After a 9 month diagnosis, Mark Steele died of acute Myeloid Leukaemia on 1 December 2023.

Mark had a long and varied career, working in the UK and overseas, in the public sector and private practice yet always with the same constant, forensic attention to detail.

After graduating from Leeds in 1979 Mark started his career at the Telford Development Corporation before returning to Leeds for his Post Graduate Diploma in 1981. He then joined the private practice of Woolerton Truscott in Kendal the same year. Mark loved the Lake District and his time there heightened his appreciation for the outdoors, trekking for miles to take in a particular view or to simply bask in the beauty of the landscape. This awareness of an unspoilt view and the effects of human intervention would play a major role in this later career.

Mark worked in Hong Kong for 4 years, taking the opportunity to explore the Far East with his wife Liz. Returning to the UK in early 1992, the couple moved to Scotland and Mark back into private practice. His skills as a designer, willingness to push the boundaries of a project brief and challenge the client, but always with a smile and organised approach, saw him tackle several challenging projects. Always a team player Mark encouraged his younger colleagues and challenged them to aim high.

In 2008 he set up his own practice, Mark Steele Consultants. During the latter part of his career Mark was well known for his work in LVIA, in particular his representation of community groups, individuals and local authorities who sought to tackle the expanding network of windfarms. Mark was an ideal expert witness, diligent, knowledgeable, polite but firm, and mentally agile. He was highly respected by both colleagues and opponents at Public Inquiries. His premature death is a great loss to his family, friends, colleagues, and the landscape profession.