Press release

New Chief Executive appointed to The Planning Inspectorate

The Planning Inspectorate has appointed Paul Morrison as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Paul Morrison

The Planning Inspectorate has appointed Paul Morrison Director, Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Humanitarian Taskforce, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), as its new Chief Executive following an extensive and open recruitment process. Paul will be taking up post on 14 December 2022.

Recruitment took place after previous incumbent, Sarah Richards, stepped down from the role in September.

Navees Rahman, Interim CEO, will be departing the Inspectorate in the spring to take on the role of Chief Finance and Resources Officer at Arts Council, England.

The appointment has been approved by the independent Civil Service Commission.

Chair of the Planning Inspectorate Board, Trudi Elliott said:

I am glad to be welcoming Paul to the role of Chief Executive of The Planning Inspectorate from December. He brings a range of experience at this important time for the Inspectorate and I am confident that he will be a hugely positive influence.

Paul joins us from a role at the Department where he has held roles in Planning Transformation, demonstrating an understanding of our work and our sector. He brings with him a strong combination of policy and delivery experience.

On behalf of the Board, I very much look forward to working with Paul into the next chapter of the Inspectorate’s long history of public service delivering planning, enforcement and specialist casework appeal decisions, national infrastructure planning applications and local plan examinations.

Paul Morrison said:

I am delighted to be joining the Planning Inspectorate. My recent time leading the Government’s planning reform programme gave me first-hand experience of the many positive aspects of the organisation including the importance of the Inspectorate’s role, the quality of the people working for it, the strength of their values and the innovation of its transformation programmes.

I look forward to working with colleagues and partners across the planning system again.

Paul Morrison’s biography

For more information please contact the Planning Inspectorate press office Press.Office@Planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Published 30 November 2022