Meet the team

Meet our team

The One Horton Heath Team is a dedicated project team with vast industry experience and a range of backgrounds. View their profiles, roles and responsibilities.

Shaun Harkin

Technical Manager

Shaun has over 25 years’ experience in the built environment, having spent some 10 years working for housing developers across the south and over 15 years in a range of roles within design practices and contract administration.

With experience in residential and infrastructure projects, including the award-winning sustainable-led Graylingwell Park, Shaun will be using his technical abilities to work on a range of projects at One Horton Heath as Technical Manager.

Having previously competed in the Fastnet race, today Shaun spends his spare time enjoying formula one, mountain biking around Hampshire and watching movies. He is also a first aider for his sons’ under 14 rugby team.

Shaun McDonagh

Construction Manager

Sean was introduced to the construction industry over 20 years ago, working as a self-employed foreman on small build projects. In 2014, having graduated from Solent University with a HNC in Construction Management, Sean moved onto larger scale project work by joining Bovis Homes and working on residential builds.

From Truro in Cornwall to Botley in Eastleigh, Sean has managed many new-build sites as a site manager. Prior to joining the One Horton Heath team, Sean was a contract manager working for Captiva Homes on the Isle of Wight where he lives.

A keen outdoor enthusiast, life on the island allows Sean to enjoy many sporting and leisure activities such as surfing, kayaking, and walking.

Sophie Ponsford

Contract Surveyor

As a Contract Surveyor for One Horton Heath, Sophie’s main responsibility is to support the delivery of the development’s residential parcels. Having previously worked for residential developer St George, part of the Berkeley Group, Sophie has a wealth of experience in cost control and contract management in residential developments and local authority housing, and is well versed in all aspects of surveying, including tendering, client liaison and commercial management.

Outside of work, Sophie enjoys spending quality time with her son, and hopefully getting back to more holidays abroad!

Peter Drury

Technical Manager

Prior to joining the team, Peter spent his time within the private sector gaining valuable experience both in Site and Technical Management roles working for housing developers and contracting sectors of the construction industry. Within his position as Technical Manager, he has worked on various exciting schemes ranging from refurbishments, small and large scale residential developments, and multi phased major developments including significant infrastructure works and upgrades.

With an eye for detail and a passion for doing the right thing when it comes to development, Peter in his role wants to ensure each scheme compliments its surroundings whilst providing a positive product with the end user always in mind.

His busy role on One Horton Heath will be to primarily assist the planning function by managing the detailed design process on the first new homes parcel.

Outside of work, Peter enjoys spending time with his young family exploring the countryside surrounding his home.

Emily Whitley

Ecology Clerk of Works

Emily joined the team in March 2024, taking on the role of coordinating ecology requirements across each parcel and the entire site. Her background includes a degree in Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology, followed by a Masters in Biological Recording. Over the course of more than 10 years in the private sector, Emily conducted ecology surveys and collaborated with clients to produce comprehensive reports and strategies. Her survey work encompassed a range of species, including Dormice, bats, Great Crested Newts, reptiles, and Badgers.

Outside of work, Emily treasures spending quality time with her family. On rare occasions, she indulges in playing underwater hockey, a unique and invigorating pastime.

Neil White

Development Planning Manager

Neil has been working within the development industry for 25 years, bringing experience from building surveying, construction, architecture, and planning.

Having worked on and seen delivered a wide range of development sectors from extra care to commercial, Neil has a good knowledge base in development delivery. His most recent experience is working within Vistry Group where he managed sites from land acquisition through to start on site. He is keen to help progress the One Horton Heath development to deliver high quality family homes to create a community for future generations.

You will find Neil in his free time coaching his son’s football team or playing badminton with his daughter. His more adventurous side will also see him off snowboarding or mountain biking with friends and family.

