Meet the team.
Elsworth Consulting is the advisory arm of Elsworth Projects Ltd, a specialist consultancy focused on custom-build and housing market diversification, planning advocacy and policy reform, and low-carbon construction methods in homebuilding. We also offer wider consultancy services in association with ChamberlainWalker Economics.
Founded in 2023, we bring decades of public and private sector experience into sharp, outcome-focused delivery tailored to our clients’ wide ranging projects and objectives. Our leadership team has been at the forefront housing market diversification, public policy reform and housing innovation for over 30 years, offering clients deep expertise, proven results and strong industry and Government policy insight.
Our leadership team.
Mario Wolf MRTPI
Principal Consultant
Mario is a Chartered Town Planner and respected expert in UK planning and housing policy, with over 30 years of senior-level experience shaping national frameworks, legislative reforms, and delivery programmes. He also advised Government ministers, local elected members, and private sector clients on a wide range of development projects and programmes across the UK and internationally.
Formerly a civil servant at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and founding Director of the Government-supported Right to Build Task Force, Mario played a pivotal role in establishing the country’s first, and current, public policy framework for self-commissioned housing. During his time in the civil service he advised ministers and senior officials across successive Governments on planning reform and housing market delivery. He also brings a rigorous attention to detail to all our client projects and draws on local authority planning expertise, having led policy and development management teams in urban authorities.
Key Experience
• Collaboration with landowners, developers, and local authorities on planning applications, strategic consultancy, and advocacy — with specialist focus on multi-plot custom and self-build housing schemes. • Led multi-disciplinary consultancy teams to deliver masterplans, redevelopment strategies, and planning briefs for corporate clients across the UK, Europe, and Australia. • Senior policy and management roles at MHCLG, overseeing housing supply programmes linked to Government fiscal events and contributing to planning reform and housing delivery policy. • Member of Prime Minister–commissioned Bacon Review steering board, promoting housing diversification and innovation; contributor to 2017 Housing White Paper and 2018 Letwin Review. • Implementation of £2.3bn Starter Homes initiative and public sector land release programmes, playing a key role in securing several Devolution Deals. • Instrumental in developing Government Plan for Growth and shaping housing delivery policies in first National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for England. • Directed Government engagement with the Competition Commission grocery market investigation in 2006/7; representing Ministers at formal hearings. • Led post-recession strategic review of housing market resilience, and developed legislative measures under the Local Democracy Bill to introduce reformed regional tier of strategic planning for England. • Managed evolution of national planning policy for town centres, transport infrastructure, economic development, and design quality standards. • Ministerial policy advisor for strategic planning across London and South East England, contributing to high-profile regeneration schemes and the preparation of the Mayor’s first London Plan; advising Secretary of State and Deputy Prime Minister on major planning applications. • Senior roles in local authority planning departments, overseeing Local Plan reviews, development management and regeneration strategies. • Directed city-level planning reform and zoning policy in California (USA) and Durban (South Africa), including urban capacity assessments. • Strong professional networks across Whitehall, the housing industry, and local planning authorities, fostering collaborative and policy-driven approaches to delivery. • Frequent national speaker at RTPI conferences and featured housing commentator at major industry events, including Grand Designs Live. • Successfully project-managed the design and construction of two self-commissioned family homes.
Qualifications
• First Class with Distinction MSc & Postgrad. Diploma in Urban Planning.
• BA (Hons) in Urban Geography and BSocSci.
• Chartered Member – Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) since 1996.
Mark Stevenson MBA, BSc (Hons)
Principal Consultant
Mark brings over 30 years of front-line housebuilding and offsite construction leadership, with deep knowledge of governance, low-energy homes, and industry reform. His career spans executive roles in private development, manufacturing, and public-private partnerships, making him one of the few professionals to combine technical delivery expertise with strategic influence at national level.
Mark has played a pivotal role in advancing quality assurance across the structural timber industry and promoting policy innovation in the custom and self-build housing sector. He is a trusted advisor to local authorities and developers alike, with a proven track record of driving high-quality housing delivery through design-led, sustainable, and commercially viable models.
With a background in site engineering and project management, Mark brings both board-level insight and operational credibility. He is also a recognised authority on timber systems and self-commissioned homes, regularly contributing to leading publications and events.
