§ Mr. Tom KingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the criteria used to select the chairmen of structure plan examinations-in-public; [43851]
(2) what plans he has for changes in the way in which chairmen for structure plan examinations-in-public are selected. [43852]
§ Mr. RaynsfordChairs of individual Structure Plan Examinations in Public (EIPs) are appointed, subject to availability, from a central list held by the Department. Chairs will not be appointed for an EIP where they either live or work in the area for which an EIP is being held, nor if they have worked in the past for the County Council holding the EIP.
This Department is currently recruiting a new panel of chairs through a process of open competition. The criteria for selection include an excellent knowledge of the planning system and current planning issues, and recent experience of strategic planning at a senior level, either in local or central Government or in a consultancy context. Successful applicants will also be required to demonstrate good analytical, communication and inter-personal skills.
§ Mr. Tom KingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will provide the names, ages, career background and qualifications of the chairmen of structure plan examinations-in-public and of other panel members whom he and his predecessors have appointed in the last five years. [43850]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Secretary of State has a general duty of confidentiality in relation to his appointees and is not able to disclose personal information in respect of EIP Chairmen. However, the following information is that normally made public by the chairmen themselves at the commencement of individual EIPs:
27W
Name Position prior to EIP chair appointment EIPs chaired in last five years W. E. Barnett Former County Planning Officer, Somerset County Council North Yorkshire Structure Plan
Name Position prior to EIP chair appointment EIPs chaired in last five years Deputy County Planning Officer Suffolk County Council Cleveland Structure Plan Deputy County Planning Officer, East Sussex County Council West Sussex Structure Plan W. J. S. Batho Former Grade 3, Regional Director for DOE Eastern Region Office Kent Structure Plan A. G. Booth Consultant in private practice Northumberland Structure Plan Former Chief Planning Officer Essex County Council and President of RTPI Wiltshire Structure Plan G. Bowden Barrister and former MP for Dulwich Suffolk Structure Plan Philip Critchley CB Former Grade 3, Department of the Environment/Transport Lancashire Structure Plan Hertfordshire Structure Plan D. R. G. Hands QC Queens Counsel Somerset Structure Plan 1998 T. Hardy Former Chief Executive Cambridge District Council Bedfordshire Structure Plan Cheshire Structure Plan T. L. Jones Former Grade 3, Department of the Environment/Transport Dorset Structure Plan H. W. Marshall Former Grade 3, Department of the Environment/Transport Peak National Park Replacement Structure Plan Nottingham Replacement Structure Plan Cornwall Structure Plan Oxfordshire Structure Plan East Sussex Structure Plan R. W. Phelps Former General Manager Central Lancashire New Town Development Corporation Cambridgeshire Structure Plan Hampshire Structure Plan Berkshire Structure Plan Professor G. Shaylor Visiting Professor of Town Planning UCE Durham County Structure Plan Former Director of Development and Deputy Chief Executive Birmingham City Council, former City Planning Officer Birmingham City Council Former Director of Planning Hillingdon London Borough Devon County Structure Plan Other Panel members are all members of the Planning Inspectorate.
28W