Council chief was paid off

9:29am Friday 4th July 2008

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Craven District Council's former chief executive was paid off on the grounds of "business efficiency", it has been revealed.

Senior councillors were also given two options - to continue with an investigation into "management issues" or to agree a settlement.

Last month, the council announced the resignation of its chief executive, Gill Dixon, who had been in the post for five years.

At the time, the council and Mrs Dixon issued a joint statement saying the time was right for her to move on.

It was said that a change of administration to the Conservatives and the imminent start of major schemes, such as the bus station revamp and Skipton Developments project, made it a good time for change.

The council also said that an inquiry into unnamed accusations against an unnamed senior official had concluded and there was no evidence of misconduct.

But, in "exempt" minutes of the council's policy committee of June 4, it is revealed that members were given two options - to agree a settlement or to proceed with the investigation to its conclusion.

Minutes headed "exempt" are not issued to the press, but the Craven Herald has been supplied with a copy.

Under the heading "staffing matter", the minutes reveal that a joint report from the council's heads of human resources and legal services sought members' approval of a financial settlement.

The minutes say that the settlement would come into force in the event of an agreement to "mutually terminate the contract of employment of the chief executive".

The document goes into the background of the council's "present situation" as related to the chief executive and to the investigation with regard to "management issues".

Members at the meeting were invited to either agree a settlement or to proceed with the investigation to its conclusion.

They were informed of the financial implications and advised to agree to a settlement "as the way forward on the grounds of business efficiency".

The committee resolved to delegate responsibility to senior officers, council leader Coun Chris Knowles-Fitton and the district auditor to conclude the "compromise agreement".

The agreement, which included a financial settlement, was for the "mutual termination of the contract of employment of the chief executive".

This week, when the Herald asked for further clarification of the issues raised by the minutes, the council declined to comment.

Last week, the council announced the appointment of interim chief executive, Brian Dinsdale.

Mr Dinsdale, who has 16 years' experience as chief executive of local authorities, retired from Middlesbrough Council in 2002 and since then has acted as a consultant and interim manager.

He is due to take over on July 15 and is currently managing the formation of a single unitary authority in Durham.