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Eleanor Gingell

Eleanor is a chartered member of the RTPI. Her qualifications include a BSc Environment and Development from the University of Durham, and an MSc Spatial Planning. In 2014 she was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to Community and Neighborhood Planning in recognition of her work with communities across Northampton.

Eleanor has a range of public and private experience gained over the past 17 years. This includes contributing to three ‘sound’ plans and leading on the preparation of a replacement local plan for Cherwell District. Her private experience includes a range of commercial, mixed-use and residential projects from 5-2,500 dwellings (and many in between) covering all aspects from strategy and plan promotion to coordinating planning applications and acting as an expert witness at appeals. She is never one to back away from a challenge.

Since joining Smith Jenkins, Eleanor has been working on a range of projects including representing Coventry City Council at Inquiry, redevelopment of brownfield sites in the green belt, and developing planning strategies to help clients achieve a positive outcome. 

Outside of the office, Eleanor is an ‘all routes’ assessor for those seeking membership to the RTPI, a former Chair of the Southeast Region and has spoken at several RTPI events on a range of topics including Healthy Place Shaping and community engagement. She was a regional judge for the 2023 Awards for planning excellence.

She indicates that all this, together with family life, doesn’t give her much spare time outside of the office, but in the rare moments off she enjoys visiting new places (and then researching their planning history!).