Former civil service head to chair South West regeneration company

News07.10.225.00 PM by Free Lancer

Lord Kerslake, who led the civil service between 2011 and 2014, has been appointed as the independent chair of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council’s regeneration company.

Lord Kerslake, who has been appointed chair of BCP Council's regeneration company.

FuturePlaces, which was set up in 2021 and is wholly owned by BCP Council, is responsible for regenerating a portfolio of sites the authority owns.

It is tasked with bringing in outside development and investment expertise to work with local residents, businesses and other stakeholders on plans for key locations.

Lord Kerslake’s appointment will see BCP’s deputy leader Philip Broadhead, who has acted as chair, and leader Drew Mellor, step down from the board after supporting the company’s initial phase.

The company said it would also be appointing two other members to round out its independent board.

Lord Kerslake, who grew up in the South West, was chief executive of Hounslow and Sheffield councils during the 1990s and 2000s, before taking the top job at the Homes and Communities Agency in 2008.

In September 2010 he was appointed permanent secretary of the then-Department for Communities and Local Government (now DLUHC).

“Lord Kerslake has a fantastic track record in corporate governance and regeneration and is highly regarded by government and industry," said Mr Broadhead. "To attract someone of such calibre goes to show the validation and credibility of what we have set out to achieve through FuturePlaces for our residents and place."

He added: “We have an extremely talented team in FuturePlaces, fostering the long-term ambition of our place as we unlock £3bn’s worth of gross development potential across council-owned sites."

Lord Kerslake said FuturePlaces is a "great initiative and an incredible opportunity for the people, organisations and communities in the area to come together to harness its huge place potential and make lasting improvements for the future".

“I look forward to working with the council and all of its councillors to achieve this,” he said.

Lord Kerslake added: “My appointment as chair, together with the two [pending] additional independent board members, will provide the opportunity to move to the intended governance model of an arm’s-length BCP FuturePlaces board of independent non-executive members, and an all-party shareholders committee of the council to oversee progress."