Ofwat makes London move to lure new chief

The water utilities regulator Ofwat will let its next chairman work from London, having previously failed to lure suitable candidates to succeed Philip Fletcher at its Birmingham base. Mr Fletcher had to delay his departure date to July after a seven-month search for his replacement was ditched last year after just one appropriate candidate was found – reportedly the then-Postcomm chair Millie Banerjee. Public sector rules require at least two suitable applicants. An industry source said that the problem was the pay for a three-day week, £84,000, coupled with an insistence that the chairman work in Birmingham. The search has been relaunched, with the salary now £100,000 and locating the chairman closer to London.