DPP Director Bob Robinson retires today after nearly 40 years at the company. In that time, he’s seen governments come and go, major changes in planning policy, as well as changes at DPP itself. Here Bob reflects on his career, DPP and planning as a sector.
Retirement is upon me, and as I approach it with trepidation, my colleagues at DPP thought it would be a good time to take a look back at my career, what I’ve seen, what I’ve done and any advice I’d give to young planners coming into the sector. So, strap in, and off we go.
Geography was my path into planning. An early fascination with it in school led me to become aware of the world of town planning. From there, I went to Newcastle University to study Town and Country Planning, a four-year undergraduate degree at that time, and then off I went into the big wide world.
My first planning job was at a local authority, which was a great place to start but very boring, and so desperate for something new and exciting, I looked for a job with a private planning consultancy, and drove to DPP’s headquarters, which was then in Bedford, for the job interview. I got the job, and have been here ever since, but it’s been a rollercoaster of a ride.
It’s safe to say that the first six months at DPP were hell. The management style at the time was mushroom-like. They kept you in the dark and kept piling fertiliser (you know what I mean) on top of you and watched how you coped. If you did well and managed to survive the mushroom management, then you progressed. Luckily for me, I did.
Oddly enough, my first planning appeal was for a mushroom-growing site in Berkshire – oh the irony. I also did one of DPP’s first environmental impact analysis reports for a paper mill in Kent. And my first major public planning inquiry was for a large Tesco store outside of Scunthorpe.
After just over ten years in the business, I became a Director – my experience with Tesco and other major retailers led me to be become DPP’s Head of Retail and Town Centres and lead the consultancy’s London office.
We quickly grew to a large consultancy with 150 people, but in 2012 many things changed for DPP and insolvency followed, something I consider my biggest career failure. As an agency we predominantly worked for one client, putting all of our eggs into that one basket. Then in 2012, they decided not to build any more, and so our business pipeline collapsed. Unfortunately, lots of people lost their jobs and we had to start again. My fellow Director Michelle Davies and I worked tirelessly, putting our own careers on the line to start the business again, which we did. That’s why it’s so great to see where DPP is today, nearly 15 years later.
Now it’s great to look at DPP and see what we, as directors, have achieved. DPP is now a diverse business, with lots of clients across many sectors, which is as it should be. It’s great to see so many younger members of staff joining the planning sector with genuine interest and enthusiasm for the business.
One thing I would like to say to those joining the industry is that while we are now working in an increasingly digital age, you can never underestimate the importance of personal relationships with clients and colleagues. DPP isn’t the biggest consultancy out there, and we aren’t the cheapest either, but where we do stand out is in the relationships and partnerships that we have with our clients. Get yourself out there, attend networking events and where possible, go to meetings in person.
As younger members of staff, be willing to learn about the client’s business – their wants and needs, what they are working on, what they are keen on and what they want to expand on. Your senior team won’t be expecting you to knock on doors to win the business (although great if you do, obviously!) but what you can do is meet people who are at the same level in their career as you are – because in a decade’s time they will be the decision makers. They will remember the effort you made to get to know them, and be contacts that you can carry throughout your career.
I’ve been asked what I’d like my career legacy to be – just to be remembered in six months will do. But in all seriousness, carrying on that personal touch in planning is key for me. Ensuring that our junior staff know how to relate to our clients and continue to do that throughout their careers. To never underestimate the power of the person, rather than just the product.
