Senior civil servant Joe Montgomery has taken charge of regeneration in the Thames Gateway following the shock resignation of Judith Armitt this week.
The director general of regions and communities has assumed control of the Thames Gateway executive, the body charged with coordinating the delivery of 160,000 homes and 225,000 jobs in the Gateway by 2016.
In a letter sent to Thames Gateway stakeholders today Peter Housden, permanent secretary to the Department for Communities and Local Government, said CLG were “discussing Judith Armitt’s next move” following the “successful launch” of the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan.
Prime minister Gordon Brown launched the blueprint, which outlined £9bn of funding to be spent across the region in the next three years, at the Thames Gateway Forum two weeks ago.
Housden wrote: “Judith has made a tremendous contribution to the progress we have seen in the Gateway.
“Joe Montgomery will, as director general, regions and communities, now take direct responsibility for the Thames Gateway Executive and coordinate the work of government departments and agencies in the Gateway.
“Joe has a wealth of experience in regeneration and local government and will retain his seat on the Communities & Local Government Board in this role.”
