John Richards has been appointed as the non-executive chairman of the Torbay Development Agency.

Richards is the former chief executive of Hammerson and is currently president of the British Property Federation.

Richards said: “My roots are here in the West Country, and this is the perfect chance for me to ‘put something back’.”

Chief executive Steve Parrock said: “Torbay will certainly benefit from having an advocate who will help raise the profile of the area on a national and international stage.”

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