Former housing ombudsman takes on new role after departing from watchdog in July
Former housing ombudsman Richard Blakeway has been appointed as a non-executive director at Aster Group.
Blakeway has previously served as deputy mayor of London for housing, chair of the Homes for London board and non-executive director of Homes England.
He joined the board of Aster Group, a housing association managing around 36,000 homes across the south of England, after stepping down from his role as housing ombudsman, which he held from 2019 to July 2026.
Blakeway will serve as a non-executive director across Aster Group’s registered provider and subsidiary boards for a three-year term. He will also become a non-executive member of the organisation’s risk and assurance committee.
Stephen Trusler, group chair at Aster Group, said: “From the various roles Richard has held over the years, he brings deep insight into the breadth of housing and importantly, what customers should expect from a housing association.
”He understands the challenges in planning, in delivering new homes and bringing affordable housing up to good quality. As housing ombudsman, he challenged the sector to raise standards, improve services and learn from feedback.
“Richard’s experience will strengthen the board’s oversight while we invest £1bn in maintaining and upgrading our homes over the next seven years. He understands how boards can use data, customer insight and assurance to make informed decisions, drive improvement and hold their organisations to account.”
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