This new role brings together all aspects of the Trust's planning work, including its role as a statutory consultee on theatre planning applications, the development of policies which promote and protect the social and cultural value of theatres in local and neighbourhood plans, and the protection of theatres in national planning policy.
Ross Anthony initially joined the Trust in January 2014 on a part-time basis taking responsibility for the statutory planning casework referred to the Trust by local authorities. Following the retirement of the Trust's part-time planning policy officer, in this new combined role, he also takes on responsibility for the Trust's advice on local and neighbourhood plan-making and national policy consultations.
Since 1976, The Theatres Trust's planning work has resulted in the protection of theatre use and the potential for future theatre use of existing and new theatre buildings across the UK. It has also helped to secure sui generis status for theatres, stronger policies for culture and the promotion and protection of theatres in local plans across England, Scotland and Wales, and made the case for inclusion of cultural wellbeing in the National Planning Policy Framework in England in 2012.
Director, Mhora Samuel, said, "I am delighted to welcome Ross Anthony to The Theatres Trust as our first full-time Planning Adviser. In this new combined role he will strengthen the impact and influence of our statutory advice, provide expert advice to planning officers on theatre-related developments, and ensure we continue to make the case for cultural well-being and theatres' protection in local and neighbourhood plan-making and national policy."
(Jim Evans)
