Oldham's retiring council boss an amazing servant, leader says

Harry Catherall has held roles at Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside councils

A council's chief executive has announced he is to retire after more than four decades in local government.

Harry Catherall, who will leave Oldham Council in December after two years, has also held roles at authorities in Blackburn with Darwen and St Helens.

Oldham's leader Arooj Shah said he had been "an amazing servant" to the town, but had been clear he "could not stay forever" when he took the role in 2021.

The council said it would now start the recruit process for his replacement.

Ms Shah told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she had Mr Catherall to "stabilise the organisation" after she was first elected leader in 2021.

He continued in the role after she lost her seat a year later and remained in place for her return following the local elections in May.

She said he had been "clear that he had returned to public service from retirement and couldn't stay forever".

She said she asked him in 2021 "to set a clear path for the future as we came out of the pandemic... and really focus on basic service delivery" and he had since "done all that and more".

She added that Mr Catherall had been "an amazing servant to Oldham" and would stay to ensure a "seamless transition" before retiring.

"I know I speak on behalf of all of us at the council when I say we wish him all the best for his retirement," she said.

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