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 is a Strategic Planning Adviser at Pinsent Masons law firm and has significant experience of examining (former Examining Inspector at the Planning Inspectorate) 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 immediate past Board Chair of the National Infrastructure Planning Association and is a member of the Building with Nature Standards Board.

Jan is RTPI Vice President, a Fellow of the Royal Town Planning Institute (FRTPI) and currently sits as Vice Chair of the RTPI English Policy Committee, Vice Chair of the Nations and Regions Panel 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 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.

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 and Licensing team in October 2019 as a Senior Policy Adviser. He advocates for ambitious marine planning and licensing policy and inputs into cross-government commissions on planning reforms, working with ministers and a variety of stakeholders. He previously worked at Natural England (NE) in the marine planning team where he was responsible for responding as a statutory consultee to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects alongside development management, development plan and marine licencing casework along the coast. 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 and is currently Vice Chair of the RTPI North East. Alastair previously served as Vice Chair of the Young Planners' Steering Group and on the Regional Activities and Policy Committee. He was North East Young Planner of the Year 2022.

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. Matthew has also recently been appointed Junior Vice Chair of the RTPI North East and is looking forward to directly shaping the RTPI’s regional activity over the coming years.