Aidan McCooey and Sean O’Hare have been appointed as Principal Commissioners and Brian Martin has been appointed as a Senior Commissioner.
The appointments are permanent and pensionable, attracting remuneration within the range £48,810-£61,183.
All of the new appointees are members of the Royal Town Planning Institute.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for the political activity of appointees (if any declared) to be published. None of the appointees is engaged in any political activity and they do not hold any other public appointments.
Notes to Editors:
The Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) is an independent appeals body established under the Planning (NI) Order 1991 to decide a wide range of appeals against decisions of the Department of Environment’s Planning Service and to report on various matters under planning and other legislation.
The Water Appeals Commission (WAC) is a separate tribunal NDPB established by the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006.
PAC and WAC currently comprise 21 full-time Commissioners, including the Chief Commissioner and Deputy Chief Commissioner, plus a number of Call-Off Panel Commissioners who are available to PAC only.
The new appointments were made following an internal selection process. Their suitability was considered by selection panels, which included independent assessors, in accordance with the procedures required by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland. The final decision on the appointments was made by the First Minister and deputy First Minister.
Biographical Details
Aidan McCooey holds a BA degree in Natural Sciences and Geography from Trinity college, Dublin, and an MSc in Town and Country Planning from Queen’s University, Belfast. He also has an IM Diploma in Management and completed a Masters in Business Administration course in 2001. He commenced his planning career in 1988 working in Borough and District Councils in Wales and joined the Planning Appeals Commission in 2001 where he has been a Senior Commissioner since June 2004.
Sean O’Hare holds a BA Degree in Geography and Archaeology from University College, Dublin, and a Diploma in Town Planning from Oxford Polytechnic. He commenced his career in 1974 in the Planning Service of the Department of Environment where he remained until 1998 when he joined the Planning Appeals Commission where he has been a Senior Commissioner since March 2002.
Brian Martin has a BSc Honours degree in Geography from the University of Ulster. He commenced his career in 1973, initially working for a short time in the Craigavon Development Commission, and then in the DOE Planning Service until January 2001 when he was appointed as a Commissioner in PAC.
