RTPI Cymru Management Board

RTPI Cymru Management Board 2013

The RTPI Cymru Management Board for 2013 was agreed at the RTPI Cymru Annual Review on 7 December 2012. Below is the full list of members.

Chair

Alison Thomas

Alison studied City and Regional Planning at Cardiff University, graduating in 2000 and has recently completed a Diploma in Sustainable Leadership. She is a principal transport planner at Cardiff Council, responsible for the transport policy and road safety teams. Her role involves day to day management of the Sustainable Travel City initiative and input to the South East Wales Transport Alliance on behalf of the Council as well as development of the Councils Transport Strategies and Schemes, Travel Planning and Smarter Choices programme.

Alison would like to see more people encouraged and able to use active and sustainableforms of transport for everyday trips.

Senior Vice Chair

Emma Langmaid

After taking a year out to work in the USA, Emma studied human geography at the University of Portsmouth with the original intention of becoming a teacher, but a chance discussion with a course tutor and a bit of soul searching about what she was really interested in lead her home to Cardiff to undertake her MSc in City and Regional Planning and she hasnt looked back since.

Emmas first job in 2000 was as DC officer for London Borough of Richmond which gave her an excellent grounding in the all basics of planning and an insight into the lifestyles of the rich and famous! Following Richmond, Emma worked as a DC officer for Vale of Glamorgan Council in 2003 which developed her skills further to understand rural planning issues after which she moved slightly further afield and worked for Auckland City Council, whilst on a round the world trip.

Back to the UK and Emma embarked on a career with RPS in Cardiff from 2004 to 2006, gaining her first experience of working for the private sector followed by the more unusual move back to the public sector with a short term contract as a DC officer for Monmouthshire County Council in late 2006. Early 2007 and Emma moved to Capita Symonds where until recently she was principal planner. During her time at Capita Symonds Emma worked with mainly public sector clients, both acting as agent for their own developments but also acting remotely and on secondment as a development control officer to their planning function.

Emma is now director of Prospero Planning and her own boss, having taking the decision to work for herself. Emma continues to work for Capita Symonds on a part time basis.

Outside of planning (although it being such a small circle, the worlds often combine) Emma has a keen interest in rugby (Wales and Cardiff Blues supporter), travel (anywhere and everywhere) and trying to keep fit!

Junior Vice Chair

Mark Harris

Mark has have been a qualified planning officer for 20 years and worked across a wide range of planning disciplines including a number of Local Authorities, private sector consultancy and for a National House Builder as a Planning Manager. This planning experience has covered development control, appeals, enforcement and promotion of sites to allocation. He is currently employed by Bridgend Council as a Principal Regeneration Officer, which involves the delivery and project management of a wide range of projects. These include community, environmental improvement, sports and tourism projects delivery through the Western Valleys Strategic Regeneration Area programme funded by the Welsh Government, the production of mixed use, town centre and environmental Masterplans, and delivery of European funded projects.

Mark's wide range of planning and more recently regeneration experience, allows him to see planning and development issues from a number of angles. More recently he has qualified as a PRINCE2 project manager practitioner and as a member of the Consultation Institute. He is in his second term on the RTPI Cymru Management Board and is also a member of the Policy and Research Forum.

Mark enjoys a wide range of sports including swimming, running and cycling and his three children use up any spare time left.

Immediate Past Chair

Christopher Potts

Chris Potts is a senior planning Director at Savills. He has over 20 years experience in planning consultancy, having started his career in London before moving to Wales in 2002.

Project work is throughout England and Wales and encompasses most sectors. These include new stadia for Tottenham Hostpur FC and Everton FC, the lead advisor to the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games on the planning strategy for competition sites, Cardiff Sports Village development, the JESSICA project for the Welsh Government and Callaghan Square office scheme in Cardiff.

Management responsibilities in Savills include the firm's National Planning Executive, which oversees the UK team of 180 planning professionals, Chair of the Sports Group and Chair of the Retail Planning Board.

Chris has been a chartered Town Planner since 1991 and a member of the RTPI Cymru Management Board since 2009

Hon Secretary

James Hooker

James is a Senior Planning Manager with the Welsh Government. Prior to this position, James worked for Capita Symonds and Newport City Council, as well as with the Environment Agency.

James wa a previous Chair of RTPI Cymru.

Hon Treasurer

Martin Buckle

Martin trained initially in Economics and in Town Planning, subsequently gaining additional post-graduate qualifications in Urban Design and in Management. He is also a qualified Project and Programme Management practitioner.

