Redcar and Cleveland Council plans axing £150k chief exec job

Redcar and Cleveland Council chief executive Amanda Skelton will step down later this year

A Teesside council is considering scrapping its £150,000 chief executive role as part of cost-cutting measures.

It comes as Redcar and Cleveland Council chief executive Amanda Skelton is due to retire after 11 years.

The council is now considering make the role redundant and sharing out the executive's responsibilities among other managers.

A council meeting will be held on 24 July to discuss the proposed new management structure.

Mrs Skelton, who will step down in October, was made a CBE in the New Year's Honours List in 2018 for services to Redcar and Tees Valley.

Her post would become redundant under proposed changes from the new independent/Liberal Democrat administration, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

"The future savings to be generated from removal of the chief executive's role would be circa £220,000 per year, including salary, pension contributions and other associated on-costs," a council report said.

"Given the financial position facing this council and local authorities generally, that this is a management model that should be pursued."

By law, the council is required to appoint officers to certain statutory roles including head of paid service.

The report recommends that the "longest-serving director within the council" corporate director for resources, John Sampson, take on the responsibility "with immediate effect on an interim basis pending a review of the management structure later this year".

Mrs Skelton welcomed Prince Charles to Kirkleatham in 2013