Tom Stannard, a chartered surveyor and one of the cohort of regeneration-focused council officials who learned their trade under Sir Howard Bernstein’s shadow, is to become the new chief executive of Salford City Council.

Stannard, the current corporate director for regeneration and economic growth at Wakefield Council, will take on the role from 1 February 2021. He joined Wakefield in 2018 but will be known in Greater Manchester for his earlier role as director of economy and skills at Oldham Council.

Stannard will be the chief paid official at Salford, and work under the elected City Mayor, Paul Dennett. Dennett is a pragmatic council leader, who has managed to win praise from the left of his own party and the local business community, and Stannard’s brand of clear thinking, and reluctance to endorse the simple or clichéd view, will be welcome in Salford's city hall.

In Wakefield he has been closely involved in securing and delivering the £1.8B West Yorkshire devolution deal, and leading major programmes of growth and regeneration across the region, focusing on job creation, skills and progression, housing delivery and city centre regeneration.

Stannard is a chartered surveyor, sits on the board of the UK Institute of Economic Development and the Centre for Local Economic Strategies, and is a national spokesperson for economic prosperity and housing for SOLACE, the UK local government CEOs professional body.

His appointment is subject to ratification at a special meeting of the council on Wednesday 21 October 2020.