ADEPT New President ‘a force for change’
David Bishop, Corporate Director for Development and Growth at Nottingham City Council has become the new President of ADEPT, the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport.
The Association represents Local Authority Strategi c Place Directors. Members have responsibility for all the key place based services so crucial to tran sforming communities including Transport, Environment, Planning, Economic Development, Highwa ys, Regeneration, Waste, Housing and Property. The new president is moving into his role after a n umber of years on the Association’s Management Board. David said:
“Firstly I’d like to thank our outgoing President, Steve Kent for his commitment and hard work over the past 12 months in what has b een another challenging year for the members of ADEPT. The landscape of Local Government service delivery continues to change dramatically. In order to assist Local Authorities in transforming their rura l communities, towns and cities and to enable the creation of sustainable local prosperity, ADEPT mem bers are having to be even more creative and resourceful.
“There are examples all over the cou ntry of success in the face of difficult obstacles. It is crucial that the importance of smart place based interventions and developing and maintaining the right 21 st century infrastructure to promote local growth are recognised and supported. To be of most use to our members, ADEPT will contin ue its own process of transformation. I want us to become a more effective national organisation, influencing Whitehall and government on all issues within the ADEPT arena, as well as being an invalua ble source of innovation and best practice for our colleagues.”
David is the first City Director of place based services to become President of ADEPT. As such he is well placed to understand the complexities of membe rs’ roles - providing coherent management of a broad spectrum of professional specialisms, and to guide ADEPT as it seeks to widen its membership from all types of Strategic Local Authority. A Chartered Civil Engineer, David has worked at the strategic level in Local Government since 2000. At Nottingham, a thriving Core City, he has had first- hand experience of delivering economic transformation and City Development post recession, and of what can be delivered through the City Deal process. With the Government’s Growth Deal app roach now extended to all Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas, the new President is well placed to steer the development of ADEPT’s policies.
David continued:
“Delivering local sustainable grow th is one of the most pressing challenges facing Local Authorities today. Much of ADEPT members’ work supports economic development, often in collaboration with neighbouring Authorities and in Local Enterprise Partnerships. It is recognised that ADEPT members are often crucial to the success of these relationships and so I am confident that I can help the Association grow in numbers and beco me an even more credible source of advice nationally”.
ADEPT is the voice of Local Authority County, Unitary and metropolitan Directors across England representing members throughout the country.