Planning Aid Steering Group

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. 

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.

Chris has worked in the North East on planning and regeneration projects for over 25 years, working for the County Council since 2009. Prior to this, he was responsible for the Planning Policy & Design and Conservation function of the former Sedgefield Borough Council. He has been a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute since 1997 and a Planning Aid volunteer since 1998. His work with the County Council has encompassed developing and delivering a wide variety of complex, high value regeneration programmes and projects. He has been heavily involved with the RTPI award winning projects at the Witham Hall at Barnard Castle, Seaham Harbour Marina and Auckland Castle.  He is currently delivering the Towns Fund in Bishop Auckland (both Future High Streets Fund and Town Deal), the Story (the new home for the County Record and Register Office) in Durham City and the Seaham Garden Village mine energy district heat network project.

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.

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 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.

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).