It is with a very heavy heart that I have received news today that Tony has passed away.
Its poignant that it's my first full day as Chair of RTPI Wales - a role Tony held in 2002/3. He would, I hope, have been immensely proud that "one of my lads" was following in his footsteps. Respected and liked by councillors, colleagues and applicants. Only yesterday at the 2015 Review were we chatting about him, his RTPI work and enquiring how he was. I last saw him fleetingly perhaps 6 weeks or so ago, as I often did, when his car passed me.
Tone, as we knew him, was my first boss, DC Team Leader at Colwyn Borough Council in the early 1990s. He saw through both 1974 and 1996 re-organisations and with it sea changes in the planning world. Always looking to make planning better, more efficient, seeing e.g. how GIS or IT could give his staff the tools to do things better. He was however, still a proper, old school planner. The starting point being the basics - history, plans, scale-rules, proper applications, tape measures on site. "Get those right and at least they wont come back and bite you on the arse" was very much a Tony thing to say.
It helped you forgive files sometimes forgotten about in the boot of the blue Sierra - he'd probably been out to watch your back. He usually found them after being asked him to look again - you were the last person with it Tone. Never afraid to pick up the phone and tell those who needed to be told what to do. Always helping schemes which should or could get permission overcome the obstacles. And those that couldn't? They wouldnt.
It helped you forgive files sometimes forgotten about in the boot of the blue Sierra - he'd probably been out to watch your back. He usually found them after being asked him to look again - you were the last person with it Tone. Never afraid to pick up the phone and tell those who needed to be told what to do. Always helping schemes which should or could get permission overcome the obstacles. And those that couldn't? They wouldnt.
Some of that rubbed off on me and I'm sure that legacy carries through to those he appointed to the new "DC Minors" team I took over from him in 2004.
A staunch supporter of the Royal Town Planning Institute during his working life, Tony gave all his staff the support he could to make sure we moved to Chartered status. It couldn't be more fitting that my theme for 2016 is finding and developing our current and future young planners. Tony has played no small in that.
He was instrumental in establishing the all Wales RTPICymru and served as Hon Secreretary for some years after retirement, having earlier served on the North West England and North Wales branch. He was, I know, utterly thrilled to have been a part of the Team that won an RTPI Award in 1993 for regeneration work in Pentrefoelas
He was instrumental in establishing the all Wales RTPICymru and served as Hon Secreretary for some years after retirement, having earlier served on the North West England and North Wales branch. He was, I know, utterly thrilled to have been a part of the Team that won an RTPI Award in 1993 for regeneration work in Pentrefoelas
To Roz and family, sincerest condolences.
Tony Humprheys. RIP.
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