Planning Decisions Committee

The Planning Decisions Committee (PDC) will either make the decisions on the applications submitted to the Legacy Corporation or delegate the decision to Officers of the Legacy Corporation’s Planning Policy and Decisions Team (PPDT).

The Planning Decisions Committee comprises three Legacy Corporation Board members, four independent members and five local Councillors recommended by the four boroughs directly affected by the proposals for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and surrounding areas.

The Committee members are:

• Pam Alexander OBE (Chair*) - Legacy Corporation Board member

• Sukhvindher Kaur-Stubbs - Legacy Corporation Board member

• Jamie Kerr - Legacy Corporation Board member

• Cllr Nick Sharman (Member) and Cllr Jessica Webb (substitute Member), London Borough of Hackney

• Cllr Marie Pye (Member) and Cllr Terry Wheeler (substitute Member), London Borough of Waltham Forest

• Cllr Dan Tomlinson (Member) and Cllr Rachel Blake (substitute Member), London Borough of Tower Hamlets

• Cllr James Beckles (Member) and Cllr Joshua Garfield (substitute Member), London Borough of Newham

• Cllr Rachel Tripp (Member), (substitute Member Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz, OBE) London Borough of Newham

• Piers Gough CBE RA - Independent member

• James Fennell BA (Hons) MRTPI MRICS FRSA - Independent member

•Abdul Thahid BSc (Hons), MRICS - Independent member

• Martha Grekos- Independent member

* in the absence of the committee Chairman, the Legacy Corporation Chairman will nominate a substitute chairperson.

A brief biography for each member can be found via the appropriate expandable section at the bottom of this page.

The Planning Committee is governed by a Code of Practice, which can be viewed and/or downloaded from our Governance Documents page.

Further clarification on the Governance and Terms of Reference of the PDC can be found in the following board reports, which can be viewed and/or downloaded below:

The papers and minutes of all London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) Planning Committee Meetings, from the 23 October 2012 to date can be accessed and/or downloaded via the link below.

DATES AND PAPERS FROM MEETINGS

The papers and minutes of all Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) Planning Committee Meetings, from 6 September 2006 to 25 September 2012 can be accessed and/or downloaded via the appropriate expandable section at the bottom of this page.

For details of the next Legacy Corporation Planning Committee Meeting, please visit https://www.london.gov.uk/moderngovlldc/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=273

New arrangements for the proceedings of the LLDC Board and Committees have been put in place from 7 May 2021.

These arrangements are set out in the LLDC Scheme for Remote Decision-Making 2021 (Appendix 1). The provisions of the Scheme will apply for as long as the Chair considers it appropriate on the basis it is not desirable or appropriate for meetings to be convened and held physically in-person having regard (without limitation) to the current and developing risks to public health posed by Covid-19, the practicality and availability of members to meet in person in compliance with social distancing guidance and requirements.

Under the Remote Decision-Making Scheme, the Corporation Chair or the Committee Chairs have a delegation from the Board to decide whether it is appropriate or desirable to transact business either at an in-person meeting, or with decisions being taken by the relevant Chair under a delegation conferred by the Scheme following consultation at a proceeding of the relevant Advisory Panel. This will be clearly marked on the agenda. Further information is below.

In-person meetings: The location of the Covid-secure venue for a LLDC Board or Committee meeting to be held physically in-person will be indicated on the agenda. Such meetings will be open to the public (in line with any Covid guidance) except for when confidential, personal or financial information matters are being discussed. These items will be marked on the agenda. Members of the public can attend the public session of a Board or Committee meeting (in line with any Covid guidance) and obtain copies of the public papers. Agendas of business that will be discussed at a meeting and the reports on each topic for discussion (except any which contain confidential, personal or financial information) can generally be viewed on the website five days before the meeting. Minutes of the decisions taken at the meeting will also be available on the website once they have been agreed. Members of the public can also inspect background papers relating to a report.

Advisory Panel proceedings: As set out in the Scheme for Remote Decision-Making (Appendix 1), any Advisory Panel proceedings will be held by remote access (Microsoft Teams) and be open to the public except for when confidential, personal or financial information matters are being discussed (these items will be marked on the agenda). Members of the public can view or listen, via remote access, to the public section of each Board or Committee Advisory Panel proceedings and view copies of the public reports. The link for the public section of the Advisory Panel will be shown on the agenda for the proceedings. Agendas of matters that will be discussed and the reports on each topic for discussion (except any which contain confidential, personal or financial information) can generally be viewed on the website five days before the proceedings. A note of the proceedings containing a statement of the Chair’s decisions on each of the items on the Advisory Panel agenda will be published on the website as soon as is practicable.

