Exeter City Council chief retires after nearly 10 years in job

Karime Hassan said Exeter could "look forward to a bright future"

Exeter City Council chief executive Karime Hassan is retiring after nearly 10 years in the job.

Mr Hassan, 60, said the "time is right for me personally and for the organisation".

Council Leader Phil Bialyk said Mr Hassan had "helped to transform the city in recent years" and he would be "sorely missed".

Deputy chief executive Bindu Arjoon will become interim chief executive from 1 April, said the authority.

Mr Hassan, who has been chief executive and growth director of the council since 2013, said he had worked with "some outstanding colleagues, leaders and institutions" and he had "witnessed the amazing progress of the city".

He added that Exeter faced "considerable challenges that government austerity has caused for local government finance", but could "look forward to a bright future".

Mr Bialyk said the building of the UK's first Passivhaus leisure centre and the UK's first Passivhaus extra care facility would not have been possible "without the vision, drive and energy that Karime has brought to the role".

"He leaves a significant legacy to build on and he will be sorely missed by everyone in the city," he said.