Policy Group

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 Panel. She is also on the Partnership Accreditation Board for Glasgow University and continues to be engaged with Planning Aid.

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.

Andrew is 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 managing a transport capital pipeline, preparing major funding bids and developing regional policy and strategy. Prior to joining Transport North East, Andrew spend six years in planning at Transport for London 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.

I currently work for Cundall as Director of Planning, leading their Planning team around the world. I have been involved with the RTPI in the North East for approximately 20 years, initially just as a "back-bench" committee member and spent three years as Honorary Secretary. I then had a very enjoyable ascendancy to the Position of RTPI North East Chairman in 2006, allowing me the opportunity to see the vast range of good work that is going on in the profession. In the intervening period, I have been involved with judging of regional awards and also served on the Member and Public relations Sub-committee and Regional Policy Sub-committee. 

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.