Key Experience
• Managing Director, Kingspan Engineered Timber Systems (Potton), with leadership responsibility for Kingspan Timber Solutions, Potton, and Kingspan Century (Ireland) — overseeing self-build delivery and MMC innovation and delivering high-performance modular timber building systems. • Oversaw operations of Potton, the UK’s leading self-build specialist, combining architectural design, planning support, off-site manufacturing, and construction services tailored to the self-build consumer sector. • Chair, Arkwood Developments Ltd – strategic housing developer owned by Newark & Sherwood Council, established to accelerate housing delivery through strategic land development and sound governance. • Chair, National Custom & Self Build Association (NaCSBA) – representing the self-build sector at national level. • Contributed to the introduction of the Right to Build Legislation as part of the Self Build and Custom Housing Building Act 2015. • Board Member and former Chair, Structural Timber Association, the UK trade body for structural timber — instrumental in the development and launch of the STA Assure quality assurance scheme adopted across the industry. • Media commentator and contributor for Homebuilding & Renovating and Build It magazines, offering expert guidance on project planning, land finding, and construction to self-build audiences. • Held senior management roles at William Davis Ltd, Wildgoose Construction Ltd, and Frank Haslam Milan (Keepmoat PLC), overseeing construction delivery across private housing, social housing, commercial, education, and health sectors. • Delivered significant quality outcomes in previous roles, including over 30 NHBC Pride in the Job Awards and three NHBC Supreme Awards for excellence in construction site management. • Recognised for developing a company-wide quality management culture and securing multiple Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Built in Quality Awards. • Extensive operational experience in site engineering, project planning, contract management, and business leadership across a 35-year construction career. • Holds a First Class MBA from Loughborough University and a First Class BSc (Hons) in Construction from Sheffield Hallam University, with a wide range of vocational qualifications supporting leadership in safe, sustainable, and high-quality construction.
Qualifications
• First Class MBA in Business Administration and First Class BSc (Hons) in Construction.
• Nationally recognised for excellence in site management.
• ISO 37301 corporate compliance accreditation.
Why choose Elsworth Consulting?
We offer a rare blend of senior expertise, policy influence, and delivery know-how. With decades of experience at the highest levels of planning and housing, we provide clients with strategic, practical advice that drives real results—from national reform to site-level success.
What sets us apart:
1. Decades of High-Level Expertise - Mario and Mark bring more than 60 years’ combined experience across government, industry, and consultancy.
2. Planning Meets Delivery - We combine deep planning knowledge with hands-on commercial delivery insight—creating solutions that are viable, compliant, and deliverable.
3. Unmatched Custom Build Track Record - From land strategy to plot sales, we’ve helped shape and deliver the UK’s most ambitious self-build projects.
4. Policy Influence & Insight - We’ve helped write the rules—advising Ministers, authoring legislation, and driving national initiatives on housing diversity and self-commissioned homes.
5. Accessible, Senior-Level Advice - We offer affordable, one-to-one guidance from experts with national reach and local insight.
Our values.
At the core of our business is a commitment to independence, transparency, and sustainability. We believe that every project should be managed with absolute honesty and clarity, ensuring that our clients have full control over costs, contracts, and decision-making from start to finish.
We will always strive to provide the best professional advice to our clients underpinned by honest, transparent and practical solutions that achieve your ambitions and optimise value.
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Commercial Control
We empower our clients with clear cost management, ensuring that budgets are carefully planned, monitored, and controlled. Our expertise in procurement, contract administration, and value engineering ensures that every pound spent delivers maximum value, avoiding unnecessary costs and inefficiencies.
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Sustainability
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We prioritise eco-friendly building methods, keep supply chains as short as possible, and work closely with clients to find resource-efficient, low-carbon solutions. Our commitment to minimising environmental impact ensures that every project is as sustainable as it is innovative.
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Independence
As an independent business, we work solely in our clients’ best interests. We are not tied to any specific suppliers or contractors, which means we can offer impartial advice and flexible solutions tailored to each project’s unique needs. This independence allows us to source the best materials, services, and expertise without compromise.
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High-Performance
We specialise in the manufacture and installation of High Performance Timber Frame Systems and SIPs, creating resilient, energy-efficient homes that deliver long-term environmental and lifestyle benefits. Our precision-engineered systems offer faster build times, superior thermal efficiency, and reduced costs.
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Transparency
We believe in full transparency at every stage of the build. Our clients have full visibility of project costs, timelines, and potential challenges, ensuring there are no hidden surprises. By fostering trust and integrity, we build lasting relationships and deliver successful projects with complete peace of mind.
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Strong Partnerships
We believe that successful projects rely on the right expertise. That’s why we collaborate with leading Architectural Practices, Manufacturers, Structural Engineers, contractors, and supply chains to deliver seamless, high-quality builds that meet the highest industry standards.
