Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, has announced chair Peter Freeman and chief executive Peter Denton will be stepping down from their roles after four years leading the agency together.

Denton will be moving on in the new year and Peter Freeman will hand over to his successor when the recruitment of a new chair is completed later next year.

Eamonn Boylan has been appointed interim chief executive. He has more than 42 years of experience in public sector roles and his career has included being the deputy chief executive of Manchester City Council, chief executive of Stockport Council and deputy chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency - a predecessor of Homes England. He will join the agency from January 15.

Peter Freeman said: “The agency has a vital role managing many of the government’s interventions to accelerate housing and regeneration across the country by supporting our partners in local government, affordable housing and housebuilding.

“It has been a privilege chairing the organisation since 2020 and working closely with our partners and incredible staff operating from offices across the country.

“Under Peter Denton’s leadership, despite economic headwinds, the agency has met its targets and increasingly demonstrated its pivot back to a place-based organisation.

“I look forward to continuing to lead the agency until my successor is appointed and will then focus my attentions on my role as chair of the Cambridge Growth Company."

Peter Denton added: Our work together at the agency as ‘the Peters’ has reflected a period of intense activity and achievement for the agency.

“We successfully navigated the transition to being a fully-fledged and empowered housing and regeneration Agency delivering strongly, especially in affordable housing, and initiating many catalytic regeneration projects throughout the country.

“The agency is excited to help the government realise its target of 1.5m homes, and to offer capacity and capability to the mayors and local councils to deliver their local growth plans, including the largest delivery of new social housing in two generations.

“This will require a leadership team with a time horizon extending beyond the period I had originally set for myself.

“It’s important, therefore, that 2025 sees a new chair and a new CEO taking on this incredible fresh mandate.”