Our Board

Published: 11 March 2026

Since 2007 we’ve been responsible for managing almost 5000 properties on Blackpool Council’s behalf.

Blackpool Coastal Housing (BCH) is a wholly owned company set up by the Council to manage its housing stock and provide related services to its tenant and leasehold customers.

The company is overseen by a board of 7 non-executive directors. The Board is made up of 1 customer representative, 3 nominated Councillors and 3 Independent representatives from the local business community has its own dedicated staff and is funded by a fee paid from the Council’s Housing Revenue Account.

Elected Members

You can read more about our Elected Members' responsibilities by visiting the Blackpool Council website: https://www.blackpool.gov.uk/Your-Council/Your-councillors.aspx.

Image of Councillor Brookes — Our Chair of the Board and Elected Member

Image of Councillor Hobson — Elected Member

Image of Councillor Diane Mitchell — Elected Member

Independent Directors

Image of Andrei Szatkowski — Andrei is an experienced housing professional at board, executive and senior leadership level. Andrei has over 25 years' experience within local authorities and housing associations across the North West. He is the Executive Director of Operations at Aspire Housing, and leads on all housing services encompassing repairs and maintenance services. In Andrei's role as Board Complaint Champion, he continually reviews progress in relation to complaints and their handling, providing critical friend challenge.

Image of Marie Thompson — Marie is a very experienced NHS leader and Registered Nurse who has served at Board, Executive, Senior Leadership & Clinical levels over the last 36 years. Marie joined the BCH Board in 2016 as a Non Executive Director recognising the significant impact the opportunity to provide high quality housing has on the improvement to the health and well-being of the local population.

Image of Claire Stone — Claire has worked in social housing for over 30 years, starting as a housing assistant through to an executive director in a national housing association. She has lead housing, estate and tenancy management teams as well as teams delivering development and R&M with responsibility for building and customer safety. Claire also ran public private partnerships with the health sector in both acute and primary care, as well as leading a training and regeneration subsidiary company in Bradford. This included education and training initiatives and a major regeneration project investing in and redesigning large Victorian houses from bedsits to family homes. Claire is currently a board member of a Leeds based housing association and chairs their Operations Committee. She has found the opportunity to be part of a community-based association very rewarding. Claire sees her role on the board as an opportunity to bring her expertise and experience to help achieve the exciting plans for the town. She also brings a passion for working with communities to provide the affordable safe and secure homes people need to thrive and build healthy and happy lives.

Image of Karl Tupling — Karl has enjoyed 40 years in housing and regeneration. A fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing, Karl has held senior roles in local government becoming Director of Housing in Sheffield in 2005, where he led on neighbourhood regeneration and the investment and delivery strategy for achieving the Decent Homes standard in 64,000 homes. From 2010 as Executive Director with the Homes and Communities Agency, Karl led regional teams to deliver projects and programmes across the north and midlands. He retired from Homes England in April 2023 as Director of Market Places and Partners when he led a national team to develop investment opportunities in challenging markets across the country and with a particular responsibility for levelling up places. With experience and a passion for delivering complex projects and programmes, Karl is a Non-Executive Director with Onward Homes and will continue his active involvement with Homes England in delivering large urban regeneration projects through leadership and programme delivery roles.

Tenant Directors

Image of Neil Herring — Neil is a CASS and Reconciliations Manager who has extensive experience in internal auditing and FCA regulations regarding CASS (Client Assets). His skills also cover the understanding and implementation of the Qualified Intermediary Rules set by the IRS, as well as FATCA and OECD rules regarding Common Reporting Standards.

Published: 11 March 2026

Elected Members

Independent Directors

Tenant Directors

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