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/
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 4400;
News Releases: http://www.communities.gov.uk