How much of the South Hams will now be swallowed up for the expansion of Plymouth and its free port?

The signal lies in just one word. Before appointment the job title was changed  from “strategic director for place” to “strategic director for growth”. You have been warned!

Karime Hassan is remembered in East Devon as being at the forefront of the “build, build, build” administration, in particular, the architect of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan which dumped much of Exeter’s housing needs on the green fields of East Devon. 

He was appointed Corporate Director in EDDC in 2005, the same year as the influential (unaccountable and infamous) East Devon Business Forum was formed. He was also the main driving force behind “setting Devon’s first free-standing settlement to be built in Devon since the Middle Ages on its way” (Cranbrook). Leaving us with continuing legacy problems regarding housing targets.

In 2011 he joined Exeter City Council as the Director of Economy and Development after about six months of sharing his time between Exeter and East Devon. In 2013, controversially, he was appointed both Chief Executive and Growth Director of Exeter City Council. [His exploits are extensively recorded in the EDW archives].

Plymouth hires retired Exeter City Council boss on £1,000 a day

Miles Davis www.bbc.co.uk

The former chief executive of a city council who retired in 2023 has landed a new job with a different council being paid an estimated £1,000 a day.

Karime Hassan MBE left Exeter City Council in March 2023.

He has now been hired by Plymouth City Council as the interim strategic director for growth.

Plymouth City Council has not disclosed Mr Hassan’s salary but a council report said, external there was a “shortage of high-quality candidates” for this type of role and the market rate was between £1,000 and £1,300 a day.

In his previous job as chief executive and growth director at Exeter, Mr Hassan was paid an annual salary of more than £123,000.

Exeter City Council announced his retirement in December 2022, external, saying he was leaving after “a golden decade”.

Exeter City Council accounts show, external he received £369,680 from the council in 2022/23, made up of his salary, compensation for loss of office of £60,877 and employer’s pension contributions of £185,125.

The chief officer appointments panel on Plymouth City Council agreed in August, external that an interim strategic director for growth should be “engaged initially for six months, but with the option to extend to nine months pending the permanent appointment to the role”.

A spokesman for the city council said the pay rates in the appointments panel report were “indicative” and did not necessarily mean the role was being paid for on a daily rate.

The council said the pay band for the role was an annual salary of £136,920 to £163,904.

The employment of Mr Hassan follows the departure of Anthony Payne from his role as strategic director for place – the name of the role was changed to strategic director for growth ahead of the new appointment.

The chief executive of Plymouth City Council, Tracey Lee, was paid £184,773 with additional pension contributions of £32,356 in 2023/24 according to the council’s annual accounts, external.