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Housing committee endorses selection of Homes England chair if he resigns from developer’s board
The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Select Committee has endorsed Peter Freeman to become the next chair of Homes England subject to his resignation from firms that could present a conflict of interest.
Following an interview with the HCLG Committee earlier in the week, Peter Freeman has been endorsed by MPs to run the government’s housing delivery agency.
The endorsement was made under the proviso that Mr Freeman resigns from the board of property developer Argent – which he co-founded – and divests his financial interests from Mayfield Market Towns, a joint venture with Clarion housing association.
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When asked by MPs on Monday whether he would sell his stake in Mayfield, Mr Freeman said he would do so but not immediately, to “a very substantial loss”.
The committee said: “We also wish to make sure he divests himself of any other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests that might benefit from Homes England support in the future. We believe this is necessary to avoid any accusations of conflicts of interests, whether real or perceived.”
According to the HCLG endorsement document, Mr Freeman will earn £95,000 with a time commitment of up to two days a week.
Mr Freeman will take over from Simon Dudley, who has been interim chair following the resignation of Sir Edward Lister. Sir Edward resigned from the role to become prime minister Boris Johnson’s chief strategic advisor.
