He has lived in Staffordshire since 1974 where he was the County Council’s principal conservation officer. Between 1999 and his retirement in 2015  he was an inspector of historic buildings in the West Midlands office of English Heritage.

During his career he was involved with a number of very high profile schemes across the region including the conversion of the Shire Hall in Stafford to an art gallery and library; the redevelopment of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford upon Avon and the restoration of Trentham Gardens. He has a very keen interest in the conservation and continued use of historic churches, and has sat on various denominational advisory bodies across the region and more widely.

Alan has wide experience and understanding of working with the voluntary sector. He is currently Chairman of the Staffordshire Gardens and Parks Trust and has previously been a trustee of other heritage and conservation bodies both in the region and nationally. He has been a Green Flag Park judge since the inception of the scheme in 1996.