Ziyad Thomas

Development Planning Manager

Ziyad has over 15 years’ experience as a town planner and has been a Chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute since 2010. Recognising the increased importance of financial viability in development and plan making, he joined the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors becoming Chartered in 2022. While he has experience in both the public and private sectors, he has predominantly worked in-house for housebuilders and has developed a significant level of expertise with specialist older persons’ accommodation in particular.

In his role as Senior Planning Manager, Ziyad will be assisting in the development and implementation of a site-wide planning strategy for One Horton Heath.

In his spare time Ziyad enjoys both listening to and playing music, travel and helping his children explore the countryside.

Irina Slavova

Design Coordinator

Irina is our dedicated Design Coordinator for the One Horton Heath project. With a background in architecture and interior design, Irina brings valuable skills and a passion for collaboration to our team.

Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a Master’s in Interior Design, Irina adeptly merges technical knowledge with creative flair. Despite her 3 years of experience, Irina consistently delivers exceptional results, ensuring that the project exceeds expectations.

Collaborating closely with our Technical Managers, she navigates complexities and streamlines processes to bring our visions to life effectively. Irina also assists in planning and liaising with design consultants and contractors, facilitating seamless coordination and communication.

Outside of work, Irina finds inspiration in nature, music, and portrait drawing, infusing her creativity into both professional and personal pursuits.

Emma Jones

Project Coordinator

Before starting her career in project coordination, Emma worked in the Health and Welfare Department of a local college. She then moved into a Project Administrator role for an IT company, assisting in the implementation of the IT infrastructure for Care UKs 111 call centres. Having completed her Prince2 in Project Management course, she is now looking forward to learning all aspects of this sustainable and exemplar development.

In her role as Project Coordinator, Emma will be at the heart of the team coordinating the many reporting and commercial activities. When she is not at work, Emma is a regular at Crossfit or can be found working on sewing projects for friends and family.

Stephen Andrews

Jenny Coles

Senior Communications Officer

Jenny is a dedicated Senior Communications Officer with over a decade of experience in marketing and communications, organising national events, managing dynamic campaigns, creating engaging content, including podcasts and videos and curating the local ‘Borough News’. Since joining the council in 2023, and moving to the One Horton Heath Team in 2024, Jenny has brought her passion for effective communication and delivering impactful messaging that resonates with the community. Beyond work-life, Jenny enjoys quality time with her son, partner, and two beloved sausage dogs, listening to music, hitting the gym, and socialising with friends over good food and drink.

Aoife McGing

Starting her career in construction as a commercial assistant in 2017, Aoife quickly discovered a passion for the industry. Determined to grow she completed her construction HNC while working full time, paving the way for her transition into a Quantity Surveyor role.
With hands on experience in procurement, cost management and Client liaison, Aoife thrives on contributing to the development of new homes – helping create safe, welcoming spaces for families to call their own.
Outside of work, Aoife is a proud mum to two young daughters, weekends are often filled with gymnastics and swimming lessons. When she finds a moment for herself, she enjoys hitting the gym, going for long walks, and discovering great restaurants.

Emma Fitsell

As Project Coordinator, Emma provides administrative and functional support to all elements of the Project Delivery team, assisting in the preparation of comprehensive action plans, budgets and necessary reporting. As Document Controller, Emma manages and controls the flow of construction documents to relevant parties, monitors submission deadlines and ensures compliance with document control procedures and construction standards.
In her spare time, Emma takes any opportunity to travel with her family, with the aim to tick off as many countries as possible – when she’s not renovating her new home!

Olly Wood

Peter Swift

Peter has a wealth of experience across numerous sectors within the industry via his days within consultancy, Contracting and Developing. He has worked on small refurbishments projects through to new Cruise Terminals and large multi phase Housing Developments. He loves the Construction industry as every day brings a new and exciting challenge to overcome.
A large part of working within the commercial team revolves around risk management and correct reporting. This assists the team in making the right decision at the right time. Peter’s personal goals are to create high performing teams with robust commercial approaches to ensure that they remain on target.
Away from Construction, Peter enjoys spending time with the family and out on the water whether that be Paddle Boarding, Sailing or Surfing.