The next Planning Decisions Committee Meetings on 28th September 2021 has been CANCELLED.

Please test this link well in advance if you wish to join the meeting.

Join meeting

Please note that the meeting will be managed to ensure it runs effectively. LLDC will not tolerate abusive or offensive behaviour or language at the meeting and will retain the right to remove people from the video conference if necessary.

Should you wish to make representations at a Planning Committee in the future, you need to let us know in advance of the meeting date, via email: [email protected]

Information on public speaking at Committee Meetings

The minutes of all Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) planning decisions committee meetings are available below:
A brief biography for each member of the LLDC Planning Decisions Committee can be found below.

Pam Alexander OBE (Chair) - Legacy Corporation Board Member

Pam Alexander has had a long career in housing and economic regeneration. She is Chair of Commonplace Digital Ltd, using technology to broaden community engagement and participation, a non-executive Director of the Connected Places Catapult, accelerating the use of new technologies to improve buildings, places and transport, an advisor to OnePlanet.com, a platform to integrate planning for zero carbon living, and an Ambassador on the London Mayor’s Cultural Leadership Board.

Pam has previously held non-executive directorships including Chair of Covent Garden Market Authority at Nine Elms, NED of Crest Nicholson plc, Crossrail Ltd and Design Council, where she was Deputy Chair and Chair of Design Council Cabe, and chair of Peabody. Her executive career as Deputy CEO of the Housing Corporation and CEO of English Heritage and of the South East England Development Agency followed 20 years as a civil servant in the then Department of the Environment.

Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs - Legacy Corporation Board member

Sukhvinder has a track record of building high performing teams, responsive to the needs of local communities and other key stakeholders. She brings substantial experience of public sector regeneration from the midlands and south east. She is committed to investment in the physical and social infrastructure, using her knowledge of education, health and employment policies to secure 'balanced' growth for residents, visitors and the broader London economy. She is skilled in appraising major developments and in leading house building programmes from her membership of Swan Housing Association and the Home Group. Sukhvinder has proven expertise in good governance and served on the Board of Severn Trent Water and numerous Ministerial Committees including the Cabinet Office Better Regulation Executive and the Prime Ministers Taskforce on Deprived Communities. She Chaired Volunteering England during the Olympics.

Jamie Kerr - Legacy Corporation Board member

Jamie Kerr is a Chartered Surveyor with more than 30 years’ experience in property development and finance. He has particular knowledge around retail, transport related development, masterplanning and town centre reinvention and has worked for LCR and John Laing Plc as an Executive Director. He sits on the Board of the Solihull Urban Growth Company and has recently established Urban Development Partnerships to focus on the renewal of town centres.

Councillor Nick Sharman - LB Hackney (substitute - Councillor Jessica Webb)

Nick Sharman is Councillor for the Hackney Wick Ward of the London Borough of Hackney, where he chairs the Council’s Audit Committee. He has had a variety of Board level positions in both private and public sectors, including Operations Director at the London Development Agency, Managing Director of Amey's local government division and Deputy Chief Executive of the London Borough of Islington. Previously he was Chief Executive of Greater London Supplies, the Inner London Education Authority £100m purchasing and supplies business, Corporate Director of Greater London Enterprise and Assistant Chief Economic Adviser at the Greater London Council.

From 1998 to 2016, Nick was a Trustee of the New Local Government Network, the award winning local government think tank. From 2007-12 he was Chair of the CBI’s Local Government Panel and advised Government on service procurement issues.

Nick has a PhD in history from the University of Nottingham, an honours degree in economics, an MPhil in town planning from UCL, an MBA from Henley and an MA in history from Royal Holloway University of London. He has written widely on strategic and regeneration issues in local and regional Government and on the relationship between Britain and Spain in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Counciller Marie Pye - LB Waltham Forest (substitute Councillor Terry Wheeler)

Cllr Marie Pye has represented Leytonstone ward in the London Borough of Waltham Forest since 2005. She was the Cabinet member for Housing for 8 years and Chair of East London Housing Partnership. She is currently a member of the Planning Committee and Chair of Growth Scrutiny.

