The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has today (22 March 2018) announced the appointment of Trudi Elliott as the new independent Chairman of the Planning Inspectorate board.

From Sunday 1 April, Trudi will work with other Non-Executive Directors to provide support to Chief Executive Sarah Richards and the management team through the advisory board for a period of 4 years.

Trudi, a Chartered Town Planner, has a wide-ranging and in-depth knowledge of planning, a sector where she has worked for 20 years.

She has been Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute since 2011 but will step down from that role at the end of March 2018.

Trudi takes over the role of Chairman at the Planning Inspectorate from Sara Weller who held the position from August 2014 to September 2017.

Commenting on her new role, Trudi said:

The Planning Inspectorate plays a vital function in the planning system and the future development of England and Wales.

I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed to help with that task and look forward to working with Sarah Richards and her executive management team to continue to shape this renowned organisation.

Trudi joins the Inspectorate at an exciting and crucial time with the recent launch of the revised draft National Planning Policy Framework.

Trudi’s previous roles include: Director of the Government Office for the West Midlands, Chief Executive of the West Midlands Regional Assembly, Director of Local Government Practice ODPM and Chief Executive of Bridgnorth District Council.

Prior to this, Trudi was a lawyer, practising in both the public and private sectors.

She currently chairs the Oxford Joint Planning Law Conference Committee and sits on the National Infrastructure Planning Association policy council and the University of Warwick Estates Committee.

Trudi was also a member of the Taylor Review into planning practice guidance and will become Patron of the Commonwealth Association of Planners from April.

Trudi Elliott’s appointment runs from 1 April 2018 for a period of 4 years. She will step down from her role as CEO of the Royal Town Planning Institute on 31 March 2018.

The post is held at the discretion of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Minister for Housing and Regeneration in Wales.

A photo of Trudi is available on request.

The Planning Inspectorate is the government agency for England and Wales responsible for handling approximately 20,000 appeals a year, including:

• national infrastructure planning
• planning and enforcement appeals
• examinations of local plans

See more information about the Planning Inspectorate.

Following a 6-week consultation held last year, 3 options were presented to the public on plans to improve this busy commuter route. The proposals included junction improvements between junction 1 and 7 and additional lanes at points along the route.

The preferred route includes a number of improvements which aim to reduce the causes of congestion on the M621. This includes widening the carriageway at junction 2, closing junction 2a anti-clockwise and installing improved technology and signs along the route. The anti-clockwise carriageway at junction 3 will also be widened from 1 to 2 lanes and the way the lanes merge at junction 3 will also be changed to give priority to traffic on the main carriageway.

Highways England project manager Sarah Kearns said:

This is an exciting scheme and we look forward to moving this project to the next stage and improving the road for drivers heading into and out of Leeds.

The option we have chosen to take forward will work well alongside the other transport and infrastructure projects taking place around the city.

Highways England is currently carrying out improvements between junction 3 and junction 6 on the M621 until May 2018 as part of vital work which needs to take place before we begin work on this major scheme.

The works include the installation of central reserve concrete barrier for safety reasons and renewal of verge barriers and drains.

For more information on the major scheme please visit our website or e mail M621J1to7@highwaysengland.co.uk.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Update on improvement work to our application and billing processes.

Enhancements to application and billing processes originally due to be introduced on 20 March 2018 have been delayed to make improvements to our service.

This will allow us to make sure that the changes to applications and billing for criminal legal aid work are rolled out as smoothly as possible.

As recently announced in our GOV.UK article on 15 March 2018 these improvements will affect:

• CRM14 eForm applications
• CRM4 grant letters

We remain committed to making these changes which will help to reduce the number of rejected applications. They will also save time and money for both providers and the Legal Aid Agency.

Keep an eye on GOV.UK for an announcement shortly about the new release date.

Published 22 March 2018

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The Prime Minister has appointed Dame Shirley Pearce as a member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life following an open competition.

Shirley has held senior executive and non-executive roles in higher education, health and policing. She is currently Chair of Governors of the London School of Economics and Political Science, a member of the Higher Education Quality Assurance Panel for the Ministry of Education in Singapore and a Trustee for the Royal Anniversary Trust.

In 2013 Shirley was appointed by the Home Secretary as the inaugural Chair of the College of Policing (the first professional body for policing) where she oversaw the introduction of the first Code of Ethics for policing based on the Nolan Principles. She was also a Board member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Healthcare Commission and Health Education England.

She was Vice Chancellor of Loughborough University from 2006 – 2012, where she delivered a new strategy for the university which saw a significant increase in turnover, closer working with industry partners and research success in the Research Excellence Framework alongside a top rated student experience.

Earlier in her academic career she held appointments at University College London (UCL) and the University of East Anglia (UEA) where she established a new medical school with an innovative curriculum and a focus on primary care and inter-professional learning.

In 2005, Shirley was awarded a CBE for services to education in the National Health Service and in 2014 was appointed DBE for services to Higher Education.

The Committee on Standards in Public Life advises the Prime Minister on ethical standards across the whole of public life in the UK. It monitors and reports on issues relating to the standards of conduct of all public office holders.

Shirley takes up the post effective immediately for a five-year term. Her appointment was made after open competition in line with the Cabinet Office Governance Code regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

The Committee is currently conducting a short review of MPs’ outside interests and an inquiry into ethical standards in local government.

Notes to editors

1. Interview requests and media enquiries should go to Maggie O’Boyle on 07880 740627.
2. Dame Shirley Pearce replaces Sheila Drew Smith OBE, whose term ended on 16 February 2018.
3. The other members of the Committee are: Lord (Paul) Bew, Chairman, Rt Hon Dame Margaret Beckett DBE MP, Simon Hart MP, Dr Jane Martin CBE, Jane Ramsey, Monisha Shah, and Rt Hon Lord (Andrew) Stunell OBE.

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