You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Board shake-up at Norfolk housing association as three members retire
Norfolk-based housing association Saffron Housing Trust has undergone a board shake-up, with three of its members retiring from the organisation.
The 6,000-home organisation has seen Tony Hall, current chief executive at Freebridge Community Housing; Alan Humphreys, former chief executive of Grand Union Housing Group; and Saffron tenant Peggie Phinn retire from the board this week, after reaching their agreed dates for end of their terms.
Mr Hall will also leave his role as director of Saffron Housing Finance, a subsidiary of Saffron.
He was brought in January last year as a co-opted board member just after the regulator criticised Saffron for failing to demonstrate “an effective approach to reporting, quantification and management of key risks”. Mr Humphreys joined the board in March last year.
Saffron was originally declared non-compliant in October 2016, when then-chief executive Adam Ronaldson and Stephen Flowitt-Hill, director of housing and finance, both resigned over failing to appoint board members properly.
In December last year, it was upgraded for governance from G3 to G2, with the regulator praising the board for setting out a clear vision for the organisation.
A Saffron spokesperson said: “Mr Hall’s role at Saffron was always a time-limited arrangement to assist us in our return to regulatory compliance.
“Tony remains as the chief executive officer of Freebridge Community Housing and his retirement from Saffron has no influence or relation with his role at Freebridge.”
Ms Phinn has retired after reaching her maximum nine-year term on the board. Emma Rose, a university lecturer, and Neil Watts, a former board member of Ofqual, have been brought in as replacements on the board.
In May, Saffron recruited James Francis as its new chief executive from Southern Housing Group, where he was director of finance, IT, HR and governance.
