Regional Activities Policy Committee

A chartered Town Planner and member of the Transport Planning Society Andrew is a Senior Transport Planner at NE Combined Authority. He works in Transport and Infrastructure planning responsible for the development and delivery of the North East’s transport pipeline and transport plan. Andrew prepares major funding bids develops regional policy and strategy and project manages the delivery of capital and revenue funding in the region. Andrew works closely with local authority, national and subnational partners in linking transport planning wider spatial planning outcomes.

Prior to joining the Transport North East, Andrew spend six years at Transport for London working in development management across South London. He also gained experience in TfL’s Commercial Development team. Whilst in London Andrew was Chair of the RTPI region in 2016 and was Honorary Secretary prior to that. He is now a member of the RTPI NE RAC and Planning Aid England volunteer, part of a team providing advice through PAE’s advice line service.

Emma is a Chartered Senior Planner at Lichfields, having joined in 2019 following the completion of her studies at St Andrews University and the University of Glasgow where she obtained a Master’s degree in City Planning and Real Estate Development. Emma’s primary focus is in the residential sector, but her experience covers a wide variety of projects including leisure, regeneration, and commercial. Emma is currently the Chair of the RTPI North East Young Planner’s Committee and a member of the RTPI NE Regional Activities and Policies Committee

David Stovell is the principal of David Stovell and Millwater, an independent planning consultancy covering a wide range of planning matters, with particular regard to planning applications and appeals. David was previously been Chair of RTPI North East, he was for many years the Chair of the NE's Continuing Professional Development Steering Group, which is responsible for formulating and running the regions highly successful CPD Conference Programme. He graduated from the University of Aston in Birmingham and has held positions in the public and private sectors, working on development plans, compulsory purchase orders, implementation and retail planning.

Andrew is a Chartered Town Planner in our Real Estate department. He specialises in planning matters and undertakes a range of development management, planning policy and enforcement work.

Andrew became a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute in 1996 and has been a planning consultant with Ward Hadaway for more than 20 years.   He has worked throughout the north of the country and beyond undertaking planning work.  Previously he was a planning officer with three local planning authorities. Additionally he has had a period of secondment with a national house builder. Clients include developers, businesses, estates, land owners, pressure groups and private individuals.  Andrew is NEPRO accredited and additionally has had instructions from public sector organisations including councils,  NHS Trusts and CCGs.

Andrew has particular expertise in cases which are contentious and where there are difficult policy, legal and technical issues.

Colin Haylock is a Newcastle based architect-planner with over 40 years’ experience. He now provides consultancy services primarily in heritage and other sensitive environments. He led a multi-disciplinary Environmental Design Team for Newcastle City Council for over ten years with work ranging from Grainger Town to Newcastle Great Park and the East Quayside redevelopment. He was RTPI President in 2012 and since 2000 has been heavily involved in national work on planning and design through CABE and the Design Council. He is a Visiting Professor and Lecturer at UCL, a Member of Historic England’s Expert Advisory group, a High Streets Task Force Expert, a Member of the Design Review Panels for the North East and Yorkshire and of the Fabric Committee for Durham Cathedral. He has had recent past roles with Newcastle University, the London Mayor’s Design Advisory Group and the Planning Committee for the Old Oak and Park Royal Mayoral Development Corporation.

Lucy is a Planner at Lichfields UK, having joined in 2023. She graduated from Newcastle University with a MSc in Urban Planning (Conservation Pathway) in 2023 and from Durham University with a Geography (BA) degree in 2022. Lucy has a range of experience with a particular focus, and interest in, the built historic environment and retail and town centre schemes. Lucy is a member of the RTPI North East Young Planners Committee. She is currently working towards achieving MRTPI accreditation.

I am a chartered town planner with experience of policy making and a commitment to promoting a critical understanding of development processes in the UK. However, my research interests lie primarily in the spaces that lie beyond the scope of statutory planning processes and I am particularly interested in alternative or marginal ways of perceiving and responding to urban problems. 

I have an ongoing interest in complexity theory, and actor-network theory in particular, and am interested in the role of objects in governing behaviour and in the potential of non-human actors to re-orientate established forms of government. I have a related interest in the politics of technology and in the relationship between research and societal change. 

Ifeanyi joined the Planning Inspectorate in 2019 as an Appeals Planning Officer and is currently on secondment to the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities as a Senior Planning Technical Officer. Prior to this, he worked with the Marine Management Organisation and Defra. His experience includes Marine Planning and Marine Licensing, Environmental Project Management, Planning Appeals, Habitats Regulation and Environmental Impact Assessment.  Prior to his time in UK he also worked in Nigeria and experience includes Urban Design, Development Control and Higher Education (teaching Town Planning Courses).