As an independent planning, transport and regeneration consultant, Martin works with a variety of clients in England and in Wales. Recent commissions include: development management; transport plans, programmes and asset management; planning performance agreements; flood risk management; waterway regeneration; project management; international development; and European funding. I am currently working with the South-East Wales Transport Alliance (Sewta) in a programme management capacity.

Martin previously worked primarily in local government, most recently (2001-06) as Head of Torfaen Councils Regeneration Service in Cwmbran. From 1988 2001, he also worked as Divisional Head in the Planning Service of Cardiff City / County Council, with a focus on the City Centre and Cardiff Bay. Previously (1975 88), he occupied a series of posts in Mid Glamorgan County Planning Department, culminating as Team Leader (Urban Renewal).

Martin has been a member of the Management Board since 2006, fulfilling the role of Honorary Treasurer.

As a Government nominated Member, Martin also sits on the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, where he is Member Champion for Sustainable Development. He is also a director of the Capital Region Tourism partnership.

In his spare time, he is a football referee with the Welsh League.

Licentiate Representative

Karen Potter

Prior to joining the Department of Civic Design at Liverpool University,Karen was a qualified Environmental Planner specialising in water and flooding issues at a County Level Local Authority. Due to the challenges experienced as a practitioner attempting to implement natural approaches to flood risk management,she have now returned to University to analyse the policy implementation gap through a PhD thesis. Her research centres on the institutional context of spatial planning and flood risk management, with a specific focus on climate change adaptation and interdisciplinary working.Karen also lectures at the University of Liverpool.

Karen has served on the RTPI Cymru Management Board since 2010.

Student Representative

Yvonne Wilday

Yvonne is currently a final year student at Cardiff University studying a BSc Degree in City and Regional Planning. She was elected as the Student Representative tothe Management Board in December 2011.

Yvonne has completed a twelve month placement working in Development Control at the Vale of Glamorgan Council. This has allowed her to develop increasing knowledge and implementation skills through experiences within the local authority. She was able to work with a vast range of planning application types and scales, plus some future work experience in Major Projects, Planning Enforcement and Conservation. In addition Yvonne has also gained work experience in Newport City Council Regeneration (September 2011 ), Cardiff City Council Development Management and Enforcement (November 2009), and prior to attending university, gained experience in Caradon District Council Development Control and Conservation, Cornwall (September 2007- May 2008). Yvonne is also a committee member with Young Planners Cymru and Women in Property South Wales.

With a strong passion for urban design and regeneration, Yvonne hopes to develop her knowledge of these sectors with a masters degree as well as work experience.

In her spare time Yvonne does Zumba and goes running.

Associate Member

Simon Power

Simon is an Associate Director with Arupand leadson renewable energy as well as the environment, sustainability and energy for the South West, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Simonis an EIA/consenting and planning generalist with 20 years experience within the industry delivering large infrastructure projects, particularly grid connected energy but also transport, water and urban mixed use development.

Technical Representative

Jane Jones

Jane initially trained to become a Chartered Surveyor obtaining a HND in Land Administration and then graduated in 1996 with a BSc (Hons) in Land Management. In 1999 Jane embarked on a career in planning when she became the Planning Enforcement Officer at South Lakeland District Council and then Enforcement Planner at the Lake District National Park Authority in 2004.

In 2005 Jane moved to Wales and continued to focus on planning enforcement, working in planning enforcement at Powys County Council and Flintshire County Council before taking up her current role of Principal Planning Officer (Compliance) at Snowdonia National Park Authority in September 2007.

Having worked in a number of Local Planning Authorities in England and Wales, Jane has gained much experience over the years in planning enforcement and development control procedures and practices. Jane has been a Technical Member of the RTPI since 2006 and aims to achieve full member status in the near future. She is also a member of the National Association for Planning Enforcement (NAPE) and during 2007/8 sat on the Management Committee.

In her limited spare time from being a busy Mum to Rob aged 3 and Jessica aged 2; Jane enjoys assisting the family in showing and breeding Welsh Section B ponies.

Corporate Members

Neil Harris

Neil Harris is a senior lecturer in the School of City and Regional Planning at Cardiff University. His research and teaching interests relate to core aspects of the statutory planning system including both spatial planning policies and development management.

Neil is a Chartered Town Planner having completed a BSc City and Regional Planning and a Diploma in Town Planning at Cardiff University, including a short period in practice with Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council. He then completed a Diploma in Social Science Research Methods before presenting his doctoral thesis, also at Cardiff University.

