Shropshire Council appoints new assistant director for homes and communities
Shropshire Council has appointed Jane Trethewey as its assistant director for homes and communities, within the council’s Place directorate. She will take up her role with Shropshire Council on 10 August.
Jane – who has lived in Shropshire since 2014 – is currently Assistant Director for Housing Development at Birmingham City Council, heading up the service which delivers an ambitious council house-building programme of 3000 homes for sale and rent, as well as the city’s private rented housing company InReach.
Jane will have particular responsibility for Shropshire Council’s housing strategy, for its new housing company Cornovii Developments, for Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing (STaR) – the council’s arms-length housing provider – for the housing revenue account, and for leisure, culture and tourism.
Prior to her role with Birmingham City Council, Jane was central to the establishment and success of Wolverhampton City Council’s WV Living housing company, and set up the council’s first housing delivery programme in over 30 years. She also led the delivery of the council’s first community-based supported living schemes in decades, working in partnership with Adult Social Care.
Jane said:
“I am excited to have the opportunity to work with partners and communities across Shropshire to strengthen the support we provide through all of our services. It is now more important than ever to recognise and value the contributions our communities make to Shropshire life and vitality, as we respond to the challenges and opportunities ahead of us.”
Mark Barrow, executive director of place with Shropshire Council, said:
“I’m delighted to welcome Jane to Shropshire Council and know that she will be a huge asset to the council. This is a really exciting time for Jane to be joining us, and her knowledge and experience will be invaluable. Our new housing company Cornovii will shortly begin building houses, as will STaR Housing, we’re soon to make a decision about the future development of swimming provision in Shrewsbury, we’re setting in place new leisure contracts, redesigning library services, and – crucially – looking at ways to drive tourism in the face of the current recession.
“I wish Jane every success in her new role and look forward to working with her.”
Before relocating to Shropshire in 2014 Jane spent over 20 years working for a number of London councils and housing associations, in a variety of roles that included housing development, housing regeneration, housing strategy and housing management functions, as well as working closely with housing associations and funders to enable new affordable homes to be built.