Defra appoints new water director and Catovsky to lead environment plan

Sally Randall will take up the role of director of floods and water at DEFRA on 2 January. She is currently director of social housing at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and her responsibilities include the £9bn affordable homes programme, the regulation of housing associations and the government’s commitment to build more council housing.

Randall (pictured) oversaw the publication of the Social Housing Green Paper this summer, and in previous roles led reforms to homelessness legislation and introduced new measures to tackle rogue landlords. Randall started her career in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, and has also worked in Cabinet Office.

The water director role was occupied most recently by Sarah Hendry, who left in October to lead landowner membership organisation the CLA.

Meanwhile, Defra’s deputy director for water services, Dr Sebastian Catovsky, is moving on internally to lead the team responsible for implementing the government’s 25 year plan for the environment. Head of water supply Margaret Read will take over Catovsky’s responsibilities for the water services team on an interim basis until Randall recruits a permanent successor.