Over the past two years, AVA has successfully developed a vital role in overseeing and managing the growth agenda for Aylesbury and its surrounding Vale and through well managed partnership working has been instrumental in supporting and promoting a wide range of economic, housing, infrastructure and related community schemes. This autumn spans a period of structural change and expansion of role for Aylesbury Vale Advantage Ltd (AVA), the Local Delivery Vehicle for the Aylesbury Vale area.
AVA’s Managing Director since its formation in 2005 Gregory Lomax, has recently retired and his role has been taken up by Richard Harrington, formerly Area Director and on secondment from English Partnerships.
Greg who came to AVA with a wealth of experience in Social Housing and Urban regeneration had overseen the of AVA as an influential and effective body, helping to nurture close partnership working and effective consultation as a firm basis for planned and coordinated local growth and redevelopment .
Greg’s successor, Richard Harrington’s career path has straddled both sides of the regeneration fence. His earlier roles as a Chartered Town Planner and Chartered Surveyor have been followed by a variety of regeneration roles including positions at the East Midlands Development Agency and more recently English Partnerships, where he developed and managed a programme of growth in town centre regeneration initiatives and major strategic projects.
‘I am delighted to succeed Greg Lomax as Managing Director of AVA and I’m greatly looking forward to helping Aylesbury meet its potential,’ comments Richard, ‘a recent review of both our operations and Board structure has generated a busy future programme based on a new business plan which sets out clear priorities for the AVA team and the individual programme groups to implement'.
A great deal of preparatory and planning work has already been undertaken but our future priorities will focus on delivery, partner engagement, alignment of growth and regeneration priorities with MKSM.
In addition it is vital that to ensure that we attract more investment into sustainable employment and residential opportunities across our local area.’
Changes have also been made to the structure and composition of AVA‘s Strategic Board reflecting AVA’s future role and aims. Membership has been reduced to 13 full members with representation from all the key stakeholders plus
two new members to represent the private sector’ Adrian Brown, MD of land developers Berkleys Strategic and Adrian Shooter, MD of Chiltern Railways.
Since its inception, AVA’s driving ethos has been to promote Aylesbury as ‘a great place to live and work’ and the last 12 months in particular have witnessed the focusing of AVA’s efforts in addressing issues and initiatives across the broad spectrum of economic, infrastructure and social development resulting in a solid set of achievements that help to meet these aims.
In particular a number of grant funded, high profile civic, infrastructure, housing and economic development projects and initiatives have already commenced or are in advanced planning stages, lending momentum to the growth agenda.
In addition to these positive outcomes AVA in cooperation with its key stakeholders, AVDC, Bucks CC, English Partnerships, SEEDA and the Bucks PCT, has established four programme teams to support and drive forward its operational objectives for Housing, the Town Centre Vision, Infrastructure (including health, community and social provision) and the Environment.
To build on progress to date, AVA has set itself five priorities for 2008:
Projects to look out for over the next 2 – 3 years include:
ENDS.
For further information please contact:
Kathy Russell, Project & Development Officer, AVA 01296 585777
kathy.russell@aylesburyvaleadvantage.co.uk
Editor’s Notes:
Aylesbury Vale Advantage Ltd (AVA) is a partnership formed from Aylesbury Vale District Council; Buckinghamshire County Council; The Vale of Aylesbury Primary Care Trust; SEEDA (South East England Development Agency); and English Partnerships.
