DCLG reunion at Cheshire LEP

Mark Livesey, housing and planning advisor at Department for Communities & Local Government, will join the Cheshire & Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership in July as deputy to chief executive and ex-DCLG director Philip Cox.

Livesey’s civil service career has included serving as the private secretary to the leader of the House of Lords and successive housing and planning ministers.

More recently he has been responsible for coastal communities, high streets and town centres. He set up and launched the Great British High Street Competition, which saw Hoole in Chester go on to win the best newcomer award in 2015.

Livesey is currently heading up the Government’s £2.3bn Starter Homes programme, which aims to deliver 200,000 units by 2020.

Philip Cox joined Cheshire LEP from DCLG in July 2014. He worked in economies and regeneration with responsibility for iomplementing the Coalition-commissioned Heseltine Review and monitoring European Regional Development Fund spending in the North West.

Cox said: “Mark’s appointment is a significant step forward for the LEP in delivering our growth plans for the Cheshire and Warrington economy. We have an ambitious and challenging vision of delivering a £50bn economy by 2040, with a wide range of work already underway to support our aims, and Mark’s skills and experience will be crucial in helping to drive this forward.”