Biography of Ted Cantle

Ted Cantle is Associate Director of IDeA Solutions and leads the Performance Support work, having established a team that is now working in around 20 authorities in England and Wales. The team provides support to weak and poorly performing authorities that need additional corporate capacity, which is given through the Agency’s network of peers and associates.

His work for the IDeA includes:

• identifying partner authorities and gaining agreement for high level support programmes for members and officers
• providing strategic input throughout the support period, usually liaising with the leader
• working with the Audit Commission and various government departments and inspectorates to ensure that there is a coordinated approach to the work.

Ted Cantle was the Chief Executive of Nottingham City Council from 1990 to 2001. He was the Director of Housing for Leicester City Council from 1988 to 1990 and for Wakefield Metropolitan District Council from 1979 to 1983. He was Under Secretary at the Association of Metropolitan Authorities from 1983 to 1988 and has also worked for Manchester City Council. Ted chaired the DTI Construction Taskforce for local government from 1998 to 2002.

In August 2001 he was appointed by the Home Secretary to chair the Community Cohesion Review Team, which was set up to review the causes of the summer disturbances in a number of northern towns and cities. The Cantle Report was produced in December 2001 and made around 70 recommendations. Ted now chairs the panel which advises Ministers on implementation.

He is presently a non-executive director of the Environment Agency and an NHS Hospital Trust.