Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) chair appointments
The RFCC chair appointments have been announced
The Anglian (Eastern) RFCC chair and other RFCC chair reappointments have been announced.
Following a recruitment campaign the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Powell OBE as the new Anglian (Eastern) RFCC chair.
Richard’s appointment will run from 1 July 2021 for four years until 30 June 2025.
We have also reappointed six RFCC chairs for a further term when their current terms end on 30 June 2021. These appointments will run from 1 July 2021 until 30 June 2025, unless stated otherwise:
- Eddy Poll, chair of Anglian (Northern) RFCC
- Shirel Stedman, chair of English Severn and Wye RFCC
- Martin Hurst, chair of Southern RFCC
- Vij Randeniya, chair of Trent RFCC
- David Jenkins, chair of Wessex RFCC (until 31 August 2024)
- Colin Mellors, chair of Yorkshire RFCC
The appointment followed procedures set out in the Ministerial Governance Code for Public Appointments which came into force on 1 January 2017. There is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if significant) to be declared. Richard has not declared any significant political activity during the past five years.
RFCCs help to provide governance for the Environment Agency’s flood and coastal erosion risk management functions and cover all flood risks that are not the responsibility of the water companies. They have three main purposes:
- to ensure there are coherent plans for identifying, communicating and managing flood and coastal erosion risks across catchments and shorelines
- to promote efficient, targeted and risk-based investment in flood and coastal erosion risk management that optimises value for money and benefits for local communities
- to provide a link between the Environment Agency, lead local flood authorities, other risk management authorities, and other relevant bodies to engender mutual understanding of flood and coastal erosion risks in its area.
All chair posts attract a remuneration currently set at £17,941 for a commitment of five days per month.
Richard Powell OBE:
Richard is an environmental and charity advisor working on the climate change and sustainability agenda’s as well as charity business planning and governance.
Richard previously spent 28 years as Regional Director of the RSPB and Regional Director for the National Trust in the East of England. During this time, he oversaw the acquisition of 1,000’s of hectares of land and managed project teams to create over 10,000 hectares of new nature reserves.
Richard is Chair of Wild Anglia the Local Nature partnership for Norfolk and Suffolk and Chair of Norfolk and Suffolk European Structural and Investments Funds Committee, together with membership of the MHCLG National European Funding Programme Board representing all England’s Local Nature Partnerships on the Environment and sustainability. Richard is also a Trustee of Groundwork East and Buglife, Patron of the Papillion Project and Vice Chair of the Northumberland Water Customer Challenge Forum.
Richard was Chair of the Region’s Heritage Lottery Fund Committee for nine years, a Founding Board director for the East of England Development Agency working on regeneration of market towns, renewable energy, sustainability and rural affairs. Richard was also Chair of Sustainability East and the Sustainable Development Round Table before that, as well as Vice Chair of the Institute of Environmental Managers and Assessors.
Richard was awarded an OBE for his work in the environment and sustainability in June 2005 and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Managers and Assessors and awarded Charted Environmentalist status by the Institute of Environmental Managers and Assessors.