Catriona has spent the last 20 years working at local, regional and national levels on the development and implementation of planning policy. As Director of Planning at the South East England Regional Assembly she was responsible for the Regional Spatial Strategy and worked closely at a national level with colleagues in other regions and within government on strategic planning policy and practice.

As Surrey County Council’s Head of Spatial Policy and Information, she was responsible for the last Structure Plan. Catriona extensive experience in planning and management is now being used to take forward her new venture, Catriona Riddell Associates, where she works with both public and private sector clients, particularly on helping them to meet the needs of the new Localism Agenda.

She has been an active member of the Planning Officers’ Society for 12 years and is currently the national Strategic Planning Convenor.