Policy group

Katherine Verlander is a senior officer at Newcastle City Council with over 30 years’ experience in Planning and Policy. She has worked previously in local authorities in the north east, Essex and London. Her public sector experience is focussed on local plans and social policy, including: regeneration; growth and viability; partnership working; core cities; community cohesion and engagement projects.  At the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Katherine was the team leader responsible for progressing the local plan that included Barking Riverside–transforming the area into a new London district for over 10,000 new homes. Katherine is currently responsible for housing policy for both Newcastle and joint local plan partner Gateshead Council and contributes to regional planning by leading an interim NE housing group of local authorities. Her other interests include driving forward with digital planning efficiencies, mentoring planning students and guest lecturing at Newcastle University.

A chartered Town Planner and member of the Transport Planning Society Andrew is a Principal 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 an architect-planner with over 40 years' experience spanning the public, private and educational sectors. He is now running a specialist Planning and Design consultancy and a Partner in an Architectural and Historic Building practice. He was President of the Institute in 2012 and has been heavily involved in the design dimensions of planning through roles with CABE throughtout its life which continue through work with the Design Council. He is a Visiting Professor and Lecturer at UCL's Bartlett School of Planning, a Member of the Fabric and Fabric Advisory Committee for Durham Cathedral, a member of the RIBA's Planning Policy and Strategy and CPD groups and a Member of The Edge multi-professional group. He is a past Visting Professor of Practice at Newcastle University, Member of the London Mayor's Design Advisory Group and the Planning Committee for the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation.

With over 30 years diverse career experience in planning and the built environment, Jamie has worked in a wide range of roles, both in the private and public sectors.

 
As well as currently leading on the development of a High Streets Commission for the North East, Jamie manages investments into place-based regeneration schemes across the region. He is passionate about enabling transformative projects that will deliver long-lasting and meaningful change to our communities.

Andrea is a chartered town planner with over 25 years professional experience, predominantly in planning policy. She is currently a senior planner at Northumberland County Council, leading on housing supply and delivery matters for the emerging new Local Plan. She previously worked for over 20 years at South Tyneside Council, including seven years as policy team leader, where she was instrumental in the Council becoming one of the first local authorities nationally and first in the North East to successfully gain adoption of a sound Core Strategy and then full suite of Local Development Framework documents. More latterly during her time at South Tyneside Council and then at Sunderland City Council, Andrea was also involved in the preparation and successful adoption of the joint International Advanced Manufacturing Park Area Action Plan and parallel NSIP Development Consent Order. She also regularly contributes to various strategic regional and sub-regional planning policy work.

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.