To the Members of the Broads Authority,
The announcement by John Packman of his intention to retire as Chief Executive at the end of 2025 marks the close of a significant chapter in the Authority’s history. After nearly 25 years in post, Mr Packman leaves behind a legacy that will no doubt be interpreted in many ways, admired by some, questioned by others.
While we acknowledge Mr Packman’s long service and his evident pride in the role, this transition represents more than the departure of a senior official. It is a pivotal opportunity, perhaps the most important in a generation, to fundamentally reset the culture, accountability, and priorities of the Broads Authority.
Over recent years, there has been growing disquiet among Broads users, residents, and stakeholders. Decisions have increasingly appeared opaque, top-down, and resistant to scrutiny. Public confidence has eroded. Concerns about legitimacy, representation, the misuse of statutory powers, and the growing commercialisation of public waters and land have all come to the fore. Attempts to challenge or even question these policies have too often been met with deflection, defensiveness, or silence. This moment demands more than a change of personnel. It demands a change of philosophy.
We call upon the Broads Authority to ensure that the appointment of the next Chief Executive addresses the following principles:
  • Transparency and Open Appointment
    The recruitment process must be conducted with openness and subject to public scrutiny. The Broads Authority is a hybrid public body with statutory functions and taxpayer-derived income. It must act accordingly.
  • Navigation Expertise
    Navigation is a core statutory duty, not a secondary concern. With over half the Authority’s income coming from toll payers — ringfenced for navigation — the organisation must be led with a clear understanding of its obligations as a statutory Harbour Authority. While the new Chief Executive may not personally hold maritime qualifications, they must ensure that the Authority includes senior staff with credible, demonstrable expertise in inland waterway management and navigation safety. At least one member of the leadership team should hold a relevant qualification, such as a Master’s ticket, to ensure operational decisions are informed by real navigational competence.
  • Financial Realism and Organisational Reform
    The incoming CEO must face the reality that the current level of toll increases is unsustainable. Tolerance among toll payers has reached its limit, and further rises may be met with collective action. Recent increases have yielded diminishing returns. It is time to reduce establishment costs and refocus expenditure on core statutory duties, starting with navigation.
  • Democratic Accountability
    The current governance model offers no representation to those who fund the Authority. The next CEO must acknowledge this democratic deficit and advocate for reform that reflects modern standards of public accountability.
  • Balanced Leadership
    The Broads Authority has a complex remit: to conserve, to promote access, and to protect navigation. Too often, one of these functions is prioritised at the expense of others. The next CEO must ensure balance, restoring fairness to all who rely on and care for the Broads.
  • Public Service, Not Personal Legacy
    The CEO’s role is to serve the Authority’s statutory purpose, not to impose ideology, chase personal recognition, or pursue legacy projects that drift beyond the organisation’s legal boundaries.
  • Understanding of Tourism and Economic Regeneration
    The Broads are not only a protected landscape, they are also a critical part of the regional rural economy. The next leader must understand the importance of sustainable tourism, the visitor economy, and the broader link between navigation, access, and local prosperity.
  • Transparent, Listening Leadership
    The new CEO must listen. Public engagement must be meaningful, not performative. A culture of control, defensiveness, or marginalisation must give way to collaboration, transparency, and mutual respect.
  • Restoration of Trust
    Trust has been lost. Fact. The next appointment must begin the work of restoring it, with humility, not self-congratulation.
Do not treat this as a routine succession. Do not treat it as a personnel issue. Treat it as a public trust issue. The future of the Broads, the future of the Broads Authority, and your own credibility depend on your efforts to ensure that a representative voice is brought to the choice you make next.
Karen Morris (Chair), Jamie Campbell (Vice Chair)
Broads Reform Action Group (BRAG)
Distribution
Broads Authority
  • Harry Blathwayt – Chair – Broads Authority
  • Stephen Bolt – Member
  • Sue Cadamy – Member
  • Mark Collins – Member
  • Peter Dixon – Member
  • Andree Gee – Member
  • Alan Goodchild – Member
  • Tony Grayling – Member
  • James Harvey – Member
  • Tristram Hilborn – Member
  • Martyn Hooton – Member
  • Tim Jickells – Member
  • Sian Limpenny – Member
  • Bob Neale – Member
  • Gurpreet Padda – Member
  • James Reeder – Member
  • Remus Sawyerr – Member
  • Matthew Shardlow – Member
  • Paul Thomas – Member
  • Daniel Thwaites – Member
  • Fran Whymark – Member
Partner Organisations
  • Natural England
  • Inland Waterways Association (IWA)
  • Chair – RYA – East Region
Members of Parliament
  • MP – Broadland & Fakenham
  • MP – Waveney Valley
  • MP – Great Yarmouth
  • MP – Lowestoft
  • MP – Mid Norfolk
  • MP – North Norfolk
Local Councils
  • Chair – Norfolk County Council
  • Chair – Broadland District Council
  • Chair – South Norfolk District Council
  • Chair – Breckland Council
  • Chair – North Norfolk District Council
  • Leader – Great Yarmouth Borough Council
  • Leader – Norwich City Council
  • Chair – East Suffolk Council
  • Leader – King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Council
Central Government
  • Secretary of State – Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)
  • Secretary of State – Department for Transport
Media Outlets
  • Eastern Daily Press
  • Great Yarmouth Mercury
  • Norfolk Live
  • BBC East (Look East)
  • ITV Anglia News
  • North Norfolk News
  • Lowestoft Journal
  • East Anglia Daily Times
  • Beccles & Bungay Journal