Birmingham loses regeneration chief Clive Dutton to Olympics
Mr Dutton said the lure of working in an area set to be transformed by the Olympics was too strong a pull to resist. He said: “There are very few jobs in the world that would have enticed me away from Birmingham, a city I genuinely love, but the draw of helping to shape the country’s Olympic legacy was one I simply could not turn down. I want to help ensure Newham maximises opportunities created by the 2012 Games, Crossrail, London City Airport and Stratford International Station, and am looking forward to the challenge of making the sort of lasting difference to that area that the council’s work in Birmingham is making.
“While I will be sad to leave Birmingham, I believe the momentum of the regeneration programme we have established in recent years will continue into the future, and I will take a keen interest in seeing them brought to fruition.”
Mr Dutton, 56, has spent more than 30 years in planning and urban regeneration in the public, private and voluntary sectors. He worked as a special adviser on regeneration issues for central government on the Urban White Paper and economic aspects of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. Last month he was presented with the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Regeneration in the West Midlands’ award at the 2009 Property Week awards.
Newham council’s chief executive Joe Duckworth said: “Nowhere else in the UK is undergoing transformation on the scale of Newham – and it is not just about hosting the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Our borough has huge potential for investment, growth and greater prosperity. For Newham the only way is up and we are delighted to have someone of Clive’s calibre joining us.”
