Hugh Ellis , Policy Director, Town & Country Planning Association (TCPA)
Hugh’s responsibilities at the TCPA include leading on policy development, and briefings and engagement with central government departments and politicians. In 2011 Hugh co-authored a ‘policy analysis of housing and planning reform’ published by the TCPA for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. He has also been closely involved in the passage of the 2004 and 2008 Planning Acts, including providing evidence to select committees and working closely with parliamentarians on both the Commons and Lords committee stages of both Bills. Hugh has given oral evidence to the House of Commons Select Committees on various planning inquiries. He led on TCPA campaign work on the Localism Bill and NPPF. Hugh sits on the UK Government Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Planning Sounding Board.
Hugh regularly delivers workshops to local authorities for the TCPA including with Oxfordshire County Council on place-shaping, in Warrington as part of the North West Improvement and Efficiency Partnership climate change skills programme, in Wales on climate change adaptation, supported by the Environment Wales Climate Change Fund Grant Scheme, and with the English Planning Advisory Service on planning reform issues and strategic planning. Hugh has also delivered a number of local training sessions and local conversations on the invitation of Elected Members on planning committees, such as in Derbyshire, Oxfordshire and Sheffield.
Prior to joining TCPA in March 2009, Hugh had been national planning advisor to Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland since 2000. After spending a number of years working for the Coalfield Planning Cooperative on community planning projects Hugh took up a teaching and research post at the University of Sheffield where his key interests were sustainable development and community participation. He has a diploma in Town Planning, BA (Honours) in Urban Studies, and a Doctorate in Land Use Planning from University of Sheffield.
