Design South East has appointed former Public Practice Chief Operating Officer Nikki Linsell as its new Director of Operations, and has named Hilary Satchwell and Mary Cook as Co-Chairs of the Board of Trustees.
These appointments mark a significant moment in the charity’s growth as it expands its services and deepens its support for the public sector at a time of considerable change.
With new government proposals on planning reform, housing delivery, and green belt development, the South of England faces growing pressure to deliver housing, infrastructure and economic growth while ensuring quality, sustainability and public benefit.
Design South East is perfectly placed to play a pivotal role in supporting this growth with expertise, independence and trusted advice. With planning reform, housing delivery pressures and investment in social housing back at the top of the political agenda, DSE’s independent expertise will be essential to ensuring growth is delivered with design quality and long-term public value.
Hilary, a Director at Tibbalds, and Mary, a planning barrister and former Founding Partner at Town Legal LLP, bring outstanding expertise across architecture, planning and cross sector leadership. Their joint appointment as Co-Chairs reflects Design South East’s commitment to innovative, collaborative governance as the charity strengthens its Board to support future growth.
Their appointment follows a recent refresh of the Board and the stepping down of Chair Ben Rogers, who has played a vital role in steering the charity through its recent development.
Nikki joins Chris Lamb to strengthen the leadership team and drive forward operational and strategic delivery. Nikki brings nearly a decade of experience helping to build Public Practice from its inception to become a nationally recognised social enterprise supporting public planning capacity.
She has a proven track record in developing high-performing, mission-led organisations, with a strong focus on organisational strategy, sector impact, and capacity building for the public sector. She will formally take up her new role in September 2025.
Nikki said: “I’ve long admired Design South East for its combination of entrepreneurial spirit, deep expertise and commitment to quality.
“Its work is grounded in the real practice of placemaking, development and the planning system, quietly supporting and impacting places and communities across the region. As the sector evolves, there’s a huge opportunity for independent, expert organisations like DSE to strengthen their role and impact. I’m excited to be joining at this point in the organisation’s growth”.
As an independent built environment charity, Design South East provides trusted, impartial built environment advice and practical support to local authorities, developers, communities, and national agencies.
Through its expert multidisciplinary panels, DSE not only delivers 130 design reviews annually but offers planning committee training, design surgeries, community engagement, design coding, and strategic support for developers and public sector clients. Its expanding role ensures the built environment sector has access to independent, cross-sector expertise that helps deliver high-quality, inclusive and sustainable places.
This strengthened leadership marks the next chapter in Design South East’s evolution as it builds on its national role in collaboration with the wider Design Network, in shaping quality development, delivering expert support and guidance and helping places meet the complex challenges ahead.
Chris said: “What makes Design South East distinctive is our deep understanding of the places we work in and for. As growth continues across the region, DSE’s local knowledge, regional perspective and trusted expertise allow us to support the public and private sectors in delivering quality outcomes that reflect the unique challenges and opportunities of each place.
“These appointments mark a significant next step in Design South East’s development as we continue to strengthen our offer to the sector. Nikki’s expertise will be invaluable as we scale up our operations and deepen the support we provide across the region. I’m also delighted to welcome Hilary and Mary as Co-Chairs as we continue to build the organisation’s leadership and governance for the future.”
