Publication Scheme

Roles and Responsibilities

Advance Northumberland is a wholly owned subsidiary of Northumberland County Council, set up under Section 95 Local Government Act 2003 as a Local Authority Trading Company. Northumberland County Council holds all the shares in Advance Northumberland.

Advance Northumberland was established for the commercial purpose of delivering Northumberland County Council’s Corporate Plan and Economic Strategy in November 2018. The Advance Northumberland Group brings together a number of subsidiary companies under the parent company – Advance Northumberland – delivering services in investment, housing, commercial business growth and physical development.

Advance Northumberland is governed by a Board drawn from public and private sectors.

Board members are responsible for:

• Ensuring that the Company has a clear strategic direction and vision and working closely with the Council and the Company’s senior management to set Advance Northumberland’s overall direction, policy, and plans.
• Ensuring that the Board performs effectively and efficiently as a collective entity, to direct and control the work of the Company and each subsidiary to ensure that it maximises output against its strategic objectives, quality of service and value for money.
• Upholding the values of Advance Northumberland, providing strategic direction and motivational leadership in the delivery of its business plans.
• Providing clear demarcation of governance between the Council Shareholder and the Company.

Articles of Association

The Advance Northumberland Articles of Association are currently under review and will be published once updated.

Board Membership

The Board comprises four non-executive independent directors (who are individuals with significant relevant business experience), two senior employees of Northumberland County Council, two Executive Directors of Advance Northumberland, and a non-executive Chair (an elected member of Northumberland County Council).

Cllr Jeff Reid – Non-Executive Chair of the Board: Jeff is the leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Northumberland County Council and represents Plessey ward in Blyth. Jeff was the Leader of the County Council between 2008 and 2013.

Andrew Moffat CBE - Non-Executive Director: Andrew is a Non-Exec Director at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust & Port of Tyne, CEO 2008-18. Andrew has over 13 years’ experience as a member of the board, Audit, Remuneration and Finance Committees whilst at Port of Tyne and Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust. Prior to this he gained extensive experience in senior positions in the mobile telecommunications sector, including Strategy Director at Orange and CFO at Three UK and Italy.

Adam McGhin - Non-Executive Director: Adam is a qualified solicitor in excess of 20 years, specialising in real estate, corporate and finance transactions. Adam has substantial experience in investment, property development, equity and debt capital markets transactions, and corporate governance.

Hilary Florek - Non-Executive Director: Hilary is a strategic communications and marketing specialist and is currently Chair of the Marine Management organisation, an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a position she took up in February 2018. Prior to this she was Chairman of the Port of Tyne for three years having served previously as Deputy Chairman. 

Iain Slater - Non-Executive Director: Iain is a successful, commercially focused and creative property professional, with over 30 years’ experience. Extensive experience gained in land development and brownfield site regeneration throughout the UK, including housing, retail, leisure, renewables, industrial, and office schemes.

Phil Hunter - Director of Strategy and Communications at Northumberland County Council

Kelly Gardner –Director of Strategic Change and Service Improvement at Northumberland County Council

Robin Earl – Group Executive Director at Advance Northumberland

William Thompson - Executive Director of Governance and Sustainability at Advance Northumberland

Board Minutes:

The publication of Board Minutes will be within 12 months of the meeting date. The aim of this is to lessen the impact of time and enable us to disclose more information. Individuals retain the right to make a Freedom of Information request at any time ahead of formal publication of minutes.

Senior Executives 

Robin Earl – Group Executive Director: Robin is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of the company and is accountable for the strategic direction, general management and performance of Advance Northumberland and its subsidiaries.

William Thompson - Executive Director of Governance and Sustainability: William is responsible for ensuring the appropriate legal and statutory governance of the group and leading the sustainability agenda across Advance Northumberland and its subsidiaries.

Michael Black - Director of Economic Growth & Investments: Michael is responsible for positioning Northumberland in the wider economy to ensure that economic growth opportunities are maximised to their full extent, ensuring a pipeline of regeneration activity is developed from project inception to completion.

Paul Errington - Director of Ascent Homes: Paul is responsible for driving commercial development and managing successful Ascent Homes schemes which are delivered to a high-quality, on time and on budget.

Andrew Mowbray - Director of Projects: Andrew is responsible for driving commercial development and managing successful Commercial schemes which are delivered to a high-quality, on time and on budget.

Organisational Structure

Senior Management Organisational Structure

Location and Contact Details

Wansbeck Workspace, Rotary Parkway, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 8QZ

enquiries@advancenorthumberland.co.uk

Gender Pay Gap Reporting

Advance Northumberland currently have a headcount below 250 employees and therefore are not required to report on Gender Pay Gap statistics, however, we aspire to report this from the 2024/25 financial year.

Group accounts can be accessed through Companies House here; https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11161983/filing-history

Expenditure

Each company within the Advance Group manages its expenditure independently. As each Company undertakes a different type of business activity, the typical expenditure profile varies for each entity within the Group. The bulk of expenditure for each of the individual entities is as follows:

Advance Northumberland (Commercial) Limited: Staff costs, consultancy/legal fees, and council tax/business rates

Advance Northumberland (Developments) Limited: Housing development and staff costs

Advance Northumberland (Housing) Limited: Property repairs and maintenance, staff costs and council tax/business rates

Advance Northumberland Limited: Staff costs

Staff Pay and Grading Structure

See separate ‘Senior Management Organisational Structure’ document

Advance Northumberland maintains information on staff pay. Reporting on the ‘pay multiple’ is not currently undertaken, however, we aspire to report this from the 2024/25 financial year.

Staff and board members’ allowances and expenses

Prior to the appointment of the current Non-Executive Directors in May 2023, board members could not claim allowances or expenses.

Since their appointment in May 2023, current Non-Executive Directors are remunerated at a flat rate of £10,000 per annum. Additional allowances and/or expenses cannot be claimed.

Staff members, excluding Non-Executive Directors, have access to the following employee benefits:

• Healthcare cash plan
• Employee Assistance programme
• Flu Jab
• Group life assurance
• Reduced cost gym membership
• Pension scheme
• Enhanced Family friendly policies
• Home electronics and Cycle to work scheme
• Flexible working options, including hybrid working

Capital Programme

Advance Northumberland own a large portfolio of property and land. As asset management strategy is currently in development which will, in turn, support the creation of a capital programme.

Procurement and tender procedures and reports

Procurement Policy

Advance Northumberland are seeking to create a page within this website to provide specific information to suppliers, including frequently asked questions and advertising available opportunities. We aspire to have this functional from the 2024/25 financial year. Please refer to the following website to search for current live opportunities to tender for work: https://procontract.due-north.com/Opportunities/Index?tabName=opportunities&resetFilter=True

List of contracts awarded and their value

Advance Northumberland maintain a contract register which will be published at the end of the financial year.