including the development management service, policy making, major planning schemes and the Community Infrastructure Levy.

The National Park is one of the largest planning authorities in the country (both in terms of geographic size and the number of applications dealt with) and SDNPA determines more planning applications than many London Boroughs. Mike is responsible for the National Park Authority’s “hosted” arrangements, whereby 85% of the 5,000+ planning applications a year are dealt with by a number of district councils.

The Authority also provides support and leadership as appropriate to over 50 Neighbourhood combined and Community Plans, both within and beyond the National Park.

Mike has a key corporate role representing the Authority on many matters including affordable housing provision, rural economic growth and tourism.

Mike is an awful yet keen runner and lives with his young family in the South Downs.
Laura Sercombe – Director of Landscape and Strategy (Interim)

Contact: Laura.Sercombe@southdowns.gov.uk

Laura Sercombe is Director of Landscape and Strategy, joining the National Park Authority in 2024.

Laura leads and oversees the National Park’s environmental and landscape profile, programmes and policies, contributing to the work of the Senior Leadership Team in developing, interpreting and delivering the overall strategy and direction for the Authority.

Her role focuses on developing and implementing strategies to ensure the conservation of the landscape, improvements in biodiversity, support to landowners and farmers, and provision of services to enhance the public’s enjoyment and understanding of this unique environment. Critical to this is the furthering of the National Park’s priorities of Nature Recovery, Climate Change and National Park for All.

For the past 30-plus years Laura has worked in service delivery charities, leading operations teams on a national scale. Her previous roles include Chief Executive Officer at Challengers and Girls Friendly Society and a major focus of her career has been addressing social injustice and furthering inclusion.

Passionate about the environment, Laura has lived and worked in around the South Downs for over 20 years and, in her own words, says “it’s a dream to be working at the National Park with such a dedicated and inspiring team”.

Married with two adult children, one of her biggest joys is invigorating walks in the National Park with her rescue Breton Roy.