A Belfast planning consultant has been appointed to the global governing council of one of the world's largest and most influential professional bodies.

Diana Fitzsimons, Planning Director of the planning and urban design consultancy Turley Associates has been appointed to the prestigious role by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which has some 150,000 members.

She joins senior chartered surveyors from around the world on the Governing Council of RICS, which sets the long-term direction of travel for the global organisation.

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Diana takes up her role in the next few weeks, and commented: "The Governing Council sets the long term direction for RICS that will shape the future of the profession. The RICS is now a leading professional body in the field of property, with offices in the USA, Dubai, China, Hong Kong and Australia and it embraces the property aspects of planning in which I have a particular interest. I am very happy to have been asked to serve on this forward looking Council."

Diana Fitzsimons has been involved in planning and development activity in Northern Ireland for over 25 years, and is a past chairman of both the RICS and the Royal Town Planning Institute in Northern Ireland.

Since joining Turley Associates 10 years ago as Office Director, Diana has worked on many significant projects for major clients such as the Belfast Harbour Commissioners, Titanic Quarter Ltd, the Odyssey Trust, the Quinn Group, Brett Martin, the NIO, Queens University and the National Trust. Prior to joining Turley Associates she was Principal Commissioner with the Planning and Water Appeals Commissions.