November 26, 2019 5.09 pm This story is over 55 months old

Lincolnshire County Council to pick new CEO next week

After a year without a chief executive, Lincolnshire county councillors will pick a new CEO next week. Lincolnshire County Council’s appointments committee on Monday reviewed the applications it had received for the post and created a shortlist of candidates to be invited for interview. It has not revealed how many candidates there are, or who…

After a year without a chief executive, Lincolnshire county councillors will pick a new CEO next week.

Lincolnshire County Council’s appointments committee on Monday reviewed the applications it had received for the post and created a shortlist of candidates to be invited for interview.

It has not revealed how many candidates there are, or who is in the running.

However, the minutes of the meeting, which feature in the agenda for December 4, outline how the process intends to “enable the committee to reach a final decision on appointment” on that day.

The meeting will again be held behind closed doors.

Keith Ireland

It is unclear what salary the new chief executive will get – however, the former post-holder Keith Ireland, whose departure was announced a year ago today, (November 26) was reported to be on £178,500.

The post is currently empty, however Debbie Barnes has taken on the role of head of paid service.

Mr Ireland left after just four months in the job – a statement at the time called it a “mutual decision”.

He joined St Helen’s Council as a consultant interim assistant chief executive in April this year, however, that contract came to an end in September having been extended in July.

Debbie Barnes is head of paid service at Lincolnshire County Council in the absence of a chief executive. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Mr Ireland’s Lincolnshire County Council salary equated to around £1,234 a day.

His pay-off included £133,875 compensation for loss of employment.

Mr Ireland was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year honours list for his services to local government in relation to his previous work at City of Wolverhampton Council, where he was managing director from 2014 until 2018.

Mr Ireland’s consultancy service reportedly cost St Helen’s Council £930 a day according to a Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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