From the Management Journal dated 08/02/07

Northants County chief is first casualty of unitary war
Jamie Hailstone

As county council chiefs nervously wait for news of their unitary submissions, the first casualty of the reorganisation war has been claimed.Peter Gould, chief executive of Northamptonshire CC, announced this week he was taking early retirement, after councillors abandoned plans for unitary status, which he himself had favored.He told The MJ: ‘It was my view that my enthusiasm for unitary or radically-enhanced two-tier status would cast a shadow over any future discussions with the districts.’Mr. Gould said he drew up two options for the future of the county, one a unitary bid, the other a pathfinder bid.Councillors discussed the two plans last month, just days before the 25 January deadline, and then opted for neither. Instead, they backed plans for an enhanced two-tier structure, and made no submission to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).‘We were considered to be one of the more likely cases for unitary status,’ said Mr Gould. ‘I think many were surprised when the council did not go that way.’‘I wish the council every success for the future,’ he added. ‘I have very much enjoyed giving my support to the leader of the council and I know he will continue to be well served by the officer team.’Council leader, Jim Harker, said: ‘Mr Gould has given the council strong and clear advice on it might respond to the Government’s white paper on local government. Having taken the decisions we have, we must now forge new relationships with the district and borough councils.’Meanwhile, Tory local government spokesman, Alistair Burt, has criticised the Government for failing to remove the clause in the Local Government Bill which allows them to impose reorganisation.And Crewe and Nantwich BC and Congleton BC have joined forces to fight Cheshire CC’s plans for unitary status.Brian Silvester, leader of Crewe and Nantwich BC, said a unitary Cheshire could add an extra £300 to the average council tax bill. The North Yorkshire DC Network has written to minister Ruth Kelly opposing North Yorkshire CC’s unitary bid.
After failing to convince Northumberland County Councillors is it to be accepted that Mr Henderson will follow Billy Brooks and Peter Hillman by falling on their corporate swords?
Northants County chief is first casualty of unitary war
Jamie Hailstone
As county council chiefs nervously wait for news of their unitary submissions, the first casualty of the reorganisation war has been claimed.Peter Gould, chief executive of Northamptonshire CC, announced this week he was taking early retirement, after councillors abandoned plans for unitary status, which he himself had favored.He told The MJ: ‘It was my view that my enthusiasm for unitary or radically-enhanced two-tier status would cast a shadow over any future discussions with the districts.’Mr. Gould said he drew up two options for the future of the county, one a unitary bid, the other a pathfinder bid.Councillors discussed the two plans last month, just days before the 25 January deadline, and then opted for neither. Instead, they backed plans for an enhanced two-tier structure, and made no submission to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).‘We were considered to be one of the more likely cases for unitary status,’ said Mr Gould. ‘I think many were surprised when the council did not go that way.’‘I wish the council every success for the future,’ he added. ‘I have very much enjoyed giving my support to the leader of the council and I know he will continue to be well served by the officer team.’Council leader, Jim Harker, said: ‘Mr Gould has given the council strong and clear advice on it might respond to the Government’s white paper on local government. Having taken the decisions we have, we must now forge new relationships with the district and borough councils.’Meanwhile, Tory local government spokesman, Alistair Burt, has criticised the Government for failing to remove the clause in the Local Government Bill which allows them to impose reorganisation.And Crewe and Nantwich BC and Congleton BC have joined forces to fight Cheshire CC’s plans for unitary status.Brian Silvester, leader of Crewe and Nantwich BC, said a unitary Cheshire could add an extra £300 to the average council tax bill. The North Yorkshire DC Network has written to minister Ruth Kelly opposing North Yorkshire CC’s unitary bid.

After failing to convince Northumberland County Councillors is it to be accepted that Mr Henderson will follow Billy Brooks and Peter Hillman by falling on their corporate swords?