Peter Field was born and educated in Brighton and was a chartered surveyor. A profession he left in 2002 to develop a wide range of commercial interests.

For more than forty years he has been interested in the problems of single homeless people, and has helped build a number of portfolios of affordable accommodation with several Housing Associations.

He was also instrumental in bringing the Foyer movement for young people to the UK in 1992, and has been a magistrate for more than twenty years.

He was Chair of the Regeneration Partnership which successfully invested over £40m of public money in schemes such as the regeneration of the Brighton Dome. He continues to be actively involved in regeneration in the city and is a member of the Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership.

His involvement in Corporate Social Responsibility led to the award by HRH The Prince of Wales of Business in the Community Ambassador for the South East in 2003. He is a supporter of the Social Enterprise movement, and is particularly interested in issues affecting the environment.

He has served as Vice Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex since 2000.