Birmingham City Council has today announced the appointment of Mark Barrow as its new strategic director of development.

Barrow, who is currently chief executive of Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council, will lead one of the largest planning, regeneration and development departments in the Europe.

He replaces Clive Dutton who quit the council in July 2009 to move to Newham council as part of the Olympic legacy project. Barrow signed his new job contract today and a start date is yet to be disclosed. The new senior management structure can be found here.

Councillor Mike Whitby, Birmingham council’s leader, said: “Recruiting the correct person to this role was of critical importance in helping us develop our economy, quality of life, global status and role as a regional leader, both now, and far into the future. We are therefore delighted to have identified a candidate which fits the role and the team so well.

“Mark has a clear track record in delivering challenging objectives in the public sector, whilst maintaining a strategic oversight of the challenges before him. What impressed me, and the selection panel, particularly was his passion and undoubted ability.

“By combining the established strengths of our vision, international influence and civic leadership, with his pedigree for successful implementation, I am confident we have a team which will drive forward this city’s decade of delivery.”

Barrow’s official responsibilities will include:

• Providing strategic management to enable the economic success of Birmingham through the successful delivery of the city’s regeneration, development, planning, transportation strategy and climate change functions
• Ensuring economic vision and plans are implemented effectively lead to tangible benefits ‘on the ground’
• Liaising with central government and the private sector to secure new models for partnership working and funding
• Managing key stakeholder, business and partner relationships, in particular with respect to the City Region and council’s response to government’s proposals on Local Enterprise Partnerships
• Redesigning services, where necessary, to ensure they are best suited to achieving results in the current economic and political climate.

Barrow, 44, said: “I am really looking forward to playing my part in helping Birmingham establish itself as a city which is economically strong, culturally rich and physically attractive.

“The city’s leadership has developed an exciting vision for the future, and I believe my skills and experience will perfectly compliment those already in place to ensure this ambition can be translated into reality.”

He spent six years in the early 1990s working for Birmingham City Council as a senior surveyor, and more recently has led reviews across the UK examining public-private partnership funding.

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