A man is heading up a team which looks after health, art and fun in the borough where his wife's grandfather once worked on the river.

Gravesham council has appointed Jamie Izzard as its new director for communities. He succeeds Melanie Norris, who retired earlier this year after 28 years with the authority.

Jamie joins Gravesham from the Greater London Authority, where over 10 years he has held a variety of roles ranging from governance to economic development, leading London’s Local Enterprise Partnership, to food and health policy.

Welcoming him, Stuart Bobby, chief executive of Gravesham council, said: "Our communities directorate holds a wide and varied brief. It covers subjects as diverse as community safety, environmental health and enforcement, arts and culture, leisure and our extensive events programme.

"Melanie Norris is a hard act to follow, but in Jamie we have appointed a director with a wealth of experience in senior roles across a wide range of portfolios from one of the biggest and most complex cities in the world.

"I know he will play a leading role in working with colleagues within the council and our many external partners to continue to build a strong and cohesive community here in Gravesham, and help tackle some of the great social inequalities many of our residents face."

Born and raised in South East London, Jamie has spent the past 15 years living in the Dartford area and is of British and Anglo-Indian descent, his Anglo-Indian mother having come to England in 1960.

Married with two young sons, he lives locally and his wife’s family are all from Gravesend, her grandfather having worked as a Thames river pilot based out of the town.

Jamie said: "Gravesham is a borough with real opportunities as well as challenges.

"This is a big opportunity for me to work with our residents to ensure change is something they feel genuinely part of and to ensure that real opportunities for them – such as employment, skills, and training – come out of those changes.

"I am also excited by the potential for promoting Gravesham as a fantastic destination, both the towns of Gravesend and Northfleet, and the beautiful rural villages; actively promoting our cultural assets.

"I’m looking forward to working with the whole of our community to help deliver a Gravesham to be proud of."