Board meeting minutes 27 November 2025 - The Planning Inspectorate
Updated 28 January 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
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Minutes 22nd January 2026 ratified
| Title of meeting | Planning Inspectorate Board Meetings |
| Date | 27 November 2025 |
| Venue | Virtual |
| Chair | Trudi Elliott (TE), Non-Executive Director (NED) |
| Present |
| Adrian Penfold (AP), Non-Executive Director (NED) |
| Baljit Dhillon (BD), Non-Executive Board Apprentice |
| Oliver Munn (OM), Non-Executive Director (NED) |
| Emir Feisal (EF), Non-Executive Director (NED) |
| Paul Morrison (PM), Chief Executive |
| Graham Stallwood (GS), Chief Operating Officer |
| Rachel Graham (RG), Chief Digital Information Officer |
| Rebecca Phillips (RP), Interim Chief Planning Inspector |
| Sean Canavan (SC), Chief Strategy Officer |
| Hayley Kelly (HK), Chief People Officer |
| Arthur Young (AY), MHCLG Representative |
1. In attendance
| Full meeting |
| Corporate Governance Officer (AS), minutes and actions |
| Attending for specific items |
| Senior Media and External Affairs Manager (GL) (item 6) |
| Customer Insights Lead (ZC) (item 6) |
| Head of Business Improvement and Stakeholder Management (LB) (item 6) |
| Planning, Reporting and Operational Excellence Lead (RMN) (item 7) |
| Corporate Strategy and Reporting Lead (BM) (item 8) |
| Head of People Experience (RH) (item 9) |
| Apologies |
| Joanne Butcher (JB), Chief Finance Officer |
| Will Burgon (WB), Director of Planning, MHCLG |
2. 1.0 - Welcome and Declaration of Interests
1.1 TE opened the meeting and noted the slightly late start due to an extended prior session. She confirmed that one agenda item would be deferred to January. No declarations of interest were raised.
3. 2.0 - Minutes of September Board meeting, corporate action tracker
2.1 The September minutes (Parts 1 & 2) were reviewed. Members agreed they were accurate and approved without amendment. The action tracker was noted; no additional updates were required.
Agreed:
2a) The September Board minutes are an accurate record of the meeting.
4. 3.0 Remuneration Committee (Rem Com) Chair update
3.1 AP provided a short update on RemCom activity. The committee has been focusing on pay and reward complexities and ensuring alignment with the Strategic People Plan. Gender pay gap considerations were highlighted as a priority for future planning.
5. 4.0 CEO update
4.1 PM reflected on his recent attendance at the Home & Economic Affairs Cabinet Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary. PINS was praised for its operational readiness to deliver the Planning & Infrastructure Bill (PIP). He emphasised that this recognition strengthens PINS’ credibility and influence in shaping planning reform.
4.2 Remainder of the item is captured in part two minutes.
6. 5.0 MHCLG update
5.1 NPPF consultation: Forthcoming consultation noted.
5.2 Remainder of the item is captured in part two minutes.
7. 6.0 Stakeholder and customer engagement
6.1 LB presented the engagement update, noting strong performance in recent webinars. Members discussed future topics, including local plan reform and digital transformation.
6.2 Customer service metrics were encouraging: service levels above 80%, backlog below 5%, and satisfaction improving from ~50% to ~65% since August. The Board explored ideas for more interactive forums and using video content for first-time appellants. Quarterly customer focus groups are planned for 2026.
6.3 TE emphasised the importance of maintaining momentum and ensuring engagement activities align with strategic priorities.
Actions:
6a) LB to take feedback regarding content use beyond the gov.uk page.
6b) Next board to agree stakeholder plan and engagement (GL & ZC).
8. 7.0 Balanced scorecard
7.1 Captured in part two minutes.
9. 8.0 2026/27 Business Plan
8.1 Captured in part two minutes.
10. 9.0 Strategic People Plan
9.1 Captured in part two minutes.
11. 10.0 AOB, review of meeting, key points for the blog
10.1 Members agreed that key blog messages should highlight performance improvements, priorities within the Strategic People Plan, and progress on local plan reform.
10.2 TE encouraged members to reflect on lessons learned from 2025 and share ideas for improving Board effectiveness in 2026.
10.3 The next meeting was confirmed for 22 January 2026 at MHCLG offices (in-person), with a potential farewell event for departing members.
10.4 TE confirmed that the Chair recruitment process continues to the agreed timescales.
10.5 The Board agreed to continue supporting the Boardroom Apprentice programme as part of its commitment to diversity and inclusion.