The body delivering jobs, homes and investment in one of the UK’s most important growth areas has made a new senior appointment.

West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) has appointed Chris Garden as director of regeneration and development. Working with local councils, he will be responsible for the delivery of WNDC’s plans for regeneration in Northampton, Daventry and Towcester. The appointment follows the restructuring of WNDC by its new chief executive, Peter Mawson.

It also follows the outcome of WNDC’s quinquennial review by the government, which has seen the Corporation strongly endorsed as a strategic body focusing on increasingly large development schemes.

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Chris has over two decades of experience in successfully executing regeneration projects in many urban areas across the UK, including managing multi-million pound regeneration funding programmes.

He joined WNDC in 2006 as head of regeneration, responsible for securing development funding and leading the delivery of several key projects, including the redevelopment of Castle Railway Station. Prior to this, Chris was regeneration manager at Northampton Borough Council, where among his responsibilities he managed key components for the regeneration of Northampton town centre.

Peter Mawson, WNDC’s chief executive, said: “Chris’s expertise in delivering high profile projects and securing funding will be crucial in helping us achieve our regeneration goals, which are vital to the region’s future economic growth.”

Chris was previously head of regeneration and economic development at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council. Achievements included leading on the development of Camp Hill Urban Village and the redevelopment of a former open cast coal mine with a private developer to create Nuneaton’s principal industrial development. He also secured funding for the regeneration of Keresley, a mining village directly affected by colliery closure.

(GK)