Steve Besford-Foster  is a Chartered Town Planner with experience of local government and neighbourhood planning in Cornwall. Steve trained in Liverpool with a placement in the City Council, before moving on to  Runnymede Borough in Surrey, where he worked first in Development Control and later in Local Plans.  He transferred to Cornwall, where he had a number of roles, and headed up the former Caradon District’s Forward Planning, Leisure and Countryside Services and Economic and Community Services Units for nine years. These were strong teams that forged effective links between planning and regeneration activity and generated significant community benefits, bringing national recognition to Caradon with a 3-Star Best Value review by the Audit Commission and  subsequently Beacon status for Supporting the Rural Economy.

Steve finished his time at Caradon as Director of Services with strategic policy and service management oversight of Economic and Community Services, Development Control, the Spatial Policy Unit, Operations and Technical Services, Environmental Health, Housing, and elements of the Executive’s portfolio of improvement projects. He was also lead officer for scrutiny.

On local government re-organisation Steve became Cornwall Council’s Localism Manager for the east of Cornwall and gained additional experience in working with communities and politicians,  often at a very local level. From 2011 Steve became Localism Manager for all of Cornwall, providing oversight of the Community Network Areas up to April 2013. During this latter period Steve worked closely with colleagues in Localism and Planning to help create Cornwall Council’s neighbourhood planning support arrangements and chaired its Neighbourhood Planning Management Board.

After leaving Cornwall Council, Steve has provided advice and support to several local councils in Cornwall and Devon working to create their Neighbourhood Development Plans. From 2014 he was volunteer Project Manager for the Neighbourhood Plan covering his home town, Liskeard, which successfully passed its local Referendum in October 2018. From January 2015 Steve began supporting Falmouth Town Council on its Neighbourhood Plan, and assisted the Falmouth Area Coastal Community Team prepare prepare an economic plan and applications to the Coastal Community Fund.  The Falmouth NDP was successful at referendum in August 2021.  Steve has also been commissioned to help write the Looe Neighbourhood Plan (successful at referendum), the Saltash Neighbourhood Plan (successful at referendum), the St Cleer Parish Neighbourhood Plan (successful at referendum) the Calstock Parish Neighbourhood Plan (successful at referendum), the Menheniot Parish Neighbourhood Plan (successful at referendum) and Perranarworthal Parish Neighbourhood Plan (successful at referendum). Unfortunately the St Wenn Parish Neighbourhood Plan was not successful at referendum.

He is currently working with Stoke Climsland Parish (Consultation Draft Prepared), Goran Parish Council (preparing Consultation Draft), St Keverne Parish Council (preparing Consultation Draft), St Stephen-in-Brannel Parish Council (Plan Submitted), Carn Brea Parish Council (Plan Submitted), Pelynt Parish Council (preparing Consultation Draft), Pentewan Parish Council (preparing Consultation Draft), St Mawgan in Pydar Parish Council (preparing Consultation Draft), Wendron Parish Council (preparing Consultation Draft).

Steve has also provided presentations on the background and processes involved in plan production to 6 local councils to assist them in deciding if an NDP was appropriate to their needs.

As several Plans are now moving towards completion, Steve has capacity to support additional Councils in creating their Neighbourhood Development Plans.