Helping towns, councils, businesses and place partnerships build places that thrive..
Working with councils, BIDs, anchor institutions and local businesses to identify shared priorities and turn ambition into coordinated action.
Meet the Team
Author of Chasing Permanence
Most places don’t struggle because of a lack of ideas. They struggle because the people who need to work together rarely sit together — and when they do, they’re not working from the same diagnosis.
I help places create shared clarity, align priorities and build a repeatable way of working that can be sustained locally. The work is grounded in the Chasing Permanence framework (Routledge) and shaped by more than 25 years of frontline experience on the high street.
Chasing Permanence
How Businesses on our High Streets Can Adapt and Thrive
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What you get when coordination works
01
Decisions get
made faster
02
Duplication
reduces
03
Delivery
becomes owned
This is the foundation of long-term, place-based change.
The three outputs of working with me
A shared diagnosis
A clear view of what’s really holding your high street back — grounded in the 5 Determinants of Permanence.
Aligned priorities
Three priorities that councils, BIDs, businesses and anchor institutions can all commit to.
Clear actions with ownership
A practical pathway for coordinated delivery — with named owners and a 30/60/90-day cadence.
This is not another report.
It is a decision-making tool that creates clarity and momentum.
Proof of concept: Plymouth
The Inclusive High Street Forum brought councils, BIDs, businesses, anchor institutions and community groups into the same room — on equal terms.
The result:
• A shared diagnosis
• Aligned priorities
• Renewed commitment to coordinated action
The framework behind the work
Chasing Permanence — the 5 Determinants
01
Tangibility
02
Affordability
03
Human Capital
04
Risk & Resilience
05
Strategy
These determinants are used live — in conversations, decisions and delivery — to cut through complexity and focus on what matters.
If your place is under pressure, the most effective first step is the Alignment Audit.
Insights
