Final Word from 2012 Regional Chair

I would like to thank everyone on the Regional Activities Committee (RAC) and the Regional Management Board (RMB) who contributed to the Region’s operations and activities in 2012.  And of course I must give my special thanks to our Regional Co-ordinator, Tina Jessup, and our outgoing Secretary, Richard Chillingford, who stepped down after nearly 25 years in the post.      

At the beginning of 2012 I suggested a theme for my chairmanship and our events programme…’Planners and Planning: Adapting to Change – in a Changing Environment’. Well it was certainly a year of change in the world of planning. However you see it, Planning and the role of Planners has been very much in the public’s and moreover the present government’s eye. It may, you say, have always been so. But there is no doubt that Planning and Planners have been in the foreground of thinking when it comes to the reviving of the economy and meeting the challenges of a ‘Changing Environment’. One thing is for sure Planning and Planners will continue to have a vital role to play, irrespective of who is in government. That’s because good Town Planning is central to everyone’s lives and because whether you work in the private, public or voluntary sector, should always be conducted in the public interest.   

2013 will no doubt be another challenging year. The Region Chairmanship has now passed to Peter Warner and  I am sure that we will move from ‘strength to strength’ under his chairmanship. This is an important year in the run up to the RTPI’s centenary in 2014. We will need to make sure that preparations are well in place for this milestone.

We have said hello to some new Members on the RAC and I look forward to welcoming their new ideas and suggestions.