FENLAND Council chief executive Tim Pilsbury has announced his early retirement as part of a cost-cutting exercise.
The shock announcement came during a council meeting on Thursday when council leader Alan Melton told fellow councillors that Mr Pilsbury would be stepping down in the summer so the council could make savings in the staffing budget.
Mr Melton expl
ained that independent consultants had been commissioned to examine management capacity in the council and the decision was made jointly.
"During our discussions we were reminded of the council's financial challenges and that perhaps the council could be managed with one fewer post at the top. We're finding efficiencies at the centre rather than reducing front line services," Mr Melton said.
Mr Pilsbury said he was sad to be leaving Fenland.
"I have put a big chunk of my heart and soul into the council," he said, "and my biggest hope is that it continues to keep its focus on the things that are important to local people and that it doesn't lose the desire to continuously improve."
The two remaining chief officers, Sandra Claxton and Paul Medd, will be interviewed in the next couple of weeks for the post of chief executive.
