Bedford BC has a new chief executive to lead it through its fledgling days as a unitary.
Philip Simpkins, currently the council’s director of finance, will take on the new role in June, after the council has become a unitary authority.
The first internal candidate to be appointed at a unitary council, he will take over from chief executive, Shaun Field, who decided not to apply for the new position.
The 49-year-old chartered accountant has worked in local government for 31 years, 17 of which have been spent at Bedford.
His appointment was unanimously agreed by the mayor and leaders of the Lib Dem, Labour and Conservative groups, but must be confirmed by the implementation executive this week.
Mayor of Bedford, Frank Branston, said: ‘Mr Simpkins really impressed us against a strong field of applicants for the position.’
Castle Morpeth BC has had to allocate £200,000 in its new budget for the transition to unitary status in the region in April.
The council is one of six districts which will cease to exist in April, when Northumberland comes under the control of one unitary council.
But the transition has proved less then smooth so far, with local government minister, John Healey, accusing the six district councils, two weeks ago, of being responsible for a £10m funding gap the new unitary authority would inherit. Castle Morpeth BC leader, Cllr Peter Jackson, condemned Mr Healey’s comments.
He said: ‘Any attempt to blame the current financial situation on the existing borough and district councils is simply the Government trying to brush off the financial problems that it has caused, and lay the blame elsewhere.’
Meanwhile, the Government has announced elections for Cornwall’s new unitary authority will go ahead on 4 June.
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