QUESTIONS have been asked about the make-up of BCP Council’s urban regeneration company board.

Poole Local Group leader Cllr Mohan Iyengar has said he does not agree with the move to have no elected members on the board of BCP Future Places.

He asked the Conservative leadership at a cabinet meeting last month how the council would be able to keep effective control of the company’s operations.

He said: “This remains a council which is owned and the responsibility of elected members and elected members on behalf of residents, so nothing takes away the duty of elected members to ask the right questions and make sure things are done the right way nothing takes that responsibility away at all.”

However, Cllr Philip Broadhead said councillors will always have the final decision on Future Places proposals through cabinet and full council.

Future Places was on the agenda for a discussion on the proposed appointment of the company’s first chairman.

Councillors were asked to support appointing former head of the Civil Service Lord Kerslake to the position.

BCP Council deputy leader Cllr Broadhead said: “We had bold ambitions to try and get somebody of substance to be our independent chair of that council company but never in my wildest dreams did I think that we would be able to land somebody of the calibre of our recommendation here which is Lord Bob Kerslake, who has just a fantastic track record and is really highly-regarded, not just by government, but also by industry as well.

“The very fact that he has agreed to come and chair our municipally owned regeneration arm, which has already got extremely positive reaction from Homes England. I think they described us as an exemplar of how regeneration should be done in a local authority setting.

“But to do so and to land somebody like Bob shows the calibre of the team and I think the validation and credibility of what we are trying to do.”

Following the cancellation of last month’s full council meeting, BCP Council chief executive Graham Farrant used his delegated powers to formalise the appointment.

Cabinet members were told Lord Kerslake would be keen to have regular seminars with councillors and meetings with those elected members where Future Places schemes are being considered.

Future Places is the council-owned company currently working on 19 projects relating to development locations and themes selected by the local authority.

The appointment of Lord Kerslake will see Cllr Broadhead step down from the board.

Council leader Cllr Drew Mellor will also step down once two additional non-executive directors have been appointed.