Royal Town Planning Institute president elected

Dec 16 2009 by Iain Laing, The Journal

THE membership of the 22,000 strong Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has elected North East-based designer Colin Haylock as its next junior vice president and president from 2012.

Mr Haylock is urban design director at Ryder Architecture, based in the company’s head office in Newcastle. He joined Ryder in 1999 after working as an architect/planner with Newcastle City Council for nearly 25 years.

Working with the council he helped create many now familiar areas from East Quayside to the paved areas around Grey’s Monument.

With Ryder he has continued his involvement in Newcastle, including work on the City Library and Cooper’s Studios on Westgate Road.

Since 2000 he has also worked as a regional representative for the Government’s Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, and since 2004 he has been one of its national expert planning advisors.

Mr Haylock said: “I feel very honoured to have been elected to lead the planning profession in 2012, the Olympics year. We will have a world stage on which to showcase what planning, urban design and architecture can deliver in hugely challenging circumstances.

“The RTPI will also be working to improve everyday planning. As part of this we will be developing a test programme to bring architects, engineers, landscape architects and others to work with communities on visions and practical proposals to improve their areas through the RTPI’s government funded Planning Aid programme in the North East.”