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Meet our new Part-time Planning Officer: Matt Kennedy

Becca Nelson
By Becca Nelson
12th October 2021

We are delighted to announce that Matthew Kennedy has been appointed to lead our planning volunteer support and recruitment campaign, in a two-year project funded by the legacy left by Audrey Dawson.

Based in Barnoldswick, Matt has been working as a Planning Officer with Pendle Borough Council for the last three years, involved in all aspects of planning including writing policy and acting as the responsible officer for 5-year housing supply and brownfield registers, as well leading on small site development and neighbourhood plans. Having previously volunteered with the RTPI on the Planning Aid portal, giving advice on neighbourhood planning, Matt brings a wealth of relevant experience to this post.

Matt Kennedy standing in countryside in Samlesbury, Lancashire
Matt Kennedy | Becca Nelson

Working alongside Planning Manager Jackie Copley, Matt’s focus will be on recruiting, training and supporting new volunteers across the whole of Lancashire, Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester.

Alongside the hours working for CPRE, Matt will continue his PhD research into approaches to planning that both enhance local economies and protect the environment.

Audrey Dawson receives the Countryside Medal from Chair Nick Thompson
Audrey Dawson receives the Countryside Medal from Chair Nick Thompson

Many of our members will remember Audrey Dawson, who was a driving force behind much that CPRE Lancashire, Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester achieved during her time as a Trustee. She held membership of the charity for 45 years, and left a sizeable legacy when she sadly died in 2018. The aspiration to use this fund to employ a second planning officer to drive forward a campaign to recruit and support planning ‘Eyes and Ears’ volunteers across the county is an investment in the future of the charity, but more than that, an investment in training up a team of new volunteers to protect the countryside that Audrey loved and worked so hard for in her lifetime.

If you would be interested in getting involved as an ‘Eyes and Ears’ volunteer, or in another capacity, please visit our volunteer hub to find out more about current vacancies.

Matt Kennedy Becca Nelson