New appointment to the Historic Buildings Council

1. The Historic Buildings Council (HBC), a statutory advisory council to the Department for Communities, was first established in 1973 under the provisions of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1972. HBC was re-established under the provisions of the Planning (NI) Order 1991. Its current authority is derived from the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. It provides independent advice to the Department on the listing of buildings, the general state of listed buildings and other matters relating to their preservation and the contribution they make to our communities and economy.

2. HBC members are not paid, but are entitled to an allowance for travelling and other expenses including a subsistence allowance, payable in line with current Civil Service rates. Their time commitment is two days per month.

3. The appointment has been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland Code of Practice.
4. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires political activity of appointees to be published.

5. Biographical details:

Mr Sebastian Graham

Mr Graham is a member of the International Molinological Society and the Mills and Millers of Ireland Society. He has a keen interest in and knowledge of industrial heritage, particularly mills, across Northern Ireland. He has researched mills for a number of years and has developed a website to share his interest not just in mills but also in areas such as agriculture, quarrying and reminiscence. He has set up a series of walks and presentations on industrial heritage including through the National Trust and local councils. He does not currently hold any other public appointments and has not undertaken any political activity in the past five years.

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