Cobalt news

NZPI/PIA Speakers Evening

Marcus Davies Bateman

13/08/2008

On Tuesday 29th July 2008 Cobalt Recruitment sponsored a New Zealand Planning Institute and Planning Institute of Australia hosted Speakers Evening at The Waterloo Brasserie. The evening was a flying success with a strong attendance of members and newly arrived planners from both countries. The event was kicked off by an opportunity to network over a few glasses of wine or beer courtesy of Cobalt Recruitment whilst the panel of speakers assembled themselves and readied their notes.

The guests then enjoyed four speakers from various planning backgrounds providing an insight to their day-to-day working life and the challenges they faced. It was an interesting and informative panel where controversial subjects such as Crossrail and Eco-towns were on the menu as well as a few more amusing anecdotes.

The panel consisted of the following speakers:

• David Waterhouse, Head of Growth Points Programme at CLG
• Rebecca Mills, Planner at Environment Agency
• Hamish Burrell, Environmental Planner at Essex County Council
• Gabrielle Coyle, Principal Consents Advisor at TfL

Afterwards there were more drinks and plenty of interesting conversations as planners shared their professional views on a variety of subjects. Cobalt Recruitment would like to extend a special thanks to Javiera Maturana and Mark Stevenson, Chairmen of the PIA and NZPI respectively, for organising such a successful and well run event at a fabulous location. For those that are unaware the PIA and NZPI have established UK Branches to provide professional support and advice to member (and non-member) Town Planners whilst they work in the UK.

Cobalt Recruitment is sponsoring a further RTPI, PIA and NZPI Scavenger Hunt Sponsorship Event in London on Wednesday 27th August 2008. For more information on this or future events please contact mdaviesbateman@cobaltrecruitment.com for further details.