The Bristol City Council officer in charge of major regeneration projects is to leave to join firm behind the redevelopment of Filton Airfield.
Barra Mac Ruairí, currently the council’s strategic director for place, will become the new divisional director of design and development at YTL Developments UK.
The Bath-based firm – part of the giant Malaysian-owned YTL group, which also owns Wessex Water, is redeveloping the disused airfield into a new sustainable community with 2,675 homes, 26 hectares of employment space, three schools and a retail centre.
It is the firm’s first major development in the UK. 
Barra, pictured, has held his role at Bristol City Council since March 2014 and has been responsible for services including transport, major projects, economic development, sustainability, energy, planning, property, culture and arts.
A key priority has been the Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone, including securing the new University of Bristol campus and the Bristol Arena project, along with many other major projects.
Barra said: “I have greatly enjoyed serving the people of Bristol and doing my part towards meeting the city’s challenges and making progress on many economic and cultural projects.
“My decision to leave is not one I’ve taken lightly, but I feel that moving back to the private sector after nearly a decade in local government is the right one. I am grateful for all the opportunities and experiences which working at a creative and ambitious council has brought, and I’m delighted that I will still have a chance to work with many partners around the West of England in future.”
Bristol City Council chief executive Anna Klonowski said: “This is a great opportunity for Barra and a significant promotion in moving back to private sector. We are sure that Barra will be a great ambassador for Bristol, and we thank him for the contributions he’s made to the city.”
YTL Developments UK chairman Colin Skellett added: “We are delighted that Barra is joining our team. He will play a key strategic role in the redevelopment of Filton Airfield, where we will be building a new community and a new destination. This will be the first of YTL’s major developments within the UK.
“Barra has exemplary planning, development and commercial experience to play a leading role in both the development of Filton and our wider business.”
YTL’s hotels business owns Bath’s Thermae Bath Spa and the city’s five-star Gainsborough Hotel.
