North West Development Agency is interviewing two candidates this week to be its next Chairman – our old `friends' Central Salford URC Chair, Felicity Goodey, and Peel Holdings Deputy Chairman, Robert Hough. Whichever controversial character gets the job will have to struggle on a salary of £80,510 for three days work.

When the post was advertised, the job specification was summed up in one page – the potential conflict of interest issues got a whole four pages. Just so there is no misunderstanding. 

It defines `conflict of interest' quite clearly as `An individual's private, voluntary, charitable or political interests relevant to the work of the public body to which he or she has been appointed'…

It adds that `it is necessary for the standing of the individual and the Board that members of the public have confidence in their independence and impartiality…Even a perceived conflict of interest…can be extremely damaging to the body's reputation…The fact that a member acted impartially may be no defence against accusations of potential bias' etc etc…

So, let's have a look at the financial interests of present chairman, Bryan Gray, which are all fully declared…

• until he resigned in March 2008, Bryan was a non-executive director of a company called Energetix and had options for 337,500 shares, according to the company's accounts.  During this period Energetix received a grant of £0.2million from NWDA.

• Bryan is currently chairman of Urban Splash Hotels – Urban Splash received grants totalling £4,052,739 from NWDA for the redevelopment of the Midland Hotel in Morecambe.

• Bryan currently works one day a week as chairman of Peel Media which is overseeing the company's MediaCityUK project. NWDA is currently investing £31.8million `to support the development of Media City', including a tram extension, the main piazza and a media wall.

• Bryan currently works one day a week as chairman of Peel Media – Peel's boss, John Whittaker, has called for the NWDA to be given special planning power over the company's £50billion Ocean Gateway project. He is quoted as saying "Ocean Gateway should have its own planning regime led by the regional development agency and the local authorities so we can overcome individual authority objections."

We asked Bryan what payments he received from Urban Splash Hotels, whether he cashed in his Energetix shares and how much he received but he declined to comment. We also asked him for a direct interview, which, at first, he also declined, but later agreed to a quick phone interview.

Unfortunately as we were speaking to him, our old phone taping equipment wouldn't work (we're skint and can't afford to replace it) and he wouldn't let us phone him back five minutes later after we'd fixed (kicked) it.  So we can't quote him direct – although the conversation went along the lines of `How very dare you!'…

We do, however, have a formal quote from the NWDA…

"All three Board appointments are personal commitments of Bryan's and not NWDA representation. Given that these are private appointments and are not NWDA commitments, Bryan has declined to answer your final question regarding payments and shares...

"The NWDA works under clear and agreed corporate governance rules and procedures regarding full disclosure for the 'registering of interests' for all NWDA Board members. All RDA Chair appointments are made by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and as such adhere to all official national Government rules and procedures. This new role at MediaCityUK has been officially disclosed, as have the roles at Urban Splash and Energetix. 

"Any projects involving the NWDA that have external partner involvement, whether past, current or future, are considered and dealt with within the strict corporate governance procedures of the Agency, which will include appropriate declaration of interests of a Board member.  Decisions on allocations of funds are made within the parameters of a strict delegation scheme and as Chief Executive, Steven Broomhead is the overall accountable Officer. Anything in value above the maximum delegation is decided upon by the full Board."

• Bryan Gray was awarded  a CBE in the 2009 New Year's Honours List for `services to business and to the community of the North West'…

• Peel Holdings Deputy Chairman, Robert Hough, is being interviewed this week to take over from Bryan Gray.

• Bryan Gray has his own `coat of arms' showing a ferret in blue keks playing football.  The crest states `Be thou my vision'…only too pleased, mate.

You can see Bryan's coat of arms and photos of him with the Queen, Prince Charles, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown on his website…

http://www.bryangray.co.uk/arms.htm