Tower Hamlets Council has extended the engagement of Mark Norman, the interim Director of Governance, until 31 December, following a decision made at the Human Resources Committee meeting on Monday, 01 September 2025. The extension comes as the council addresses significant challenges including rapid population growth, rising house prices, a high number of households on the housing register, and the need to improve housing services.

Pauline Shakespeare, Head of HR, requested the extension, which was subsequently approved by the committee during a broader discussion on senior management recruitment aimed at tackling these issues. The council currently has over 29,000 households registered on the housing register1.

Ms. Shakespeare provided an update on the recruitment of senior management positions, noting that since the last committee meeting, permanent appointments have been made for the Director of Housing Property and Asset Management (Stephen Platt), the Director of Homelessness and Housing Options (Jennifer Winter), and the Strategic Director of Change and Improvement (Jonathan Lloyd).

Stephen Platt, as Director of Housing Property and Asset Management, will be responsible for driving the council's long-term asset management program. Jennifer Winter, the Director of Housing Options and Homelessness, will focus on the allocation of homes and tackling homelessness, particularly crucial given the increasing pressure on housing in the borough2.

She reported that recruitment is underway for several other key positions, including the Director of Public Protection and Integrated Enforcement, the Director of Regeneration and Development, the Director of Corporate Property and Estates, the Director of IT, and the Director of HR and OD. Representatives from the envoys have been invited to participate in the recruitment process for each post3.

In response to a question from Councillor Abdi Mohamed, Ms Shakespeare acknowledged the need to include more information on costs and timelines in future reports.

  1. The council faces significant upward pressure on house prices and private rents, with rents in the borough increasing by 8.5% in the last year. ↩

  2. The council is working to address insufficient homes to meet demand, regulatory requirements, and increasing homelessness. ↩

  3. The meeting information states that representatives from the envoys have been invited to participate and observe our recruitment process for each of the posts that have been, that I have talked about. However, the meeting information does not specify who the envoys represent. ↩