Policy Group

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.

Jan has significant experience of examining (former Examining Inspector PINS) and advising on a wide range of nationally significant infrastructure and major development projects across the full range of sectors including new settlements and urban extensions, energy, water and waste water, transport, business and commercial, ports and airports dealing with a wide range of issues from development consent orders, strategic plans, EIA, biodiversity, design, Water Framework Regulations, Habitats Regulations Assessment, community engagement and compulsory purchase. Jan has been recognised as one of ‘the most influential women in UK planning’. She is Board Chair of the National Infrastructure Planning Association.

Jan is a Fellow of the Royal Town Planning Institute (FRTPI) and currently sits as Vice Chair of the RTPI English Policy Committee and is North East Regional Representative on General Assembly. She also continues to be engaged with Planning Aid.

A chartered Town Planner and member of the Transport Planning Society Andrew is a Senior Transport Planner at Transport North East. 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 the Honorary Secretary and Treasurer for RTPI North East and is a Planning Aid England volunteer, part of a team providing advice through PAE’s advice line service.

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.

Alastair joined the Defra Marine Planning team in October 2019 as a Senior Policy Adviser. He provides policy input into marine plans, leads work to improve guidance and works successfully with a variety of stakeholders. He previously worked at Natural England (NE) in the marine planning team where he was responsible for responding to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects alongside development management, development plan and marine licencing casework along the coast. As part of NE's role as a statutory consultee, he provided advice on measures to avoid and mitigate for impacts on protected areas and species, to be secured through the planning system. He also worked for the NE terrestrial planning team and for the planning team at the Environment Agency.

Alastair is a Chartered Member of the RTPI. Alastair was Vice Chair of the Young Planners' Steering Group, member of both the 2019 Young Planner’s conference committee and Regional Activities and Policy Committee, and a RTPI NE awards judge in 2021.