The first casualties of the Housing Corporation’s decision to axe its regional director posts have emerged, after the expiry of the period for directors to express interest in new roles
Heather Mytton-Sanneh, the corporation’s director for the West Midlands and Nigel Armstrong, director for the north east have announced that they will not be putting themselves forward for the new posts.

The Housing Corporation’s internal shake-up, revealed last month, will replace seven existing regional directors with four directors of investment and four directors of regulation (Housing Today, 28 September). The corporation says the change reflects its increasingly complex investment and regulation agendas.

The regional network will be extended with two new offices, which may be located in Newcastle and Cambridge. Directors were promised ringfenced interviews for the new roles.

But Mytton-Saneh said: "The new posts will be somewhat different than my current role, not least in terms of the geographic responsibility".

"I really don’t think it would be fair to either my family or indeed the corporation for me to take on a role that potentially could require travelling greater distances, involve many late nights or overnight stays. I have therefore decided not to apply for any of the new director jobs. I will be talking to the corporation over the next few months about my future".

The internal shake-up is part of what the corporation has called a move into a new era. The changes also involve the rationalisation of performance standards, and the transfer of the grants bidding process on-line.

A Corporation spokeswoman said: "Two people have made it public that they will not be putting themselves forward, for the others it would not be appropriate for the Housing Corporation to comment".

She said the size and conditions of any redundancy package would depend on personal circumstances and negotiations.

The new field directors will take their posts on 1 April.

Source

Housing Today