West Midlands Combined Authority appoints housing and regeneration chief

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has appointed Gareth Bradford as its director of housing and regeneration.

Bradford joins the WMCA from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in London.

He has worked in government since 2010, where his roles included a secondment to the Prime Minister's policy unit as a policy adviser on themes such as affordable housing, land, small businesses, regeneration, planning, build to rent and right to buy.

Prior to this, he was a senior planning officer and team leader at Devon County Council, which he joined on graduation from Cardiff University.

At the WMCA, Bradford will oversee implementation of its plans to increase the supply of land for housing and employment to help meet growth levels set out in its strategic economic plan.

Bradford said: “This region has a large and ever-increasing population which needs to be properly housed. We need to attract new investment into housing and regeneration and make more land available for businesses setting up in the region bringing high-quality jobs and homes for local people”

“I’m looking forward to helping the WMCA tackle the challenges that await in delivering what this region needs to transform the lives of the people who live and work here.”

Bradford has been replaced as deputy director, regeneration and infrastructure, in the DCLG/BEIS Cities and Local Growth Unit by Rachel Fisher. Fisher was previously head of infrastructure at the unit. 

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