15 Dec Mayor appoints new board and planning committee members to Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has made three major new appointments to the Board and Planning Committee of his West London development corporation, responsible for delivering London’s largest development opportunity.
Matthew Carpen, Managing Director of Barking Riverside joins OPDC’s Board. Anne Ogundiya, Head of Development Management at the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and Sarah Coutts, Head of Design & Planning at Barking Riverside join OPDC’s Planning Committee.
All three appointments bring extensive senior experience in major regeneration projects across London and will support the delivery of tens of thousands of affordable homes and jobs in Old Oak and Park Royal.
Matthew Carpen has 20 years’ delivering significant and complex regeneration schemes. As Managing Director of Barking Riverside, one of London’s most ambitious and challenging sites, Matthew leads the successful delivery of 10,800 homes, new railway, commercial space, health and leisure centre and open spaces on the banks of the River Thames.
As well as spearheading project delivery, Matthew is leading its legacy by establishing and chairing a new Community Interest Company to improve community engagement, transparency and communications to support residents and businesses.
Anne Ogundiya is an experienced town planner, delivering major developments in East London. Now Head of Development Management at LLDC, Anne previously worked for the Olympic Delivery Authority as part of the 2012 Olympic Games and was responsible for securing planning permission for Aquatics Centre and delivering the Velodrome in the Queen Elizabeth Park.
Sarah Coutts’ experience spans public and private sector housing investment, regeneration, planning and development. At Barking Riverside, Sarah leads a team of architects and planners from design to planning approval, working on the masterplan and bespoke projects. In her role at the Greater London Authority, Sarah was responsible for the delivery of £44m in investment and over 1,900 homes in Tottenham Hale and £35m in investment and over 3,300 homes in Romford.
Liz Peace, Chair of OPDC’s Board said: “We are thrilled to welcome Matt, Anne and Sarah, who join OPDC at an exciting time. With our Local Plan now in place, we are progressing plans to deliver a new,
welcoming, and inclusive urban district in the heart of West London – maximising the benefits of the unrivalled connectivity of HS2 and the new Old Oak Common station.
“Their extensive experience will be invaluable in helping us to deliver thousands of new
affordable homes and jobs and make a significant contribution to London’s role as a
global city.”
Matthew Carpen, Managing Director, Barking Riverside and OPDC Board member says: “This is an exciting time to be joining the Board of OPDC. I have followed the project over the years from its early days as an Opportunity Area, so it is an honour to be able to contribute as the project moves from its planning stages into delivery. The ambition and investment is unrivalled, so I am looking forward to working with OPDC to bring some of my knowledge to this part of London to create a major new destination here – one that will support locals, Londoners and beyond for generations to come.”
Anne Ogundiya, Head of Development Management, LLDC and OPDC Planning Committee said: “Old Oak and Park Royal offers so many exciting regeneration opportunities. There are parallels to draw between regeneration in east London and what’s planned in Old Oak, and I’m looking forward to joining OPDC’s Planning Committee to help create places that benefit the people who live, work, and visit there.”
Sarah Coutts, Head of Design & Planning, Barking Riverside and OPDC Planning Committee said: “I’m looking forward to joining OPDC’s Planning Committee to be part of one of the capital’s most exciting regeneration projects, using learnings and knowledge gained from Barking Riverside, to help drive the very best practice in sustainability, design and placemaking at Old Oak and Park Royal.”