County Council appoints top regeneration specialist
Nottinghamshire County Council has appointed a prominent regeneration expert to lead on major investment projects across the county.
David Hughes has taken up the newly-created position of director for growth and investment.
Hughes has over 30 years’ experience in the regeneration and development sectors working on major regeneration initiatives and projects across England.
As a director at English Partnerships, he was responsible for the National Coalfields and Public Sector Land programmes. In this role he managed a major portfolio transfer from the NHS, valued at £470m, for housing development on surplus sites. He was also responsible for tackling the reclamation and development of some of the most contaminated former colliery sites, including the former Avenue Coking Works in the East Midlands.
He was also a director on a number of high profile urban regeneration company Boards in Sheffield, Bradford and Blueprint in the East Midlands.
More recently, Hughes has worked in local government with regeneration and planning roles. In Liverpool he worked on the successful Anfield regeneration project with Liverpool Football Club and in Stoke-on-Trent with the delivery of the Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone.
He said: “I am relishing a return to the East Midlands with the exciting opportunities in Nottinghamshire. The county is making a step change to deliver regeneration by using its £2 billion property and land portfolio to create local jobs and encourage quality house building, whilst generating a commercial income to re-invest back into frontline services.
“Nottinghamshire is particularly well placed to capture the growth benefits which the new East Midlands HS2 Station at Toton will generate. I hope I can use my partnership skills of working with the public and private sectors to help deliver one of the most exciting development projects in the country.”
Councillor Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “We have ambitious plans to accelerate economic growth in Nottinghamshire within the Midlands Engine by attracting more trade, visitors and investment – so this is a key appointment for the County Council.
“We are fortunate to be able to appoint someone of David’s undoubted calibre to this role. He has a track record of delivering major regeneration projects and has maintained a strong local network within the property and development sectors.
“We are asking him to lead on a range of growth and regeneration projects across the county, including the Lindhurst Development at Berry Hill in Mansfield and Top Wighay in Gedling as well as bringing forward a network of business park developments across the county.”
