• Home
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • LATIF
  • Conferences
  • Dashboard
  • Edit My Profile
  • Log In
  • Logout
  • Register
  • Edit this post

Room 151

  • 151 BRIEF

    What's New?

  • £400bn pension group collaborates on climate transition initiative

    May 17, 2022

  • CIPFA rejects proposal for vote on publication of fraud hub report

    May 17, 2022

  • John Turnbull elected president of the SLT

    May 12, 2022

  • Pension pool identifies biodiversity as a priority

    May 11, 2022

  • TfL latest to face credit-rating downgrade by Moody’s

    May 10, 2022

  • Government proposes ‘fairer, more accurate’ business rates system

    May 10, 2022

  • Treasury
  • Technical
  • Funding
  • Resources
  • LGPS
  • Development
  • 151 News
  • Blogs
    • David Green
    • Agent 151
    • Dan Bates
    • Richard Harbord
    • Stephen Sheen
    • James Bevan
    • Steve Bishop
    • Cllr John Clancy
    • David Crum
    • Graham Liddell
    • Ian O’Donnell
    • Jackie Shute
  • Interviews
  • Briefs

Lancs appoints combined CEO/151 amid harsh criticism of council’s governance

0
  • by Colin Marrs
  • in 151 News · Jobs · Resources
  • — 25 Oct, 2018

Lancashire County Council has voted to appoint Angie Ridgwell to its controversial permanent role of chief executive and section 151 officer.

In a bitter meeting of the full council last week, Conservative councillors voted through the appointment, after opposition councillors abstained.

Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors complained that combining the role of chief executive and section 151 officer was contrary to good governance practice.

Labour group leader, councillor Azhar Ali, said: “Yes the conservative administration and leadership has the numbers and you will be able to appoint to whatever structure and role you want to define.

“But we as a council should be custodians of best practice and good governance.

“The decision that we are taking to combine the role and continue with that despite the advice we have had is negative and it is actually a stain on the reputation of this council.

“When you go down to London, the Local Government Association and other people of all political colours talk about what a basket case this council is and I don’t think that is helpful.”

It is understood that Ridgwell was the only applicant for the combined role.

Ali said that the council leadership had ignored the advice of recruitment consultants overseeing the process that combining the roles would lead to a reduction in the number of applicants.

He said: “The consultant made it very clear that, for the structure we were looking to impose – a chief executive combined with a section 151 officer – that there were probably only three people that undertook that role.

“Out of those three people, not one was someone who worked in a top tier authority or a county council.

“Therefore, we were at risk of only having one or possibly two applicants for the role of chief exec of the third or fourth largest authority in the country.”

Ali also complained that the salary and terms and conditions for the new role were being kept secret.

“Councillors are being asked blindly to vote for a contract they have not seen…” he said.

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr David Whipp, said: “The process that led to the former chief executive leaving, the way in which the role has been manipulated and I think the lack of interest in this post is indicative of the way this authority is viewed elsewhere as rather a basket case.

“Nothing whatsoever against Angie Ridgwell but we ought not to be in the position of a sole applicant for this post.

“If it is so unattractive to others then should we not be looking seriously at the nature of the role?”

In an angry riposte, council leader Geoff Driver said that the appointment was being made in accordance with the proper process.

He said: “The words of the opposition are just a feeble attempt to distract attention away from the absolute mess they made of the restructuring of this county council’s senior management…and some of the appointments they made to that structure.”

Last year, when the council decided to combine the two roles, a number of leading figures in the sector expressed discomfort.

Speaking to Room151, Pete Moore, then president of the Society of County Treasurers, of which Lancashire is a member council, said: “The chief executive (as head of paid service), the section 151 officer and the monitoring officer all play independent, statutory roles in the proper and effective governance of a council.

“They provide checks, challenges and balance in that governance.

“Any combination of those independent roles has the potential to dilute that and weaken overall governance.”

Ridgwell, who has been performing the joint role on an interim basis since January, after joining the council from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), where she was director general for finance and corporate services.

