Homes England names interim chair

Pat Ritchie has been appointed as interim chair of Homes England. Ritchie has been chair of the Government Property Agency since 2020 and currently sits on the board of Homes England, where she helps oversee and implement the agency’s key priorities. She was also chief executive of Newcastle City Council and the Homes and Communities Agency. Her interim position is expected to last up to 18 months. Current chair, Peter Freeman, will step down from his position at the end of April after four years, as was announced in November last year. Freeman will focus his attention on his role as chair of the Cambridge Growth Company. Alongside Freeman, Homes England’s chief executive Peter Denton stepped down last year and was replaced by Eamonn Boylan as was revealed by Estates Gazette.  Housing and planning minister Matthew Pennycook said: “Pat commands considerable respect in the sector, brings a wealth of experience from previous roles, and is well-placed to ensure the agency is effectively supporting the government’s ambitious housing agenda.” Ritchie added: “I am proud to have been asked to step in as interim Homes England chair during this period of transformation. “The agency’s great strength is its people, who are passionate about regeneration and building strong communities, and we are focused on driving delivery to help achieve the government’s housing ambitions. “It is an honour to lead an organisation I have been so closely involved with for many years. We will work tirelessly with local leaders, housing associations, developers and investors to deliver the homes our country needs, building on strong foundations of place-based working and successful delivery laid by Peter Freeman.” Freeman said: “Pat and I have worked closely with colleagues on the board, which I’ve had the privilege of leading for the past four years – she is extremely well placed to take on the role of interim chair at such a pivotal and exciting moment for the agency.” Image from the GPA