Penfold Associates

Sandy worked as a Senior Manager in Local Government for over 20 years.  Her passion is for urban regeneration and she has worked hard to create the type of environment where partnerships can flourish by providing a strategic vision and clarity of what is required. Her particular skill is working collaboratively with others to bring plans to fruition.  She is pragmatic and always willing to learn from others and is keen to share best practice.

As a member of the Leadership Team and a Service Director at Stockport she played an active part in the development of the organisation and contributed to it achieving 4* status (the highest assessment that could be obtained by local authorities in the UK at the time).

2014 onwards – Government of Bermuda

In 2014 Sandy was appointed Visiting Planning Inspector to Bermuda.  In this capacity she visits the island twice a year and advises the Minister on planning appeals.  These have included a number of major tourism applications.

2007 onwards – Penfold Associates

Sandy provides housing, planning and regeneration consultancy services with commissions including technical support on recruitment and advice on masterplan briefs.  Sandy has provided planning consultancy services to the Barbados Government, dealing with “called-in” applications and appeals and conducting a process review of these systems.

In 2018 Sandy was appointed by the Government of Barbados to be a member of a small consultancy team tasked with reviewing and revising the country’s planning legislation.  This work involved widespread stakeholder consultation, developing options for a framework for the new legislation, preparing Green and White Papers and commenting on the legal drafting of the Act and subsidiary legislation.

1975-2007 – Stockport Council

Sandy started her career at Stockport working on area-based housing renewal and housing strategy.  She was responsible for one of the first and largest Housing Renewal Areas in the UK.  As part of the Urban Renewal Officers Group she advised the UK Government on policies aimed at regenerating older housing areas, piloting a number of initiatives in this field.

During her 32 years at Stockport Sandy also had wide ranging operational management responsibility in fields as diverse as transportation strategy, property and estates management, environmental health, waste management and recycling.  At various times she managed multi-disciplinary functions with staff in excess of 150 people.

Since 1997 her main focus has been on regeneration and economic development where she has overseen a large number of successful projects.  However, her greatest impact has been on the development and implementation of “Future Stockport” the 20 year masterplan for the regeneration of the town centre.  She was seconded to lead this £500 Million project which was one of the Council’s top priorities, overseen by the Leader of the Council

Among the projects Sandy led during her time at Stockport were:

• The North Reddish Renewal Area – an area initiative covering 4,000 homes and involving £40 million of investment
• The establishment of the Stockport Housing Partnership which provided five local Housing Associations with land to build low cost homes to rent.  This was the first partnership of its kind in the UK and resulted in the construction of over 600 new homes.
• The creation of an employment training scheme which took thousands of unemployed people and provided them with construction skills.
• Review of Investment and Development in Stockport – this review explored ways of making the development process more user friendly and ensuring that the planning process and policies do not hinder appropriate development and are properly co-ordinated.
• The £10 million conversion of the Grade 2* listed Houldsworth Mill to create 70 apartments, managed workspace, industrial and office accommodation and a leisure centre.  This mixed use development won the coveted best regeneration award from BURA (the British Urban Regeneration Association) in 2006
• A £30 million heritage led regeneration scheme in the historic market area in Stockport town centre. The project was funded in part by the Government’s SRB (Single Regeneration Budget) programme.
• Staircase House – As part of the Market and Underbanks project, this derelict mediaeval town house was restored and converted into a visitor attraction.  This project won awards from the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects), the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) and BURA.
• The development of a long term strategy for Stockport Town Centre and the M60 Gateway and the commissioning of a 20 year vision/masterplan for the heart of the Town Centre.  This strategy and the “Future Stockport” masterplan provided clarity to all involved and enabled developers to bring forward appropriate projects.

As a senior manager Sandy also contributed to the corporate development of the organisation.  As Chair of the Council’s Strategic Capital Group she led the preparation of the Council’s Capital Strategy, which set out the priorities for capital investment.  Sandy was a member of a number of Best Value Reviews and was a member of a core team trained by Hay to undertake job evaluations of all Council employees.  She also led on the preparation of the Council’s first asset management plan and on both housing and urban renewal strategies.

Sandy represented the Council on a number of outside bodies and appeared for the Council at Public Inquiries into the Unitary Development Plan and various Compulsory Purchase Orders.

Sandy regularly made presentations to community groups, Council Committees, partner organisations and the Chamber of Commerce.

1974 -1975 – Chorley Borough Council

Sandy worked as an Assistant Planner in the Implementation Team at Chorley.  She prepared the Council’s first housing renewal strategy.

1973 -1974 – Lancashire County Council

As Planning Assistant Sandy worked on the Central Lancashire Structure Plan until Local Government Reorganisation in April 1974 when she moved to Chorley.

Education and qualifications

Queens College  Barbados  – 1959-1968

Girton College Cambridge – 1968-1971 – Geography degree (2:1)

Sheffield University – 1971-1973 – Master of Arts in Town and Regional Planning

Sandy is a Chartered Town Planner.

Personal

Sandy was born and educated in Barbados before going to university in England where she met and married Kim.  She lived in the UK with Kim and their three children for 39 years before returning to live in Barbados.  She now splits her time between Barbados and England.

Sandy is an enthusiastic painter and enjoys cooking and gardening and is also keen on watching sport.  She also enjoys the theatre, eating out and the company of good friends and family.

Voluntary work

Sandy is an active member of the Barbados Town Planning Society, taking a lead in organising their seminars and events programme.