Current post:
Team leader, planning obligations, London Borough of Islington

Employment history:
Members’ assistant, London Borough of Hounslow, 2000
Community development worker, Wellingborough Borough Council, 2001
Internship, Atis Real Weatheralls, 2003
Work placement, Oxford City Council, 2003.
Part-time research assistant, Planning Policies Research Group, Oxford Brookes University, 2003
Assistant planner and planner, RPS Planning, 2004
Senior planner rising to principal planner and team leader, London Borough of Islington, 2006

Professional qualifications:
BA Geography with First Class Honours, Kings College London, 2002
MSc Urban Planning with Distinction, Oxford Brookes University, 2004
Member of the RTPI

John Wacher is the lead officer negotiating planning obligations in relation to planning applications at the London Borough of Islington. He has responsibility for monitoring and ensuring compliance with agreements, commissioning projects and financial management of the contributions received.
The role includes working with a range of council officers, councillors and external organisations, managing a team of section 106 officers and developing planning obligations and related policy. He has recently led negotiations on the section 106 agreement for the City Forum mixed-use scheme on City Road, which includes a substantial package of contributions and other obligations to help ensure that the development will be sustainable.

John obtained a range of experience before and during his two-year full-time masters course at Oxford Brookes University, where he specialised in regeneration and economic development. As a part-time members’ assistant at the London Borough of Hounslow, he gave administrative support and wrote briefings on planning and regeneration issues for councillors, as well as liaising with officers and the public.

As a community development worker in Wellingborough, he completed a funding application for a community worker for a housing estate and compiled a socio-economic and community study that was awarded a prize in his internship scheme. An internship at Atis Real Weatheralls involved a range of research in support of planning applications and advice on other development issues. A work placement at Oxford City Council gave him his initial practical experience in development control. As a part-time research assistant at Oxford Brookes, he was responsible for administration of a Sport England research project on the use of planning obligations in sports and recreation provision.

His role during two years as a planning consultant at RPS Planning included researching information and writing reports in support of large-scale developments, preparing and submitting applications and making representations on development plans. He was involved in the Sevenstone retail-led mixed-use development in Sheffield city centre, Stevenage town centre, Southall Gasworks and Stansted Airport.
John enjoys travel and has visited various international planning departments, presenting a paper on one trip. He organises work cricket and touch rugby teams and plays sport in his spare time. He is involved with youth work and other social action projects through his church, where he is also a member of the music group, and makes occasional appearances for the South London Jazz Orchestra.

Statement:
I am keen to promote planning as a professional activity by meeting students considering future career options at schools and universities and highlighting the role that planning can play in helping to address many of the major issues of our time. As Young Planner of the Year, I would take the opportunities that arise to demonstrate ways in which planning can secure sustainable development, infrastructure provision and regeneration within and outside the profession and the special role that can be played by planners in achieving this by bringing together different disciplines, departments, communities and organisations and their various resources.

Citation:
John has made a substantial contribution to Islington, leading the negotiation and implementation of planning obligations for three years. He has secured and overseen the spending of millions of pounds for infrastructure and many other community benefits. He has written an accomplished supplementary planning document and is actively involved in debates on planning obligations, the community infrastructure levy and the Crossrail charge. He received an Extra Miler award from the council and before that was a highly valued part of a major planning firm. With an impressive academic record, a commitment to local communities and a passion for sustainable development and regeneration, John will act as an inspirational role model for other young professionals.

Seema Manchanda, Service Director, Strategic Planning, London Borough of Islington

Author:

Judy Woollett

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

23-Nov-09

Categories:

 

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