Brannen makes West Yorkshire switch

After 22 years with Leeds City Council, the last 11 as head of regeneration, Adam Brannen will leave at the end of this year to become Bradford Council’s assistant director for economy and development.

Posting on LinkedIn, Brannen spoke of “incredibly mixed emotions”.

He continued: “Definitely the right time for me to make the move – Bradford has an incredibly exciting change vision, both as a local authority and as a city and I can’t wait to get started there, definitely a city on the rise!

“But I’m leaving Leeds on the cusp of another great step forward in its own transformation and I’m incredibly proud to have played my own small part in that – a major urban extension, economic development, massive infrastructure projects, neighbourhood regeneration, housing growth, affordable housing delivery, a potential New Town, an ambitious growth strategy with new regeneration partnerships, new funding and financing tools in the offing, new systems thinking across housing, place and health, great collaborations and relationships with investors, developers and stakeholders across our key economic sectors and a fantastic team of colleagues not just in my own service but right across the Council, who I will really, really miss.”

Public and private sector figures including LCC deputy chief executive Mariana Pexton and Trinity Leeds mastermind Gerald Jennings were among those posting their best wishes to Brannen online, Jennings thanking Brannen for his work on the Morley Town Deal – chairing the town deal board being one of Jennings’ roles, along with chairing Social.

Brannen concluded: “I hope my Leeds network will extend into Bradford as its development and growth comes forward but I look forward to new connections there. And let’s work together to get that tram sorted!”