Council seeking new chief executive (From Craven Herald)

Council seeking new chief executive

9:07am Friday 20th June 2008 in News By Lesley Tate, Senior Reporter

Craven District Council is looking for a new chief executive following the resignation of Gill Dixon.

Mrs Dixon, who joined the council five years ago, said the "time was right" for her and for the council.

Her resignation follows a turbulent time for the council, during which an Audit Commission report criticised staff absences and performance targets.

The report, which has been with the council since the end of March and was published on the Audit Commission's website two weeks ago, is expected to be high on the agenda at next week's meeting of the council's Audit Committee.

Last month, an external investigator was brought in after a complaint against an unnamed senior official.

Council leader Coun Chris Knowles-Fitton, whose Con-servative party has just taken over council leadership, said: "The investigation has concluded and there was no suggestion of any misconduct. The independent investigator interviewed a number of officers and members, including the chief executive."

Coun Knowles-Fitton said Mrs Dixon would remain a council employee until the end of June, though she had already left her post.

He said three candidates were being interviewed for the position of interim chief executive to cover the next six months.

"We've not had a full-time chief executive for some weeks and there are issues we need to resolve," he said. Mrs Dixon had been on leave and looking after her husband during his recent illness.

Coun Knowles-Fitton said: "Gill has worked tirelessly and with great enthusiasm over the last five years to make sure that Craven District Council delivers the best for its residents," he said.

"She has implemented a great many changes to make us more efficient and up-to-date and at times overcome many obstacles along the way. I thank Gill for her professionalism and dedication and wish her well in the next stage of her career."

Mrs Dixon said a great deal had been achieved by the council in five years.

"This is an exciting time for the district and the council. We have worked very hard over the last five years to deliver Craven's community strategy and the council's vision of prosperous rural communities - keeping jobs in the district and providing homes for those who work here," she said in a press release.

"These key planks of the strategy will start to reverse the trend towards Craven becoming a commuter dormitory for Bradford, Leeds and Harrogate."

She said the council was on the brink of projects, including building hundreds of new homes as part of the Skipton Developments project, and an improved bus station.

She said a new civic centre would be built off Gargrave Road as part of the new Homeloan Management Ltd development, and Skipton Town Hall was to undergo major modernisation.

"In some ways the council is now at a watershed and I recognise that the time is right for a smooth transition to a new chief executive who can assist the council to implement all of these schemes which are now fully approved and ready to go.

"The time is also right for me personally and I would like to thank all the staff of Craven District Council whose dedication and enthusiasm has not waned, despite a number of challenges."