Boards ooze wisdom but lack new blood

Half of all the board members appointed to the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority previously served on their predecessors’ boards (see box).

Two of the TSA’s eight board members are tenants. Dennis Rees, chair of arm’s-length management organisation Derby Homes, will join Julie Fawcett, who sits on the corporation’s board. The absence of tenants in the HCA’s boardroom has caused concern.

Norman Perry, former chief executive of the Housing Corporation and chair of public services at law firm HBJ Gateley Wareing, said the government had plumped for expertise ‘rather than innovation’.

‘The banks wouldn’t be upset by this – in terms of confidence – with heavyweight, responsible and experienced people. But there’s no one from the coming generation. I’m surprised one of the younger council leaders is not on there.’

The experienced board would, however, be a boon for the ‘relatively young and inexperienced’ TSA chief executive Peter Marsh, Mr Perry added.

TSA board member Julian Ashby named the agency’s principal challenge as shifting its focus to tenants. ‘Historically, it has been focused on the providers rather than tenants,’ he said.

The agency faced a difficult time instigating such a ‘major change’ within the current economic conditions, he added.

Michael Gelling, chair of the Tenants’ and Residents’ Organisations of England, was disappointed by the level of tenant representation.

‘There are no tenants on the Homes and Communities Agency board – that’s farcical. They wanted tenants on the board and said it was important to engage with customers.’