News Release : 1 August 2005

ASSEMBLY ELECTS NEW PLANNING COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

Councillor Christine Field, Leader of Mid Sussex District Council, has been elected new Chairman of the South East England Regional Assembly’s Regional Planning Committee (RPC). Cllr Field took over this week from Cllr Keith Mitchell, who is now Chairman of the Assembly, after three years chairing the RPC.

Cllr Field, an active Assembly member since 2001, said: “I am pleased to take on this role, as we enter a new stage of the South East Plan. The Plan will become even more real to people when we start consultation on district housing numbers later this summer. I thank Cllr Keith Mitchell for his contribution to the Planning Committee and aim to continue his work. Key challenges we must keep addressing are balancing the needs for growth and more homes with the need for more government investment in our infrastructure and protecting the environment. It is important that the Assembly delivers a viable plan that will improve people’s quality of life.”

Ian Hepburn, Regional Policy Director for Wildlife Trusts in the South East and member of the South East Forum for Sustainability, has been elected Vice-Chair of the RPC. An Assembly member since 2003, he has a particular interest in the environment.

Mr Hepburn commented: “In the last two years, I have participated in a wide range of discussions on the South East Plan and other strategic planning initiatives for this region. I look forward to taking on this position and continuing to work alongside other stakeholder and political groups of the Assembly for more effective protection of our environment, as an integral component of sustainable development and a vital contribution to South East residents’ quality of life.”

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Head of Communications - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. For photos of the new Chairman of the Regional Planning Committee Cllr Christine Field and Vice-Chair Ian Hepburn, please contact the Assembly Communications Team.
2. South East Forum for Sustainability (SEFS) is the environmental network for the region. The network is steered by its Policy & Executive Committee, which is made up of 12 members. Six permanent (RSPB, National Trust, Friends of the Earth, Wildlife Trusts, CPRE, Transport 2000) and six elected from SEFS’ general membership (RailFuture, ENCAMS, WWF, CTC South East, Southern Buildings Preservation Trusts and Civic Trust South East).
3. The Regional Assembly is the "voluntary regional chamber" for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
4. The Assembly is made up of 112 members including elected councillors nominated by the region's local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
5. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007

Copyright © 2004 SEERA Limited. All rights reserved.