Oxford's regeneration chief to leave job with city (From The Oxford Times)

Oxford's regeneration chief to leave job with city

12:00pm Monday 7th March 2011 in News By Chris Buratta

Mel Barrett

REGENERATING one of the world’s most iconic and historic cities is not without its challenges.

Just ask Mel Barrett, Oxford City Council’s director of city regeneration, who departs later this month.

And, if balancing the needs of a 21st century city with the pressure to preserve its famous heritage were not challenge enough, his three year tenure coincided with the worst recession since the 1930s.

“We have brilliant architecture, parts of the High Street date from the 14th century. Part of our role is to protect and save but that is in the context of a living city,” he said.

“But we cannot wrap it in cotton wool. People have to have somewhere to live and work and places to go that interest and excite them.”

His to-do list since arriving in 2008 has included getting approval for the city’s development blueprint, which incl-udes the controversial plan for the Northern Gateway business park near Pear Tree, leading negotiations to keep the Westgate redevelopment afloat and building the first new council houses in the city for 25 years.

And he is proud of those achievements.

He also believes the council will have to be more innovative in future as the public sector tightens its belt, and that will not be without controversy.

The example he gives is the plan for St Clement’s car park: “We need to increase housing and if we can have more purpose-built student accommodation we take the pressure off in terms of shared rented houses. We can all agree that principle but it’s more contentious when you deal with a specific location.”

Leaving Oxford on his £109,000 salary for a more testing set of circumstances would be hard.

But Mr Barrett takes over as head of regeneration at the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham where projects will include a 6,000-home development at Earls Court, the arrival of Cross Link and a high speed rail interchange at Old Oak Common.

“They have very ambitious regeneration plans,” Mr Barrett said.

He hopes some of the planned Oxford developments will convince doubters that the city can expand, and with style.

“At Barton West (a 1,000-home development proposed by the council) there’s an opportunity to say ‘this is what a modern addition to the city looks like’,” he said.

Council leader Bob Price said: “Mel has done a superb job, we are disappointed to lose him, but we recognise he is a man of great talent and the job he is going to is even bigger than the one here in Oxford.”

The council has appointed David Edwards as interim executive director of regeneration and housing.

Mr Edwards’ previous roles have included director at the Homes and Communities Agency and regional director at English Partnerships.