Rob’s role includes Chief Planner at Northumberland County Council, one England’s largest single tier authorities. Previously positions have included Chief Planner at Sheffield City Council and at Derbyshire County Council. Rob is a former director of the Planning Officers Society, sat on the Policy Board of the Town & Country Planning Association and conducts LPA improvement support programmes for the Planning Advisory Service. He has a long history of involvement local, strategic,  economic and environmental planning. He has contributed to the development of planning & environmental policy, legislation and practice in England, Scotland, regional government and in Germany.

Henry Cumbers is a policy planner currently working in the Newcastle office at Historic England. He has recently started a 12-month secondment working on national planning strategy responding to and helping influence planning and heritage reform, but prior to this worked extensively on supporting the integration of the historic environment within local plans across the north. Previous experience has included working for local authorities including Sunderland, Craven and Lancaster primarily in strategic planning but also development management and regeneration. Henry graduated from Newcastle University in 2005 in Town & Country Planning and received a postgraduate diploma in 2007.

Matthew is Head of Planning at Hamilton Willis Land & Development, an independent development land consultancy specialising in strategic development land.  He is a Chartered Town Planner having obtained his Master’s Degree in Spatial Planning and Development from Cardiff University in 2018.  Matthew predominately focuses on the residential sector with experience across the full breadth of project scales including the promotion of new settlements.  However, Matthew’s experience extends to commercial, renewable energy and environmental based projects as well.  Matthew has a keen interest in Planning Policy and CPD and is contributing to the RTPI’s role in both as part of his role on the RTPI NE Regional Activities Policy Committee. 

Patrick Johnston has been a member of the Young Planners Committee since February 2019, where he also helped with the Young Planner’s conference.  Patrick previously worked for Newcastle City Council before moving to Persimmon PLC in August 2019. Through the pandemic years Patrick completed his APC and has been able to share some of this knowledge in NE APC webinars. He has also been involved in student events. In 2022 Patrick became Vice Chair, before becoming the NE YP Chair in January 2023.  His time as chair Patrick focused on student engagement in the Young Planners steering group to help secure the long-term sustainability and succession of the committee post-pandemic. 

Abjol is a Consultant Planner at Hedley Planning Services. He is working towards becoming a chartered member of the RTPI, having gained experience working in the public sector as a Planner. Abjol holds a BA in Urban Planning and an MA in Environmental Planning Research, specialising in digital consultation tools. He has a competent approach to managing difficult planning solutions,  and continues his keen involvement in Digital Planning.

Daniel is currently a Master of Planning student at Newcastle University, undertaking his Certificate in Planning Practice year out placement in the spatial planning and environment team at Gateshead Council. His experience so far has helped him develop a solid understanding of the planning system and provided him with insight into the development of local planning policy and how it is utilised to shape the built environment. Daniel has been a student member of the RTPI since 2020 when he first started his degree and hope to continue his membership and involvement at a postgraduate level.

Adam is the Planning Manager at Newcastle Airport after joining in 2022. During his time at the Airport, Adam is involved in developing the Airport Masterplan alongside leading on planning applications for large developments including the terminal extensions and solar farms. Adam also has previous public sector experience as a Planning Officer at both Northumberland National Park and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.  Adam is also a chartered member of the RTPI.

Tejashree is a registered architect in India and a dedicated Urban Planner holding a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from Newcastle University. Her academic work focuses on enhancing urban lifestyles, with expertise in social inclusivity and economic equity within planning practices. Through academic projects, Tejashree has developed sustainable strategies for Gateshead, emphasising green infrastructure and net-zero solutions. She is proficient in advanced planning tools and software, effectively blending architectural design and urban planning principles to create meaningful and sustainable environments.

Tim is a Chartered Engineer and is a highways and transportation consultant with more than 40 years’ experience.   He provides expert advice at all stages of development from feasibility to implementation, preparation of transport statements, transport assessments and travel plans, presentation of Proof of Evidence for planning appeal written representations, for informal hearings, for Public Inquiries and for Lands Tribunal, preparation of a Witness Statement for a High Court Judicial Review case. After being a Technical Director at national Fairhurst and at global WSP for a total of seven years, Tim set up his own successful highways and transportation consultancy business in 2010. He has expertise in all development types including residential, commercial, retail, leisure, education, health, student accommodation, community facilities and glamping sites.