OPDC chair steps down after seven years

Liz Peace is to step down as chair of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation in November after seven years. Appointed in 2017 by the mayor of London, Peace has been overseeing the regeneration of the Old Oak and Park Royal Opportunity Area, where more than 25,000 homes and 56,000 jobs are planned around the HS2 station at Old Oak Common, NW10. Under Peace’s tenure, the OPDC has worked with national government, securing £240m in public sector funding to acquire strategic sites in Old Oak and unlock 70 acres of brownfield development land. The OPDC is bringing forward plans for 9,000 new and affordable homes and tens of thousands of jobs, shops, services, and public open space, in the heart of the OPDC area, creating a new canalside district for London. Prior to her appointment as OPDC Chair, Peace was chief executive of the British Property Federation and subsequently took up several non-executive roles, chairing the Government Property Agency,  property industry diversity charity Real Estate Balance and the sponsor board for the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Programme. She currently chairs the University of Cambridge Property Board, is senior Independent governor for the RICS and sits on the boards of Howard de Walden Estates, Greencore Homes and AEW REIT. Recruitment for a new OPDC chair will begin this month. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “As chair of one of London’s largest and most important regeneration projects, Liz has played a key part in the city’s prosperity and future growth. Her leadership has laid the foundations for the success of Old Oak and Park Royal, ready to deliver tens of thousands of affordable homes for Londoners. As OPDC embarks on a new and exciting chapter to secure major investment and growth for the capital, I wholeheartedly thank Liz for all her work and wish her every best wish for the future.” Peace added: “After a wonderful seven years, the time has come for me to step down as chair of OPDC. I am immensely proud of the incredible work that OPDC has done and continues to do to create a new district for London, unparalleled in its inclusivity and sustainability – a real place for real Londoners. But now is the time to invite a fresh perspective to drive the corporation forward as it starts the search for development and investment partners to deliver this incredible urban transformation.”