Tricia Hayes, director general for roads, places and environment in the Department for Transport (DfT) is moving to the Home Office, Transport Network understands.
Ms Hayes took over the role in 2016 and was a key figure in the development of regional transport, sub-national transport bodies (STBs) and the major road network (MRN).
Last year she was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the New Year's Honours list.
She was broadly seen as sympathetic to local needs and concerns and encouraged local authorities to keep faith in the development of certain aspects of the agenda, such as the MRN, even though initial proposals were not exactly what had been hoped for.
She admitted to Transport Network there had been 'lively discussions' over the issue with STBs.
She was also frank about how the department had underestimated the climate and pollution agenda.
When she first came into the director general role at DfT her brief covered 'roads, devolution and motoring' having previously been the DfT’s aviation director.
This brief evolved into her current role covering 'roads, places and environment'.
The appointment of Ms Hayes represented the first time that a DfT director had devolution in a job title and followed the passage of the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016
A confident and self-assured operator, she gave the keynote address to a rowdy Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation lunch one year and was not afraid to tell off the hall for their poor attention. A more respectful hush ensued.
Neither the DfT nor the Home Office would comment but declined to deny the story.
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