A REGENERATION body has appointed new board members.

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELep) has welcomed Heidi Mottram, Andrew Moffat, Farooq Hakim and Mark Thompson.

The quartet, who take up their posts immediately, replace former chairman Paul Woolston, Gill Southern, Dr Arnab Basu and Michael Bellamy.

Ms Mottram is chief executive at Northumbrian Water Group, while Mr Moffat is chief executive of the Port of Tyne.

Mr Hakim is BT’s North-East regional director, while Mr Thompson is managing partner of Ryder Architecture.

Under Mr Woolston’s guidance, NELep delivered the North East Independent Economic Review, led by Lord Adonis, which set out the factors needed to deliver 100,000 new jobs over the next decade.

The organisation also secured £1.5bn in central Government and European funding to finance economic growth and successfully bid for two enterprise zones, which are expected to generate thousands of jobs.

Andrew Hodgson, NELep chairman, said its new team would continue that work.

He said: “We have been able to appoint four outstanding business leaders; their industry experience will be invaluable in helping us deliver the aims set out in our plan.

“I would like to thank Gill, Michael, Arnab and Paul for the expertise they brought and their sheer dedication in ensuring NELep best supported North-East business in everything it did.”

Ms Mottram added: “The North-East is a fantastic place to live, work and visit and to have the opportunity to help strengthen its economic growth, and champion it nationally and globally, is a privilege.”