Chris Bryan - Personal Profile

Born in 1966, Chris began his working life as an apprentice motor-vehicle-technician at an independent garage in Yeovil. In 1983 he won the Burr Cup for best first-year apprentice at Yeovil College. During the 1990s, he worked as a fitter for a light-engineering company, progressing to quality control and testing. A change in career direction provided ten years experience in the construction industry including time spent as a labourer for a stonemason, employment as a conservatory and window fitter and self-employment as a kitchen and bathroom fitter. 2005 saw him return to full-time education for the first time since leaving school in 1982.

A keen motorcyclist since the age of seventeen, he rode with three other friends in 2009 to the Dutch Moto GP at Assen. He owns two bikes: a Suzuki ‘café racer’ he built himself and a Yamaha YZF-R6. Other interests include keeping fit (since moving away from more physically demanding employment), travel and spending time with his wife Julia, their son Joe and family pets Charlie the cat and Eddie the beagle.

The somewhat unconventional move to set up a planning practice straight out of university was prompted by the conflation of several factors including the current economic recession, a desire to remain in the locality and the determination to remain in a profession that continually raises new and exciting challenges, and the opportunity to explore creative and original solutions.

His immediate professional goals are:

  • To build lasting relationships with built environment professionals who strive towards exceptional design and genuine sustainable development
  • To attain Chartered Membership of the RTPI
  • To enjoy work and make a few friends along the way