The Appointments and Disciplinary Committee met to discuss the extension of the term of the Independent Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee, and to agree the salary packages for four director posts. The committee agreed to recommend to full council that the term of Dr Olu Olasodi as chair of the Audit and Governance Committee be extended for a further two years. They also approved the salary packages and shortlisting processes for the Director of Property, Procurement and Capital, the Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration, the Director of Streets and Environment, and the Director of Assets and Repairs.

Extension of Term for Independent Chair of Audit & Governance Committee

The committee voted to recommend to full council that the term of Dr Olu Olasodi as chair of the Audit and Governance Committee be extended for a further two years.

Allister Bannin, Director of Finance, introduced the report, highlighting Dr Olu Olasodi's experience and the stability his continued service would provide. According to the Public Reports Pack, Dr Olasodi has over 32 years of executive leadership experience and 25 years as a non-executive director and audit/governance chair across healthcare, social care, housing, community, and private sector organisations.

Councillor Jason Cummings sought clarification on the proposed extension, as he recalled the Audit and Governance Committee discussing a four-year extension, rather than the two years presented. Allister Bannin clarified that Dr Olasodi had proposed the two-year extension himself.

Councillor Stuart King, Leader of the Opposition, questioned whether informing the committee of the decision constituted proper consultation, suggesting it felt more like notification. He also noted the absence of performance metrics in the report, which he felt weakened the case for extending the appointment. He said:

I'm not sure we're being presented with something that is a sort of strong, clear case for extending a public appointment for a further two years without looking at other options and candidates.

Allister Bannin responded that external audit had not raised any concerns regarding governance arrangements and that the external audit report rated governance as amber. He also noted that stronger links had been developed between the Audit and Governance Committee and the Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Cummings stated that Paul Dossett from Grant Thornton, the external auditors, had said that Croydon's governance procedures around the audit function were in the top 25% of councils. He also noted that it would be unlikely to find someone with Dr Olasodi's experience and knowledge of Croydon's recent history.

Councillor Enid Mollyneaux, Shadow Cabinet Member for Community Safety, and Councillor Callton Young OBE, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, supported the view that the report needed to be strengthened before being presented to full council.

Director Appointments

The committee approved the salary packages and agreed to undertake the selection process for four director posts:

• Director of Property, Procurement and Capital
• Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration
• Director of Streets and Environment
• Director of Assets and Repairs

For each of these roles, Dean Shoesmith, Chief People Officer, introduced the report, outlining the grading and salary package. Katherine Kerswell, Chief Executive, and Nazeya Hussain, Corporate Director of Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery, spoke to the strategic context and importance of the roles. Susmita Sen, Corporate Director of Housing, spoke to the importance of the Director of Assets and Repairs role.

The salary range for each post is £129,900 to £135,064 per annum, which includes a 3.2% pay increase effective from 1 April 2025.

The committee agreed to move to Part B of the meeting to discuss the shortlisted candidates.

Director of Property, Procurement and Capital

According to the Report Dir of Property ProcurementCapital, this role is responsible for leading a division made up of five key teams: Facilities Management and Asset Management; Procurement and Contract Management; Capital Delivery and Capital Replacement; Commercial Management; and the Health and Safety Team. The directorate manages an asset base of approximately 900 assets with an estimated value of £900 million. The postholder will be responsible for the implementation of the asset disposal programme and the management of the council's commercial assets.

Katherine Kerswell noted that the role demands substantial commercial acumen and governance expertise, given the range of companies owned by the council. She also noted that the postholder must possess not only commercial insight but also a strong understanding of community engagement.

Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration

According to the Report Dir PlanSustReg, this role is responsible for a range of services that are critical to the long-term place shaping and inward investment across the borough, including development management, spatial planning, strategic transport, building control, and employment, skills & economic development. The postholder will be responsible for planning and sustainable regeneration activities including spatial and strategic transport planning, creating inclusive communities, district centre development and housing-led regeneration, building control, development management, economic growth and recovery, post-16 job skilling, adult learning and employment opportunities.

Nazeya Hussain stated that the role was critical to positioning Croydon in line with its growth ambitions and delivering the £40 million regeneration programme, including the town centre.

Director of Streets and Environment

According to the Report Director of StreetsEnvir, this role is responsible for a directorate made up of five key teams: Environment Services and Sustainable Neighbourhoods; Highways and Traffic; Parking; Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Licensing; and Independent Travel including SEND and fleet management. The role holder has responsibility for many public-facing operational services which impact on residents, businesses, and visitors' experience of the borough.

Nazeya Hussain explained that the role was one of the council's most critical outward-facing positions, with services that impact every resident. These include enforcement and regulatory services, traffic management, highways, structural and capital programmes, the SEND fleet, leadership on net zero and climate change initiatives, as well as parks and open spaces.

Director of Assets and Repairs

According to the Report Director of Assets and Repairs, this role will be the professional lead for the continuous improvement and development of the responsive repairs service for Croydon Council tenants and leaseholders, ensuring that the council delivers its promises under the Resident Charter and Customer Service Standards. The post holder will lead the division charged with accountability for the effective planning of the Housing Asset Management strategy, capital delivery and the Building Safety and Compliance teams responsible for the safety of and compliance of our assets.

Susmita Sen stated the role was critical through being responsible for housing assets procurement, a whole range of maintenance and asset functions, all council housing and oversight of temporary accommodation. The post holder would also play a pivotal role in leading council engagement with the regulators for both social housing and building safety.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The committee voted to exclude the press and public from the remainder of the meeting, as the remaining items involved the likely disclosure of exempt information.