In November 2015 I started working for Baileys and Partners. Coming from a background of working for Estates and Charities, the prospect of working for a private practice was both exciting and a little daunting. However the team, the varied workload and the engaging clients have all made this change quite easy and pleasant.
I have the pleasure of leading with the management of a local Estate which is interesting and challenging. Politics and bureaucracy seem to enter all walks of life and a particular thorn in the side of all rural estates at the moment will be Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and the requirement to achieve an E grade if you wish to let the property out. I am a keen advocate of looking after the environment and doing as much as we can but when systems such as EPC calculations do not capture thermal capacities of thick stone walls then I think a certain category of property owner is being marginalised and penalised.
In West Wales we are lucky enough to have a number of important traditional buildings and listed buildings which are valued for their cultural heritage. These buildings are often not the cheapest to maintain and I believe that the system should be encouraging property owners rather than putting regulations in place which could potentially mean that properties are abandoned as they cannot be rented legally.
The planning work that we do as a practice is interesting and varied. It is very much a role of being able to listen to many opinions and wishes, gathering the appropriate amount of information and experts, and then organising and co-ordinating the applications through the system. The majority of the work I have done so far has been in relation to the Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) but we have also engaged and completed work within the neighbouring planning authorities.
Other work areas of renewable energy, compulsory purchase and valuation mean that we are a busy team and I hope that will continue into the future.
Outside of work, my family, friends and dog are very important to me. I am learning Welsh and it is definitely not easy and I could ymarfer mwy (practice more!). I enjoy being active outdoors and a piece of cake and a coffee afterwards. My dog Luna and I are enjoying our dog agility classes and we successfully competed at the Merionydd Show in Harlech on the 28th August 2019 – winning one of our rounds against a large class of three!
