News release

News release issued by the Homes and Communities Set-up Team.

The board of England’s new housing and regeneration agency has been appointed. Chairman Robert Napier will be joined on the board of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) by Kate Barker, Professor Peter Roberts, Bob Lane, Candy Atherton, Margaret Fay, Shaukat Moledina, Don Wood, Ian Robertson and Dru Vesty.

 Welcoming the announcement, Robert Napier said: “We have appointed a board of great talent from a very good field of candidates. The careers of the new members ensure we have practical experience around the table of all the issues, challenges, and opportunities facing the HCA. I’m delighted that we have assembled such a strong team.”

Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive of the HCA, said: “This outstanding group of dynamic, highly qualified individuals will provide the HCA with leadership at the highest level, strengthening its strategic vision and direction. Together they form an invaluable resource for the HCA and will be a powerful set of advocates for housing and regeneration. The creation of an integrated, flexible and streamlined new agency will help to ensure the right homes are built in the right places.” 

The appointment of the HCA board by Housing Minister Iain Wright gives the new agency legal status and it will be fully operational from its 1 December launch date. With over 900 employees and an annual budget of more than £5 billion, the HCA will be responsible for meeting national targets for growth, renewal and affordable housing in a sustainable way that corresponds to the needs of local areas. Its strong regional presence and flexible investment approach mean the HCA will operate as a national organisation that delivers locally.

A key strength will be its ability to have a single conversation with local authorities and other partners to agree shared housing growth and regeneration needs. The full range of HCA investment programmes and tools will be used to deliver tailored solutions for individual areas.  

Profiles of board members

Kate Barker has been a board member of the Housing Corporation for three years. She is also a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, Bank of England and an external adviser to HM Revenue & Customs. Kate was previously chief economic advisor to the CBI and chief European economist for Ford Europe.

As member of the Bank of England Monetary Committee Kate receives £96,478 per annum for three days a week, at HM Revenue & Customs, £2,500 per day for one day per month, and for being on the Housing Corporation Board, £12,621 for two to three days per month.

Professor Peter Roberts is chair of the Academy for Sustainable Communities, Professor of Sustainable Spatial Development at the University of Leeds and adviser to Addleshaw Goddard solicitors and to Atkins Limited. Peter was previously Professor of Regional Planning, University of Liverpool and Professor of European Strategic Planning, University of Dundee. In 2005 he was appointed OBE for services to regeneration and planning.

As chair of the Academy for Sustainable Communities, Peter receives £415 per day (post is 0.4 fte). As special adviser to the House of Commons Select Committee on Children, Schools and Families he receives £200 per day.

Bob Lane is a part-time senior adviser to the international consultancy group EDAW/AECOM, a board member of the National Housing & Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU) and a trustee of the Corby City Academy. Bob was previously chief executive of Catalyst Corby/North Northants Development Company and chief executive of Speke Garston Development Company.

The NHPAU role involves a maximum time commitment of three days per month and is remunerated at a daily rate of £350 plus expenses. Bob has no other public appointments.

Candy Atherton is chair of Rural Housing Advisory Group and a non-executive board member of the Housing Corporation. She is also founder of Atherton Associates. Candy is Chair of the Camborne & Redruth Constituency Labour Party and a Member of the Regional Board of the South West Labour Party. Candy was previously the Labour Member of Parliament for Falmouth & Camborne, vice chair of Camborne, Pool, Redruth URC and Mayor of the London Borough of Islington.

Candy receives £12,621 per annum as a non-executive board member of the Housing Corporation for two to three days per month. She has no other public appointments.

Margaret Fay is non-executive chair of One North East Regional Development Agency, a board member of English Partnerships and non-executive director of Darlington Building Society. From 1981 to 2003 she worked at Tyne Tees Television, where for the final eight years she was managing director.

Margaret receives £80,510.04 as chair of One North East, and £12,396 per annum for the EP board appointment for three days per month. She holds no other public appointments.

Shaukat Moledina is currently deputy chair of the Housing Corporation. He is also chair of a private investment trust supporting SMEs, as well as trustee and main board member of Save the Children. He is vice president of United Response and chair designate of LHA-ASRA. Shaukat was previously a non-executive director of Ealing Hospital NHS Trust and was a special trustee at St Mary’s Hospital NHS Trust.

As deputy chair of the Housing Corporation Shaukat receives £27,675 for a time commitment of four to five days per month. He has no other public appointments.

Don Wood is chair, London Housing Foundation and a trustee of The Order of St. John Care Trust. Don was previously group chief executive of London & Quadrant Housing Group and a director of New Islington & Hackney Housing Association. Don holds no other public appointments.

Ian Robertson is a member of the Audit Advisory Board of the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body. Ian was previously group chief executive of Wilson Bowden plc, a FTSE 200 company, group financial controller of Northern Foods plc and financial controller at Terrys of York. He was also president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and chair (Provost) Eastwood District Council, Scotland.

As a member of the Audit Advisory Board of SPCB, Ian receives £8, 832 per annum.

Dru Vesty runs her own consultancy company Estea Ltd. She is a non-executive board member of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and a member of the planning committee of the Olympic Development Authority. Dru assisted in the recent mayoral election. 

Dru was previously director of Healthcare Group Ltd, director of property development at British Gas Plc, and Royal Docks Area Director at London Docklands Development Corporation. 

Dru receives £11, 884 per annum from the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and £500 per day from the planning committee, Olympic Development Authority.
 

1. The new Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 addresses the shortage of affordable housing, makes new housing developments more environmentally friendly and gives social housing tenants a better deal. It also establishes two new non-departmental public bodies, the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority.  
2. Board members of the HCA were recruited in two phases. The first phase involved recruiting from the boards of the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships through a preference exercise and interview.
3. Kate Barker, Shaukat Moledina, and Candy Atherton from the Housing Corporation Board and Margaret Fay (an ‘ex-officio’ appointment as chair of One North East), from English Partnerships were recruited to the HCA Board. 
4. The appointment of existing Housing Corporation and English Partnerships members will be for a single term of three years, non-renewable. 
5. The appointment of the chair of One North East will be for 18 months. The appointee will establish a bridge between the new organisation and Regional Development Agencies while the HCA is becoming established. 
6. The second recruitment phase was open to the public who met published criteria. These appointments are for a term of four years. Bob Lane, Peter Roberts, Ian Robertson, Dru Vesty, Don Wood were recruited to the HCA. 
7. The remuneration of all board members is £13,000 per annum for a commitment of two days per month. 
8. The appointments are made in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Office of the Commissioners for Public Appointments. They 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 appointees’ political activity (if any) to be made public. Any political activity of appointees is stated in their biographies above.
9. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) will be the single, national housing and regeneration agency for England. With an investment budget of over £5 billion per year, its scale and resources mean it can bring about a step change in housing supply, and enhance quality of life by creating and regenerating communities where people want, and can afford, to live.

The HCA will bring together English Partnerships, the Housing Corporation’s investment arm and the Academy for Sustainable Communities. It will also take on some of the delivery functions of Communities and Local Government, including Growth, Thames Gateway Delivery, Housing Market Renewal, Decent Homes and Mixed Communities, Gypsies and Travellers and the Places for Change Programme.

http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/hca