Agenda item

The Chairman has agreed to accept this item onto the agenda as an urgent matter in order to avoid delay in reviewing the Council’s chief officer structure.

The Leader of the Council submitted a report on the Council’s senior management structure, which also sought to appoint interim statutory officers.  The Council’s three Directors left the chamber whilst this matter was considered.

The Leader referred to the interim arrangements that had been in place in the absence of the Chief Executive and suggested that this had worked well.  He had taken advice from trusted colleagues across local government and proposed a new structure as detailed in the report now submitted.  He referred to the additional responsibilities the proposed Chief Executive and Director of X post would be required to perform as detailed at Essential Reference Paper ‘B’ of the report submitted. 

The Leader also drew attention to the need to formalise the interim arrangements operating in respect of statutory functions.  Finally, he proposed that a recruitment panel of six Members (Councillors, M Alexander, E Buckmaster, L Haysey, A Jackson, J Ranger and M Wood) be established to consider and appoint to the new position.  In order to ensure the participation of Members from all political groups, he suggested that political proportionality should not apply.

Councillor J Wing commented that Members had not been given sufficient time to consider the proposals and questioned why this matter had been dealt with in this way.

In reply, the Leader commented that he had been opportunistic in submitting these proposals to this meeting rather than the next meeting in May 2012.  He believed that there were benefits to staff and Members in not delaying the issue any longer.  He stated that he had discussed the proposals, although not the timescales, with the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group some time ago.

In response to a question from Councillor T Page, the Leader confirmed that he expected the three Director posts to be full-time.

Council approved the proposals as now detailed.

RESOLVED – that (A) the current post of Chief Executive be deleted and an existing Director’s post be redesignated as “Chief Executive and Director of X”, with the Council proceeding to recruit and the Council’s Pay Policy 2012 being adjusted, as detailed at Essential Reference Paper ‘C’ of the report submitted;

(B)      the Director of Customer and Community Services be appointed as acting Head of Paid Services until a permanent appointment is made, with the Director of Internal Services to act as deputy in the interim;

(C)      the Director of Neighbourhood Services be appointed as acting Returning Officer in accordance with Section 35(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and as Electoral Registration Officer in accordance with Section 8(2)(a) of the Representation of the People Act 1983, until a permanent appointment is made; and

(D)    the Chief Executive and Director of X Recruitment Panel be established and formed by the following six councillors, the rules of political proportionality not applying, with authority to interview and appoint to the newly created post of Chief Executive and Director of X

Councillors M Alexander, E Buckmaster, L Haysey, A Jackson, J Ranger and M Wood.