Claire Pearce
Executive Director, Real Growth
Claire has over thirty years’ experience working across the public and private sectors in a diverse range of development roles, all with a key focus on place transformation, performance and delivery. With a demonstrable track record of working with Government, agencies, Councils and stakeholders on nationally significant and complex regeneration projects, Claire has been able to adopt a vision led, multi-disciplinary approach to create the conditions to attract investment, transform places and uplift opportunities for communities. Known for a pro-growth, pro-business approach Claire is currently facilitating a transformational agenda in Dorset to pivot Council corporate ambition and policies to welcome large scale energy investment centred on Portland Port to establish the conditions to stimulate investment, economic transition and improve economic reliance, long term sustainability and security. The core purpose is to establish Dorset as a new UK destination for investment and to initiate a programme of nationally significant projects aligned to deliver the Governments Industrial Strategy.
Formerly Chief Planning Officer for Sedgemoor District Council, Claire led the public sector response to Hinkley Point C from strategy through negotiation to implementation requiring a robust strategy for an economic led approach, with integrated transport and place management and mitigation to ensure optimum community benefits and minimal impacts.
Transitioning to the private sector as Director of Planning and Economic Development for the Salamanca Group, Claire led the re-imagination of the employment, land use and transport strategy to unlock an enterprise zone known as Gravity, securing the Tata/ Agratas gigafactory into the UK, kick starting a new sector in Somerset, creating up to 7500 jobs on site as a whole, with associated infrastructure and socio-economic improvements.
Commencing her career as a transport planner in the private sector, Claire has gone on to establish Real Growth Ltd. Claire is the Chair of South West Business Council representing over 100 organisations in the South West and is also a non-executive director of Dorset Innovation Park. Acknowledged by The Planner as a Women of Influence in 2025, and by the IED as economic development leader of the year 2024.
