Waheed Nazir to leave Birmingham City Council
Waheed Nazir, the driving force behind the re-shaping of Birmingham, is to leave his role at the city council.
Nazir will remain as Birmingham City Council’s director of inclusive growth until December and is the second major departure in two months following the resignation of chief executive Dawn Baxendale.
While Baxendale is the fourth person in five years to lead the council, Nazir has driven the planning and regeneration agenda in the city for the last decade.
His blueprint has been stage two of the Big City Plan, which he launched in 2010, and set out a 20-year masterplan for the city centre.
During his time in the role, Nazir has led the transformation of the city, and has brought forward the delivery of multi-billion pound redevelopment schemes including Birmingham Smithfield, HS2 Curzon, Paradise, the Commonwealth Games 2022 Athletes Village, and the major employment sites of Peddimore and the Aston RIS.
He has also driven the city’s housing development company (BMHT) into the largest public sector house builder delivering thousands of new homes in the city.
In announcing his decision, he said: “It was a dream come true, as a local boy from the eastern part of Birmingham, to have an opportunity to shape the city I was born in and set its direction for future generations. I love Birmingham City Council and the city, and will continue to do whatever I can to support the Leader to ensure its continued growth.
Waheed Nazir, speaking at TheBusinessDesk.com’s property lunch at Siamais
“It has been an immense honour to fly the flag for Birmingham in the UK and around the world, and I have been fortunate to have worked alongside some amazing partners, especially the private sector business and development community who have always shown a willingness to collaborate with the City Council and support the people of Birmingham. I will always be grateful for the immense support I have had from the private sector.
“I leave behind a strong management team who are an amazing group of senior leaders and a council leader who has a clear vision for growth that will benefit people across Birmingham. I have every confidence that they will continue to deliver great things for the city. It has been an honour to have served the citizens of Birmingham and work with four different leaders and four chief executives. I am now looking forward to exploring the next chapter in my career.”
Cllr Ian Ward, leader of the City Council said: “Waheed has led the way in the transformation of Birmingham over the last decade and the large number of major development projects either underway or in the pipeline are testament to his hard work and vision for the city.
“Waheed is passionate about Birmingham and he has certainly left a lasting mark on the city of his birth. He has built a strong team and, thanks to his efforts, we are building new homes, attracting record investment and creating jobs and opportunities for the people of Birmingham.
“Whatever he decides to do next, I hope Waheed continues to use his skills, contacts and expertise to help Birmingham grow. I know that his legacy will continue to benefit the people of this city for years to come.”
Chief executive Dawn Baxendale added: “Waheed has helped to transform the Birmingham skyline, attracting significant investment to the city. I would like to thank him for his commitment and wish him every success in the future.”
