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New chairman of English Partnerships appointed

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT News Release (213) issued by The Government News Network on 14 November 2007

Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper today announced the appointment of Robert Napier as the new Chairman of national regeneration agency English Partnerships.

He will take up the post from 1 January 2008 and will chair English Partnerships until the launch of the new Homes and Communities Agency, the new agency that will deliver new homes and develop mixed, sustainable communities across England from 2009.

The agency will bring together the functions of English Partnerships, the Housing Corporation and a range of work carried out by the Department for Communities and Local Government, including delivery in the areas of decent homes, housing market renewal, housing PFI, housing growth and urban regeneration.

Yvette Cooper said:

"I am very pleased that Robert has agreed to accept this very challenging role at English Partnerships during this important transition period in the lead up to the launch of the Homes and Communities Agency. He has great wealth of skills and experience, making him the right person to lead EP during this time of considerable change".

She also paid tribute to the outgoing Chair of English Partnerships, Margaret Ford, saying:

"Margaret Ford has made an invaluable contribution to housing and regeneration across the country in the last five years, building English Partnerships into a successful, effective organisation. I wish her well for the future."

Commenting on the announcement of his appointment, Robert Napier said:

"English Partnerships has much to deliver between now and the establishment of the Homes and Communities Agency. I look forward, as the new Chairman, to working with the English Partnerships Board, Chief Executive and the management to achieve our targets."

Biography

Robert Napier is Chairman of the Board of the Met office. He was Chief Executive of WWF-UK, the UK arm of the World Wide Fund for Nature from 1999 to April 2007. Before that he spent 16 years at Redland plc, where he was successively Financial Director, Managing Director and Chief Executive.

Robert is currently a Non-Executive Director of Anglian Water Services. He is a former Non-Executive Director of Rentokil Initial plc and United Biscuits plc. He was formerly Chairman of the CBI Transport Policy Committee and President of the National Council of Building Material Producers.

Robert's community activities include being Chairman of the Governors of Sedbergh School and a Trustee of Baynards Zambia Trust. He is also a trustee of the Carbon Disclosure Project.

Notes to Editors

1. English Partnerships is the regeneration agency for England. It is a key delivery body for the Government's Sustainable Communities programme, which addresses housing shortages, homes for key workers, affordable housing and the problems of abandonment and decay. It also has a major role in the regeneration and remediation of brownfield land. It works closely with other stakeholders, including the Housing Corporation, Regional Development Agencies, local government and the private sector.

2. English Partnerships operates as a single structure based on the twin statutory basis of the Urban Regeneration Agency (URA) and Commission for the New Towns (CNT), which are Non-Departmental Public Bodies, operating under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and the New Towns Act 1981 respectively.

3. EP board members are legally therefore members of both the URA and CNT. The boards comprise a Chairman, Deputy Chairman and between four and thirteen other members. All appointments are made by the Secretary of State. More details about EP's operations can be found on its website at: http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk

4. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments Code of Practice. All board appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However in accordance with the Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for any board appointees' political activity (if any declared) to be made public. Robert Napier has confirmed that he is politically inactive. The remuneration for this appointment is £86,800 for a minimum time input of 2 days per week. 5. Further information on Homes & Communities can be found here: http://www.communities-england-intranet.communities.gsi.gov.uk/

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