West Sussex County Council chief executive scrapped

THE role of chief executive at West Sussex County Council will be scrapped in a new cost-cutting exercise.
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Chichester's County Hall.033649-1

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Chichester's County Hall.033649-1

Peter/Lou
033649-1_Chi_CountyHall_LA Chichester's County Hall.033649-1 Peter/Lou

The move was announced today (January 6), and the current chief executive Kieran Stigant, will be leaving the local authority on January 31.

Council leader, Louise Goldsmith, said “Kieran has given 22 years of diligent and loyal service to the county council, three of those as chief executive.

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“We are very grateful to him for his tireless commitment to both the council and to West Sussex.”

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The top job will now be shared between two posts, a chief operating officer and an interim transformation director.

Mr Stigant will receive a £118,000 redundancy payment as well as a sum agreed for pay in lieu of notice.

The news was announced to staff in a letter from Mrs Goldsmith, who said the news may be ‘unsettling’ for some.

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“But we have to fundamentally change the way that we do things if we are to be able to achieve the ambitious outcomes we want for the county and achieve the savings that are required,” said Mrs Goldsmith.

“I intend that the council will appoint an interim chief operating officer from the current senior leadership team to cover the day to day work of the chief executive and we will be appointing a new post of interim transformation director very soon.

“The transformation director will be tasked with carrying on the future council work that Kieran and his team have started into the next phase.

“This will enable us to become the commissioning council to which we aspire and to which we need to move to meet the new challenges facing the authority and the communities we serve.”

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A council spokesman said the interim arrangements will result in a full year saving of £25,000 with further savings expected following further reviews.

At the meeting of the full council on February 14, members will be asked to confirm the removal of the post of chief executive.