Sir John Banham is Britain's most successful business leader, knighted for his services to British business in the 1992 New Year's Honours List and is Chairman of the Future Homes Commission. He was Chairman of Tarmac Plc during their reign as the largest housebuilder in Britain, from February 1994 to March 2000 when the group was acquired by Anglo Amercian plc in an agreed bid following the de-merger of Carillion plc. And he has just completed a five year term as Chairman of Johnson Matthey.
Sir John Banham was one of the first public servants to address publicly the problems of an emerging urban under-class and to propose solutions to the twin challenges of urban dereliction and homelessness. An Audit Commission report, published in 1988 proposed measures to prevent the breakdown of local government services in inner London. This was followed by a CBI Task Force Report, which proposed a new Partnership approach to urban renewal in Britain. As the first CEO of the Audit Commission and the first Chairman of the Local Government Commission he is fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of Local Authorities and the current planning system. And using this experience, Sir John financed a successful local effort to prevent development of a local AONB by the former Chair of the Planning Committee - the permissions were quoshed by the High Court.
