Our In-house Team

Our core team work across the South West from our home in the heart of Bristol. We are Chartered Town Planners and the team has over 50 years’ combined experience; we’ve delivered regeneration policy and urban development in some of the most complex, historically important and politically sensitive environments in England.

Katie Lea

Katie is a founding Director of Place Studio, and leads our highly valued collaborative approaches to planning and place-shaping. She brings her planning and landscape skills to enable accessible, inclusive and creative solutions to engagement that bring communities and stakeholders together to create successful outcomes. She has significant experience of Neighbourhood Plans and is one of the Government’s ‘Neighbourhood Planning Champions’.

Vaughan Thompson MRTPI

Vaughan is a founding Director of Place Studio and is a Chartered Planner (MRTPI) with more than 30 years experience. He leads our planning and design services to help clients create plans, streets and places that are inclusive and of the highest standard of design.

Jeff Bishop

Jeff specialises in designing, leading and facilitating collaborative processes on all types of public and private sector strategies, plans and projects. With more than 40 years of experience at the vanguard of collaborative planning, he is a recognised international expert, trainer and author.

James Essery

James is a graduate of a joint accredited Architecture and Planning Degree (RTPI, RIBA). He has an interest in the convergence between design, planning, health and sustainability, particularly how good design and place making can improve the physical and mental health of individuals and the wider community. James draws on his background in design to communicate ideas visually in an effective manner, resulting in the production of beautiful documents and diagrams.