Claire Tester

Claire Tester is a chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute with an MSc in Town Planning.

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After qualifying she worked in local government planning (development management and policy) at district and county level in Hampshire and Sussex.  She was the Head of Planning at Mid Sussex District Council from 2008-2016. During this time she worked with the community and site promoters to build consensus around a 3,500 home urban extension at Burgess Hill, now under construction.  She also encouraged and supported the 20 town and parish councils in Mid Sussex to prepare neighbourhood plans, now all made part of the development plan.

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In 2016 she started her own consultancy Plan4Localism supporting communities in Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Surrey to prepare neighbourhood plans and deliver affordable housing. She served as a parish councillor in Hassocks from 2020 to 2023.

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Also in 2016 she moved into the protected landscapes world, reflecting her love for the countryside, its wildlife and habitats and its landscape history.  She advised the High Weald AONB (now National Landscape) Partnership for 6 years and provided planning support to other AONBs and National Parks and represented them in national discussions. 

In 2022 Claire joined the South Downs National Park Authority and is now the Planning Policy Manager, leading on the review of the South Downs Local Plan and the Minerals and Waste Local Plans produced with partners across the National Park.

She is a volunteer for the Royal Town Planning Institute, sitting on the Regional Activities Committee and Regional Management Board for the South East, and representing them on the General Assembly.  In 2024 she joined with four colleagues to set up Sussex Women Planners, a support network for women working in planning in the area.