On the Move: Bevan to leave EA

James Bevan will step down from his role as chief executive of the Environment Agency with effect from March next year after seven years in the role. Working closely with the next head of the EA will be Trudy Harrison, recently confirmed as water minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under Terese Coffey. Elsewhere Severn Trent has appointed an independent non-executive director, Sarah Legg, who spent her career at HSBC

The chief executive of the Environment Agency will step down after seven years in the role after having his tenure extended for two years. James Bevan, who has led the organisation since 2015, will leave his post in March 2023.

An EA spokesperson said: “Sir James Bevan has served as the chief executive of the Environment Agency for seven years and will complete his full and final term in March 2023 as planned.”

The Agency’s board will recruit a successor, with approval of the Secretary of State and Prime Minister.

During his tenure Bevan infamously warned that the country was heading towards a water shortage crisis, which he christened the “jaws of death” at Waterwise’s 2019 conference.

Budget cuts during Bevan’s time caused the Agency to scale back its level of monitoring, which he told the Environmental Audit Committee on river health had led to a deterioration in water quality. Bevan called for funding to be restored from £40 million to 2010 levels when the budget was £120 million, to be able to carry out its work.

EA chair Emma Howard Boyd stepped down earlier this year, with Alan Lovell confirmed as her successor in July.

Water minister confirmed

Trudy Harrison has been confirmed as the minister for water, continuing the role she was appointed to under former secretary of state Ranil Jayawardena.

Harrison joined the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in September this year. She previously worked as parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department of Transport from September 2021 and subsequently minister of state for transport.

Defra has now confirmed her responsibilities will include floods and water including drought; water quality, sewage and resources; inland waterways; and Thames Tideway.

Harrison is the member of parliament for Copeland in Cumbria, where she spoke in support of the construction of the UK’s first deep coal mine. After re-election in 2019, she was appointed Boris Johnson’s “eyes and ears” on the backbenches as his parliamentary private secretary.

Prior to Harrison, Steve Double held the position after Rebecca Pow stepped down and submitted a letter of no confidence to Boris Johnson.

Severn Trent strengthens board 

Severn Trent has named Sarah Legg as a new independent non-executive director with effect from today, 1 November. Legg will also be a member of the nominations, audit and risk, treasury and corporate sustainability committees.

Legg brings financial services experience from her background in corporate finance, audit and risk working in leadership roles at HSBC where her roles included group financial controller and chief financial officer for the Asia Pacific region.

Chair Christine Hodgson said, “On behalf of the entire board, I look forward to welcoming Sarah to Severn Trent.  Her strong finance and regulatory accounting experience, gained over many years, will complement the existing composition of the Board and will help to ensure that we continue to build upon the excellent progress we have made in delivering for all of our stakeholders.”