Dover & Deal Pizza & Politics Evening: Focus on Planning

Friday October 10 2025 - 7.30 - 10PM

Guston Village Hall, The Street, Guston, Dover CT15 5EU

Come and join us for a relaxed, social evening with other Lib Dem members and supporters and find out more about planning with our two guest speakers who have both worked on local councils: Paul Clarke, ex-Strategic Planner and Planning Inspector, and his wife Sue Clarke, who worked in Development Control.  It's going to be a very interesting evening.

Tickets are £10 a head (in advance), or £12 on the door (but please let us know you are coming in advance), and include pizza and dessert, soft drinks/tea/coffee.  You are welcome to bring your own wine/beer.

You can book tickets here, or contact:  secretary@doverdeallibdems.org.uk

Some background about our guest speakers:

Paul Clark is a Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI). He spent forty-five years as a town planner at the London Borough of Merton (1979-1983 & 1986-1989), 3 years at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (1983-1986) and finally seventeen years as Chief Planning Officer at the London Borough of Redbridge (1989-2006).

At Redbridge he was one of the Officers' Advisory Panel to the London Planning Advisory Committee, an adviser to the London Boroughs' Association and Association of London Authorities and a member of the Executive Committee of the Planning Officers' Society.

From 2006 to 2023 he has held the posts of Housing and Planning Inspector, a Senior Housing and Planning Inspector and a Band 3 Inspector, working for the Planning Inspectorate, a government agency dealing with planning appeals and the examination of local plans. In October 2023 he became self-employed – his clients have included Studio Charrette, a planning consultancy, and AA Homes.

Susan Clark is a retired Chartered Town Planner and spent her entire career in local government, starting in Norfolk in local planning at Norwich City Council. In 1978 she moved to the London Borough of Bexley where she worked for 40 years, in development management eventually becoming Head of Planning.

She has been involved in a succession of major projects, including the residential redevelopment of a former children's home in Sidcup, the refurbishment of several significant listed buildings and new public projects in Bexleyheath.

The last major scheme before retirement was a controversial proposal for a rail freight terminal at Slade Green (which was eventually refused at appeal following her departure).