Homes England appoints Tom Bridges to lead North East, Yorkshire & Humber
Formerly of Leeds City Council and Arup, Bridges is one of five executive directors to step into the newly created role nationwide as the government agency looks to deepen its collaboration with Mayors and local leaders in a bid to boost the delivery of homes and communities.
Bridges will step into his role in April, with the aim of working alongside local government to tailor housing and regeneration support in a way that reflects the priorities and needs of different regions.
Bridges has 30 years of experience in town planning, regeneration, and economic development and joins Homes England from Arup, where he has spent the last eight years as director and UK government business leader.
This has put him at the helm of major projects around regeneration, creating business cases for infrastructure schemes, and delivery of capital projects to boost growth.
Before that, he spent five years as chief officer of economy and regeneration at Leeds City Council, where he helped shape the city’s major regeneration agenda, including the Leeds South Bank programme, by leading the Leeds Inclusive Growth Strategy that underpinned investment in housing, infrastructure, skills, and place-making.
His team will provide joined-up support on behalf of the Agency, looking after a North East, Yorkshire and Humber development pipeline and sub-regional programmes, from large-scale placemaking and growth partnerships to affordable housing initiatives.
The team will look to boost collaboration across the existing Strategic Place Partnerships with the North East Combined Authority, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
Four others have also been appointed to spearhead the agency’s work throughout the country: Danielle Gillespie is executive regiona
Bridges said: “I am delighted to be joining Homes England to support the delivery of the shared ambitions of the Government, Mayors, and local leaders and partners to accelerate regeneration, the building of new homes, and economic growth.
“I have always been a strong believer in the power of devolution, from my time working for a local authority to my work at Arup on transformational growth and infrastructure projects.
“I believe Homes England can maximise its impact by delivering with and through Mayoral Strategic Authorities, local authorities and other partners, mobilising collective resources and leadership to really make a difference.”
Amy Rees, chief executive of Homes England, said: “I am delighted that Tom will be at the helm of a new team dedicated to building even stronger ties to deliver for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber. Local leaders and people know their regions best, and collaboration is vital to creating the new homes and thriving places that communities want and need.
“This is not a hollow statement; I stand by these words with absolute conviction and commitment. I want Homes England to be in full step North East, Yorkshire and Humber leaders and partners to deliver a shared endeavour of more homes, regenerated communities and local economic growth.”
Speaking about the five appointments made across the agency, Pat Ritchie, chair of Homes England, said: “I am encouraged by the strength of regional leadership we have secured, which will empower our teams to better connect investment and land with local priorities.
“Executive regiona
“This approach positions us to plan confidently for the long term and deepen relationships with Mayors, local leaders, housing associations, and developers, building on the 10 Strategic Place Partnerships already in place.
“From my own experience in local government, I know that when national and local partners work together with clear, shared leadership, we achieve the very best outcomes for local people and places.”
