Eight names to watch in 2012
Justine Greening, transport secretary
Greening has told the House of Commons that she expects to announce in January whether or not the High Speed Two London to Birmingham rail link will proceed. Whichever way it goes, her decision will be hugely controversial, either alienating conservationists in the Chilterns, or champions of big cities in the North and Midlands.
Niall McNevin, director of planning, Olympic Park Legacy Company
Scrutiny of plans for legacy development of London’s Olympic Park is certain to intensify during 2012. McNevin, who was previously head of town planning at the Olympic Delivery Authority, is charged with shepherding the legacy application through the planning process.
Peter Soulsby, Leicester City mayor
Referendums are due in May on the establishment of executive mayors in 11 of England’s 12 largest cities. The twelfth city, Leicester, already has an elected mayor, the former Labour MP Peter Soulsby. Soulsby will no doubt be the subject of strong media interest in the run-up to the referendum, as voters weigh the merits of the mayoral and existing models.
Melissa Mean, convenor, Redcliffe Neighbourhood Planning Forum
Mean leads RNPF, a Bristol group that has been selected as one of the government’s frontrunner neighbourhood forums, the organisations that are entitled to draw up neighbourhood plans. The group has high ambitions, including closing a dual carriageway to cars as part of plans to reinvigorate the area. With the Localism Act due to be fully enacted in April, neighbourhood plans will begin to be brought forward for approval, and pioneers such as Mean seem set to become prominent figures.
Derek Mackay, Scottish government minister for local government and planning
Mackay’s appointment this month marked a meteoric rise for a Scottish National Party politician who had only become an MSP seven months previously. The 32-year old former Renfrewshire Council leader will be watched closely by councils. They will be keen to see if he shares predecessor Aileen Campbell’s wish to make them more pro-development, and equally eager to see details of the new planning fee regime that is promised for early 2012.
Sir Michael Pitt, chief executive of the Planning Inspectorate and chairman of the Infrastructure Planning Commission
Pitt has to manage the merger of PINS and the IPC, which is due to take place on 6 April, while reducing the headcount of the combined bodies from 800 to 600. At the same time, the applications that so far have been trickling into the commission will turn into a steady flow. All of this will take place against the backdrop of the government’s recently announced review of planning appeals procedures.
Adrian Kerrison, growth point manager at Newark & Sherwood District Council
On December 1, Newark and Sherwood District Council became the first local authority in the country to start charging the community infrastructure levy, the new method of raising contributions from developers to fund the infrastructure needed to service their developments. Expect to see Kerrison on a conference platform near you sometime in the near future.
John Griffiths, Welsh planning minister
While Whitehall is promoting a presumption in favour of sustainable development in England, Griffiths is consulting on a similar measure for Wales. His proposed redrafting of part of Welsh planning policy would instruct councils to look favourably on applications for economic land uses which are not in accordance with their development plans if the economic benefits outweigh adverse impacts. He has also commissioned a wider review of the system, which reports next summer.
