Sir Michael Lyons, one of the UK’s leading figures in regeneration and local government, is set to retire at the end of January 2027 after more than 25 years leading ECF, a major national placemaking partnership, having guided the organisation since it was established in 2002.
ECF brings together Homes England’s National Housing Bank, L&G and Muse. The partnership works alongside local authorities and combined authorities to create successful communities where people thrive economically, socially and sustainably.
Under Sir Michaels leadership, ECF has grown into one of the country’s leading vehicles for large-scale, housing-led regeneration.
During that time, ECF has worked with local authorities to support major regeneration in locations such as Liverpool, London, Plymouth, Salford and Wakefield and has overseen a doubling of ECF’s capital base twice over, to £200m in 2018 and £400m in 2024.
That capital is now supporting a further wave of delivery, targeting around 17,000 more homes and a further one million square feet of commercial space by 2036, across developments in places like London, Wolverhampton, Hull, St Helens and Bradford.
As chair, Sir Michael has played a key role in the regeneration of Salford, which ECF has delivered in partnership with Salford City Council. The £1bn two-decade programme has delivered more than 1,000 mixed-tenure homes and 770,000 sq ft of commercial space across Salford Central, alongside new public spaces.
Sir Michael has held a series of senior roles across local and national government during a career spanning more than five decades, including leading a series of influential government reviews.
He served as chief executive of Wolverhampton Borough Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and Birmingham City Council, and was knighted for services to local government in 2000.
His 2004 review of public sector relocation identified scope to move 20,000 civil service posts out of London and the South East, a target the Government went on to exceed.
Later, his enquiry into local government introduced the concept of “place-shaping”, arguing that councils should have greater power and responsibility for the economic and social future of their areas, an idea that continues to shape the debate on devolution.
He was chair of the BBC from 2007 to 2011, led the Lyons Housing Review on housebuilding 2013/ 2014, chaired a review of Invest Northern Ireland and chaired the Government’s New Towns Taskforce, whose 2025 report recommended 12 locations capable of delivering at least 300,000 new homes.
Sir Michael Lyons will remain in post until the end of January 2027, with his successor set to be announced in due course.
Sir Michael said: “It has been an enormous privilege to serve as chair of ECF and to have worked alongside three great partners throughout that time.
“We have brought together public purpose, long-term investment and delivery expertise and that approach has allowed us to take on challenges that no single organisation could have addressed alone.
“Government deserves credit for taking early risks when the partnership was established. At a time when many public-private partnerships were being swept away, ECF survived because we were determined that there should be a return on the public investment.
“I have always believed that public investment should create lasting value for places and communities and, even if realised over the very long term, offer the prospect of a commercial return too. This is what we have achieved at ECF.
“I step down with great confidence in the partnership to continue driving positive change in towns and cities across the country.”
Pat Ritchie CBE, Chair of Homes England, said:
“Sir Michael’s leadership, experience and commitment to long-term investment in regeneration have been central to ECF’s success in creating thousands of new homes and thriving places from Wakefield to Plymouth.
“He has been a committed champion of partnership and placemaking, and his influence will be felt for many years as ECF continues its long-term regeneration ambitions. He has been hugely valued by us all at Homes England and we wish him a long and happy retirement.”
Tom Roberts, Head of Investment & Development at L&G, said:
“Sir Michael has been the driving force behind some of the most significant regeneration projects the country has seen over the past few decades. His belief that lasting change requires patience, partnership and a willingness to invest over the long term has shaped ECF’s approach from the very beginning.
“Sir Michael has helped demonstrate that successful regeneration is about creating places with enduring economic purpose, where communities can prosper and future growth can be sustained. We are hugely grateful for his leadership and contribution to ECF’s success, and look forward to continuing his lasting legacy. On a personal level, I am honoured to have worked closely with Sir Michael and am grateful for all that I have learned from him”
Phil Mayall, Managing Director at Muse, said:
“The opportunity to work alongside and learn from Sir Michael for near two decades has been an incredible honour and one I am incredibly grateful for.
“His leadership has left a real mark on ECF and on the places we’ve worked together in partnership to shape. His experience, judgement and genuine commitment to getting regeneration right have been inspiring.
“He has not only played a leading role in spearheading the partnership and its continued progress over the years, but also more broadly influencing the way housing delivery and placemaking is approached up and down the country. “On behalf of Muse, I want to thank him for his contribution and years of service to ECF and wish him the very best in his retirement.”
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