National Planning Forum appoints new chair
By Colin Marrs Friday, 22 July 2011
Industry sounding board the National Planning Forum (NPF) has named its new chairman.
Brian Waters, who is principal at architectural practice Boisot Waters Cohen Partnership, will take up his new post from September.
The post is awarded on a rotational basis between the body’s five vice-chairs, and Waters takes over from current chairman Mike Haines, deputy chairman of environment and housing programme board at the Local Government Association.
Waters told Planning: “I am the first architect to become chairman of the NPF, which is a great honour. I look forward to help drive the body on to even greater heights.”
Haines said that the appointment comes at a time when the NPF was in expansionist mood.
He said: “We have lost a few members with the government cuts leading to the abolition of a few of our member bodies.”
“However, as the nature of planning changes, and gets more of a community focus, I have a list of new organisations we hope will join the forum”.
He said there were also plans to invite a number of private consultancy firms to join the body as associate members.
The forum includes members from organisations across the planning sector, including senior civil servants in the
Department for Communities and Local Government.