Planning Inspectorate is happy to announce the appointment of Navees Rahman as Interim Chief Executive. Navees will be transferred from his current position as Director of Corporate Services at the Inspectorate. The hiring follows the announcement earlier this summer that Sarah Richards will step down as chief executive in the fall. Navees will lead the Inspectorate, whose services are fundamental to the English planning system, handling planning appeals, national infrastructure planning applications, investigations of local plans, and other planning-related and specialized casework in England.
Trudi Elliot, Chair of the Planning Inspectorate Board and Non-Executive Director, stated:
“I am thrilled that Navees has agreed to serve as interim Chief Executive Officer of the Inspectorate. In addition to his leadership experience inside the Inspectorate, Navees brings to the job his leadership expertise in executive agencies and central government departments in the areas of financial strategy, financial management, audit, governance, and business partnership.
I look forward to collaborating with Navees in his new position on behalf of the Board and non-executive Directors.
Simon Gallagher, director of planning at the Department for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), stated:
“I am pleased to welcome Navees to the temporary position of Chief Executive Officer while we conduct a search for a permanent candidate. Today, recruitment for the permanent position begins. The presidency of the Planning Inspectorate is a crucial position in English planning, especially while the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill moves through the House of Commons.”
In 2016, Navees was named Director of Corporate Services at the Planning Inspectorate. He has been in charge of the professional services that support the Inspectorate’s operations, fostering a culture of performance, investing in technology and processes, and using our diversity to help us innovate. In addition to strengthening existing services, the directorate has been building new capabilities in the digital and data fields to guarantee that our services for the general public are digitally accessible and compliant with Government Digital Service requirements. Our expanding data capabilities will allow us to both secure and harness the important data held by the Inspectorate.
Navees said:
“I am pleased with the work of the Planning Inspectorate and the vital role it plays in the planning process.
“As temporary Chief Executive, I look forward to continuing to implement the Department’s priorities and the adjustments outlined by the Inspectorate in our Strategic Plan. These, I believe, will enhance the customer experience and make the Inspectorate a thriving, challenging, and inclusive workplace.”
Recruitment notice for a Chief Executive – closing date 18 September 2022