In a formal statement issued by the council, she said: “I am delighted to have been permanently appointed as chief executive and director of resources.

“Like every other local authority, Lancashire County Council faces challenges with growing demand and reducing resources. Together with staff and our partners, we are working hard to ensure the council delivers strong and sustainable services and that Lancashire has a great economic future that everyone can benefit from.”

Get the Room151 Newsletter

Share

You may also like...

  • JOB ALERT: Independent Local Board Chairman Bedfordshire 17th Mar, 2022
  • What’s the benefit of using the PSAA? 17th Aug, 2021
  • PFI, the end of LIBOR and the arrivel of SONIA 26th Oct, 2021
  • Delay to IFRS 16 agreed by ‘narrowest possible margin’ 18th Mar, 2022

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • Register to become a Room151 user

  • Latest tweets

    Room151 10 hours ago

    More evidence of the importance of emerging markets in the journey to net-zero. @BordertoCoast @BrunelPP @northernlgps @EAPensionFund @WYPF_LGPS Click the link below to read 🔻🔻 #LGPS #NetZero #NetZeroCarbon #EmergingMarkets room151.co.uk/brief/400bn-pe… pic.twitter.com/qCm0EGxzLn

    Room151 4 days ago

    ‘Urgent consultation’ issued in response to continuing audit delays: CIPFA and the Local Authority Scotland Accounts Advisory Committee (LASAAC) have announced another “urgent consultation” to consider proposals to address the latest issue that has led… dlvr.it/SQJ0kV pic.twitter.com/s6vw0bnGXO

    Room151 5 days ago

    Bags of capacity – now to housing delivery: HRAs have been freed up and councils are starting to invest, but some remain cautious, writes Steve Partridge. He suggests that a minimum of £10bn of additional borrowing could be[...] dlvr.it/SQDvxk pic.twitter.com/yZmoWzHv6U

    Room151 5 days ago

    Bags of capacity – now to housing delivery room151.co.uk/treasury/bags-…

    Room151 6 days ago

    To Michael Gove: a modest proposal: Conrad Hall has written an open letter to the levelling up secretary suggesting an unusual (and tongue-in-cheek) proposal to help councils predict next year’s government grant. Dear Secretary of State,[...] dlvr.it/SQ9GpX pic.twitter.com/mSX1xgeL8a

    Room151 6 days ago

    Queen’s Speech: an ambitious plan hampered by omissions: Richard Harbord examines the impact of the government’s legislative proposals on councils, and concludes that local authorities expect and need more from central government. However you view the… dlvr.it/SQ8hmP pic.twitter.com/BsnziyNPIO

    Room151 1 week ago

    Insights and inspiration from LGPS leaders past and present: Four current and former LGPS leaders have recently given powerful and insightful interviews as part of the Fiftyfaces podcast, which showcases inspiring investors and their stories. Hosted by… dlvr.it/SQ53lC pic.twitter.com/IRYMFPxdA2

  • Categories

    • 151 News
    • Agent 151
    • Audit
    • Blogs
    • Business rates
    • Chris Buss
    • Cllr John Clancy
    • Council tax
    • Dan Bates
    • David Crum
    • David Green
    • Development
    • Education
    • Forum
    • Funding
    • Governance
    • Graham Liddell
    • Housing
    • Ian O'Donnell
    • Infrastructure
    • Interviews
    • Jackie Shute
    • James Bevan
    • Jobs
    • Levelling up
    • LGPS
    • Mark Finnegan
    • Net Zero
    • Private markets
    • Recent Posts
    • Regulation
    • Resources
    • Responsible investing
    • Richard Harbord
    • Risk management
    • Social care
    • Stephen Fitzgerald
    • Stephen Sheen
    • Steve Bishop
    • Technical
    • Transport
    • Treasury
    • Uncategorized
    • William Bourne
  • Archives

    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
  • Previous story Budget 2018 – a stepping stone to a truly 21st century Spending Review?
  • Next story Government agrees to earlier settlement timetable

© Copyright 2022 Room 151. Typegrid Theme by WPBandit.

0 shares