Neil has completed research for a range of organisations across the public, private and charitable sectors. He also acted in an advisory capacity on aspects of the planning system in Wales.

Neil has also served on various external bodies, including RTPI Partnership Boards, as a director of Planning Aid Wales and in the role of external examiner at other academic institutions.

Alan Southerby

Starting out at a young age with the former Aberconwy Borough Council in North Wales, Alan has since worked forseveral planning authorities across the UK and is now responsible for Development Management at Powys County Council. For the last two years, Alan has been Chair of the Planning Officers' Society for Wales (POSW) and has enjoyed representing planning's public sector at various events whilst also working closely with the Welsh Government onmany of its recent initiatives. Alan lives close to Builth Wells and outside of work,enjoys a hectic family life.

Chris Fray

Chris was born in London and was fortunate to be one of 18 students accepted onto the Town Planning Studies course in 1967 at the Welsh College of Advanced Technology (which shortly after became the University of Wales Institute of Science & Technology). The course (which commenced in 1966) in its early days comprised a three year BSc, a year out in industry, and a one year Postgraduate Diploma. The course and its companion MSc were both recognised as accredited courses by the RTPI in the late 1960s. Following a successful degree phase Chris undertook his year out with Cheshire County Council working in the Wirral Local Plans and Development Control Team.

On successful completion of the Diploma, Chris joined the private sector, working on community based projects in the South Wales Valleys and in Lancashire. He was elected as a Member of the RTPI in 1974.

Subsequently Chris joined the Local Plans team in the newly formed Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council where he went on to lead the team during a successful period of local plan adoptions in the 1980s,and a widening of his role into Conservation and Design as well as Economic Development during the 1990s. In addition to the day job Chris was an active volunteer in the early years of Planning Aid in South Wales.

At the time of Local Government Reorganisation in 1996 Chris switched roles in the Council from policy-based work to Implementation becoming Strategy and Regeneration Manager, and soon added Tourism to his portfolio. During a major shake up of senior management in the new millennium, Chris competed for the post of Head of Economic Development and Leisure and was appointed to the role in April 2000. As well as managing the Councils Economic Regeneration function, Chris also lead the Leisure and Tourism and Countryside Management operational areas. As part of this role Chris took an active part in the South East Wales Economic Forum, Sports Council for Wales partnerships and Countryside access.

Chris retired from local government in 2010 and is currently involved in various voluntary activities including Community Service Volunteers and Bridgend Ramblers. He has been a Board Member since 2008.

Peter Lloyd

Peter was elected to the Management Board in December 2012 and runs his own consultancy from north Wales.

Martin White

Martin was elected to the Management Board in December 2012 and is Head of Regeneration at Pembrokeshire County Council.

General Assembly Representatives

Terry Stevens

Terry is a chartered town planner who also holds a postgraduate qualification in Environmental Planning. Currently working in the Planning Policy team at Conwy County Borough Council, Terry also undertakes consultancy work.

Employed as a Senior Planning Officer in the Dept. of Business, Enterprise, Technology & Science, Welsh Government from 2006-2011, Terry also previously worked for the former Welsh Development Agency and Land Authority for Wales, as well as holding posts in Local Government.

Terry has gained a wide range of experience over his career, including the submission of planning applications for a wide range of uses including housing, employment and retail. He has also negotiated legal agreements and prepared and presented evidence in relation to Development Plan, Planning Appeal and Compulsory Purchase Order Inquiries. His work has covered both policy and delivery, and he has particularly experience in monitoring the availability of land for housing development, including affordable housing.

Terry has also lectured and is a former member of the Compulsory Purchase Authority and a Construction Skills Ambassador. He is also a former Chair of RTPI Cymru and a current RTPI representative on the General Assembly.

Allan Archer

Allan retired from the City and County of Swansea in 2001 and now runs his own consultancy.

Allan was the first Chair of the newly created all-Wales Branch in 2000/2001.

Young Planners Cymru Representative

Nick Peers

At the RTPI Cymru Annual Review in December 2012, it was agreed to amend the rules to include a representative from the Young Planners Cymru Steering Group onto the Management Board. Nick Peers will be representning Young Planners Cymru.

Nick graduated in 2011 from Cardiff University with an MSc in Transport and Planning and is a Licentiate member of the RTPI. Nick is currently working for Cardiff Council's Transport Section in City Development.

Co-opted Members

Nick Mills

Nick retired from the City and County of Swansea in 2011. Nick project manages the Wales Planning Award on behalf of RTPI Cymru.