It could well be the biggest job in Bristol for the next decade, and the search has now begun for the one person who is going to lead one of the biggest urban regeneration projects in the country.
The job is to be the independent chair of the Bristol Temple Quarter Board, a new company set up as a partnership between all the different public organisations who are involved in the massive regeneration scheme that stretches from the edge of Redcliffe to St Philips and Barton Hill – with Temple Meads station and the land ‘behind’ it at its heart.
The area covered is vast – 135 hectares – and the three organisations who set up the company are the city council and the West of England Combined Authority, along with Homes England, the Government’s land and development arm.
Also on board are the likes of Network Rail, which is set to formally join the LLP in the next few months, and GWR, along with the University of Bristol, which is already well on the way on creating a new campus right next to Temple Meads station.
The company goes by the unwieldy double acronym of BTQ LLP – Bristol Temple Quarter Limited Liability Partnership – but since it was declared an ‘Enterprise Zone’, its powers are many, with the green light to build around 10,000 new homes, create 22,000 new jobs and effectively mastermind a large new inner city residential suburb of Bristol, with new infrastructure, public and green spaces, and create 22,000 new jobs.
That’s the aim of the BTQ LLP, and it will be run by a board that contains representatives from those three different organisations – but they need someone independent to chair it.
The BTQ LLP said it wants to find an ‘individual who can provide strategic leadership at Temple Quarter and act as an ambassador for the programme’.
“The ideal candidate will have a close appreciation of Bristol and the West of England and a commitment to diversity and public service, as well as having the business acumen and commercial knowledge to oversee the long-term success of the programme,” a spokesperson said.
The job is for an initial three year term, and if you fancy it, you have until November 28 to apply. One man who won’t be applying is West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris – he’s not able to stand again as the metro mayor because he was elected to Parliament as an MP in July, and a new rule banning MPs from having second jobs – let alone third jobs – is about to come into force.
“Temple Quarter is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the region, driving growth in key sectors like quantum and Artificial Intelligence, and bringing the homes, jobs, skills and connectivity we need to unlock our potential,” Mr Norris said. “The Chair of the Board will be a key figure in driving the programme and ensuring residents of the West of England benefit from the transformational change we’re bringing,” he added.
Bristol City Council’s leader is Cllr Tony Dyer (Green, Southville). He said they are looking for someone with ‘commercial credentials’. “We’re looking for someone with the experience and expertise to drive Bristol Temple Quarter forward,” he said.
“Our ambition is to create a place that reflects Bristol and the region and delivers the homes and jobs we need. Alongside commercial credentials, we’re looking for someone who shares these aspirations for place-based regeneration that puts sustainable, inclusive growth at its heart,” he added.
The chief executive of Homes England, Peter Denton, said they were looking for a ‘national figure’. “Bristol Temple Quarter is arguably the biggest regeneration opportunity in the UK and Homes England is firmly behind it,” he said.
“We’re looking for a national figure who can be an ambassador for our vision for change – bringing real experience of delivery and political know-how to this critical role at a critical moment for the project,” he added.
Once in place, the new chair will work with the LLP to recruit four additional non-executive directors to the LLP Board, to sit alongside members from the three public sectors partners. “This will create a board with public and private sector expertise and experience across a range of disciplines from placemaking to finance, ensuring the effective governance of the West of England’s most significant regeneration programme,” a Temple Quarter spokesperson added.