The Appointments and Disciplinary Committee of Croydon Council met on Monday 27 October 2025 to discuss the recruitment of an Interim Corporate Director of Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery. The committee unanimously approved the salary package for the role and agreed to undertake the selection process and make an appointment. Following this, the committee moved to exclude the press and public to discuss candidate details.

Recruitment to Interim Corporate Director of Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery

The committee unanimously approved the salary package for the position of Interim Corporate Director of Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery. The salary range for this Grade 5 role is between £159,866 and £169,403, as evaluated under the Hay Job Evaluation Scheme, and includes a 3.2% national pay award applicable from 1 April 2025. Alternatively, a day rate of £800 to £900, as set by the council's pay policy, could be offered.

The committee also agreed to undertake the selection process and make an appointment to this interim role. It was noted that any appointment would be subject to the council's standard notification process, as outlined in Section 3.3 of Part 4J of the Council's Constitution (Staff Employment Procedure Rules). This process ensures that the Executive Mayor and relevant Cabinet Members have no material or well-founded objections before an offer of appointment is made.

The role of Interim Corporate Director of Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery is a key position within the council's corporate management team. The postholder will be responsible for leading and managing a broad portfolio of services, including regeneration and growth, economic development, planning, street scene services, culture, and community services. They will also provide professional advice to the Executive Mayor and Cabinet on these matters. The appointment is intended to be on an interim basis, for an estimated six to nine months, pending wider council transformation.

The recruitment process is being conducted in partnership with executive search agents Gatenby Sanderson. The committee was informed that the salary costs, associated on-costs, and recruitment expenses would be met from the existing budget. The report also highlighted the legal framework governing such appointments, including the Localism Act 2011 and the council's Pay Policy Statement, which mandates that appointments above a certain threshold (£100,000) require a vote by elected members. The report also detailed the equalities implications, emphasizing the need for fairness, elimination of bias, and encouragement of applications from underrepresented groups.

Following the discussion of Part A of the report, Councillor Lynne Hale, Vice-Chair of the Committee and Chair for the day, proposed moving to Part B of the meeting. This part of the meeting, which involves the selection and interviews for the role, would be held in private, with the press and public excluded. This motion was seconded by Councillor Stuart King and agreed by the committee.