The head of the body charged with transforming Milton Keynes into a major regional city by 2031 has announced he is to resign next year.
Sir Bob Reid will step down as chair of the Milton Keynes Partnership Committee (MKPC), a sub-committee of national regeneration quango English Partnerships, at the end of March 2008 following four years in the post.
During his chairmanship, Sir Bob oversaw the creation of the Milton Keynes roof tax, a model for raising money from developers to pay for infrastructure that could be extended across the country from 2009.
So far £17m of the tariff payments have been spent on expanding Milton Keynes hospital and improving the city’s railway station.
He also oversaw the establishment of the MKPC Business Plan and, through his work chairing MKPC’s planning sub committee, has dealt with the outline approval of applications for more than 11,500 new homes.
The former British Rail chairman and deputy chairman of the Bank of Scotland and Avis Europe was appointed in 2004 for a three year term, which was extended by a further year.
Sir Bob said: “I feel the time is right to bow out to concentrate on my other interests at a time when, I hope, I leave MKPC in a healthy state and ready to face an exciting future.”
English Partnerships will begin the process of recruiting a successor for Sir Bob in the New Year.
