A former head of the Civil Service has been appointed to lead a council-owned venture overseeing multi-billion pound regeneration projects across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP).
Lord Bob Kerslake will act as independent chair the board of directors of BCP Council’s FuturePlaces, which has a portfolio of council-owned sites across the south Dorset conurbation.
FuturePlaces was established by the council last year as a vehicle to attract investment from private property investment firms and developers for the delivery of thousands of new jobs and homes for the region.
The company will shortly present outline business plans to the council, setting out recommendations for the development of Poole Civic Centre, Christchurch Civic Centre, Constitution Hill and Chapel Lane, and propose a delivery route.
The company is also working to bring forward recommendations for work at Holes Bay, Poole Quay and Poole North, Wessex Fields, Westover Road and Boscombe, with business cases expected in the New Year.
Lord Kerslake’s appointment marks the end of the start-up phase of FuturePlaces, with the senior parliamentary figure to lead on the company’s corporate governance model and oversee specific programmes.
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.”
BCP Council’s leader Drew Mellor and deputy Cllr Philip Broadhead, who had been FuturePlaces acting chairman, will step back from the board.
Two additional independent board members will shortly be appointed to create a fully independent board.
Cllr Broadhead said: “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. In less than a year we have moved into the delivery stage as projects come before the council for consideration.”
He added: “Lord Kerslake has a fantastic track record in corporate governance and regeneration and is highly regarded by government and industry. 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.”
As well as heading the Civil Service, Lord Kerslake was permanent secretary at the Department for Communities & Local Government, and chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency. He was also Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council.
He is currently chair of both the 160-year-old London housing association, Peabody, and Be First, the housing and regeneration arm of the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham.
He is also chair of the UK2070 Commission, an independent inquiry into city and regional inequalities across the country. He has also chaired a number of reviews, including a review of housing delivery for the Mayor of London.
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