Aside from being a councillor Marie has a professional background in equality. She was previously Chair of the TFL Disability Advisory Group, is an LGA Equality Peer and advises major organisations on inclusion.

Councillor Dan Tomlinson - LB Tower Hamlets (substitute Councillor Rachel Blake)

Dan Tomlinson is a Councillor for the Bromley North ward in Tower Hamlets, one of the wards falling within the LLDC boundary. He is also a researcher at a leading UK think-tank, where his work focuses on the impact that housing has on the living standards of low-to-middle income families in the UK.

Councillor James Beckles - LB Newham (substitute Councillor Rachel Tripp)

James was elected in 2014 as a Councillor for the London Borough of Newham. He served on the Newham council's Local Development Committee for four years, two of which he as deputy chair (2014-2016). James is the former Chair of the Strategic Development Committee and the current Cabinet Member for Crime and Community Safety.

Councillor Rachel Tripp - LB Newham (substitute Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE)

Rachel has been a councillor for Forest Gate North ward in Newham since her election in 2014. She has also been a member of the Strategic Development Committee for Newham since this time, and was appointed as chair of this committee in May 2021. She has previously held different positions on the Cabinet in Newham, including Equalities, Environment and Highways. Her professional background is in communications and public policy, and she now works as an artist and calligrapher alongside her Councillor responsibilities.

Her particular interests in planning include affordable homes, active travel, small businesses, greening and biodiversity. She is particularly interested in how new developments can build environmentally sustainable places where diverse and mixed communities can live and thrive.

Piers Gough CBE RIBA RA - Independent member

Piers established CZWG Llp Architects with his partners in 1975. He is widely recognised as an innovative architect, writer and leader in the profession and has designed many acclaimed buildings and master plans. He was involved with English Heritage for 12 years, first as a member of the London Advisory Committee and the Urban Panel then latterly as a Commissioner; he was then a Commissioner of CABE and a chairman of its Design Review Panels. In 2013 he became an independent member of the Planning Decisions Committee of the London Legacy Development Corporation.

James Fennell BA (Hons) MRTPI MRICS FRSA - Independent member

James has been the Chief Executive of planning and development consultancy Lichfields for 10 years. He has over 25 years’ experience of planning in London and across the UK. James is a chartered surveyor and chartered town planner and he chairs the Revo Planning working Group.

Abdul Thahid BSc (Hons), MRICS – Independent Member

Abdul has over 14 years experience in development project management across a broad range of sectors including mixed use, leisure, events stadia, commercial and residential led schemes. A notable highlight of his career is helping deliver the beach volleyball venue at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the prestigious Horse Guards Parade ground as project manager. During his career Abdul has worked for both commercial developers and blue chip consultancies gaining valuable experience of the full project life cycle.

Abdul is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and holds a BSc Honours degree in construction project management.

Martha Grekos - Independent Member

Martha Grekos is a Director (Barrister) at Martha Grekos Legal Consultancy Limited. She specialises in Planning Law and Policy. She has worked on some of the most complex and politically sensitive urban regeneration, development and infrastructure projects in London and nationwide. Before returning to independent practice, Martha was a Partner and Head of Planning at a top city law firm. She also taught planning law at the University of Cambridge after she graduated from there with a Masters in Law. She writes for many of the leading planning and real estate publications and is an Editorial Board Member for Lexis Nexis and is invited to speak regularly at many conferences. Martha is ranked as one of the most influential women in planning (Planner, 2020), ranked in Chambers UK (2019) as an “up and coming” planning lawyer in London and recommended as a “Leading Planning Junior” in Legal 500 (2019).

Martha is also a Non-Executive Director of the Thames Estuary Growth Board, a member of the Mayor of London’s infrastructure Advisory Panel, a strategic advisor to the Civil Aviation Authority and was a legal advisor to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Martha was born and lives in London. She is passionate about London and believes that the planning and delivery of London’s infrastructure can be improved for the benefit of residents, the environment, the economy and wider society. Martha has always given back to her profession, the City and to charity and is an advocate for nurturing talent from all backgrounds and providing access and opportunities to all to thrive. She is champion for diversity and inclusion in all spectrums in the real estate sector given the organisations and committees she is involved in and her own personal background.

Planning Decisions Committee Minutes Archive

Planning Decisions Committee Members Biographies