'Bitter blow' for city's revival

THE man brought in to head up a hoped-for economic revolution in Plymouth last night quit his job in a move described as "a bitter blow" by business leaders.

Paul Carroll, the American "fresh thinker" chosen to head up Plymouth's new City Development Company, has announced his intention to leave at the end of April, citing personal reasons.

Mr Carroll has spent the past year helping to define the business strengths that would lift Plymouth on to the next economic level in global industries.

He attracted international investment and expertise through a science and technology partnership between the city's university and Bahrain and commissioning pioneering consultancy work through Stanford Research Institute in California to carry out a root and branch assessment of each of Plymouth's priority sectors and identify opportunities for growth.

However, the past year has been marred by the Government's decision not to grant his parents visas to come to Britain and the subsequent ill-health of his father.

That meant his wife – and 14-year-old son – staying behind to look after them and around three in every 12 weeks being spent back in the US.

Describing the situation as "increasingly difficult", Mr Carroll said: "I'm returning back to the States because it became untenable to have my family over there and me here.

"The separation from the board is amicable. I'm truly a better person for having come to Plymouth and I hope I have added something to the city.

"Plymouth was already much further along than I'd anticipated. The 21st-century bases are here. It now needs to join up those bases and build them rapidly. "

He added he would use his international network to tell firms, organisations and individuals of "England's unsung gem".

American-born Mr Carroll was previously executive director of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority in northern Virginia and had also worked for the US Commerce Department and the port authority of his home town, Boston. The CDC is a public and private sector company set up by the city council, South West England Regional Development Agency and English Partnerships, and supported by Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

It was among the first of a flurry of such companies designed to act as a catalyst for economic growth.

Its chairman, James Brent, said it was now looking to recruit a replacement for Mr Carroll.

He added: "We have every intention that the CDC will survive and flourish and execute the work plan."

He would now recruit a new chief executive along with two new directors – for development, and inward investment and marketing: "For me, Paul's most notable achievement has been the work plan and getting the city to regain some self-belief."

Tim Jones, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Business Council and vice-chairman of the Plymouth Economic Development Group, praised the work done by Mr Carroll and described the decision to leave as a bitter blow that had put the city "back to square one again".

"It's a bitter disappointment to lose such a clearly talented new arrival not only to the UK but to Plymouth," he said.

"The business community recognised that Paul Carroll uniquely was able to introduce completely fresh and original thinking to some of the long-term problems that have been experienced in the Plymouth area.

"There had been high hopes that his talent would be the step-change that Plymouth has been looking for in delivering new opportunities for the future."