City leader gives fee to charity

James Brent said he will be pressing for change

A merchant banker spearheading a revival of the Plymouth economy is to give his fees to charity.

James Brent will be working two days a month as chairman of the new Plymouth City Development Company (CDC).

The figure for his fee was not immediately available, but the CDC will have a budget of £250,000 a year from the city council and the government.

Mr Brent, 42, said he would feel free to make unpopular decisions if he felt they were right.

He said at the launch of the CDC on Friday: "My remuneration will be contributed to charity and I will pay my own expenses.

"If Plymouth does not want to back change I will go and do something different.

"My motivation is to effect change."

'Quite inspirational'

The CDC has been created by the city council, government organisations English Partnerships and the South West Regional Development Agency (RDA).

Mr Brent, 42, from north Devon, will sit on a board which will also include American Paul Carroll as full-time chief executive.

Other members of the board will be Nick Buckland of the RDA, Jason Collard of builders Urban Splash, property developer Richard Handley and Mark Hawkins of Plymouth-based TV production firm Twofour.

Ian Potts of the Architects Design Group said after the launch: "My concern is that it is coming a little bit too late.

"With changes in the economy we needed to see this in place nearly three years ago.

"However, better late than never and we look forward to what they are going to achieve."

Kate Baber of IT firm Integrem said: "The future of Plymouth depends on having the right staff in place to drive the CDC forward.

"What I heard this morning was quite inspirational so I am very excited about it."