Agenda item

Consideration was given to a report on a proposal for a restructuring of the senior management of the Council (Corporate Management Team) and included the creation of a new directorate including the recruitment of a new Director post to optimise senior leadership capacity, ensure the delivery of our ambitious economic growth programme and the Powering our Future Programme provide capacity to deliver on the agreed ambitions of the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP).

In order to ensure effective senior leadership during this period of transformation and change and to ensure that council priorities are delivered, changes were required to the Council’s current senior management structure. This would see the creation of one additional director and a rebalancing of portfolios across the corporate management team. The proposed changes would provide additional strategic leadership and focus, in addition to providing support to members and the Chief Executive to lead and deliver the Council’s transformation, regeneration and growth plans.

The proposals identify that separating out the regeneration and place making functions from the council’s finance functions and transformation programme would increase capacity and focus enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency resulting in overall better outcomes for communities and the borough as a whole. The fundamental issue in bringing forward these proposals was that there was a lack of senior capacity and therefore the ability to deliver and continue delivering over the medium to longer term was at risk unless this is strengthened.

Services ‘in scope’ of the new Regeneration and Growth directorate include:-

• Place development

• Economic Development

• Major Projects

• Highways Design

• Property/Assets/FM

• Planning and Building Control

• Learning and Skills

It was proposed that these services form the core of the new directorate. The review also considered that fairer Stockton on Tees and strategic housing could be better delivered if more closely aligned with the existing adults and health portfolio. As this change was only relatively minor, in terms of the number of employees affected, it had already been made under delegated powers by changing line management responsibilities.

Services ‘in scope’ of the revised Finance, Transformation and Performance directorate included:-

• Finance

• Revenues, Benefits and Welfare

• Xentrall

• Powering our Future Programme

• Strategic Planning and Performance

In addition, the additional responsibilities also of the Deputy Chief Executive would remain.

The process to introduce a new director would take some time, usually at least 6 months (or more) for a senior level recruitment, therefore be necessary to put in place some interim arrangements whilst that process begins.

There was a recognition that as the transformation programme delivered out, that the management capacity needed by the council would need to flex and change. The report therefore recognised that at the culmination of the transformation programme it was likely to be necessary to take a fresh look at senior capacity at that time.

RESOLVED that:-

1. The post of Director of Regeneration and Inclusive Growth be created with the responsibilities as set out within the report.

2. The modifications to the role of the Director Finance, Development and Regeneration and Deputy Chief Executive including a change in job title to Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Finance, Transformation & Performance with the responsibilities as set out within the report be approved.

3. The Chief Executive be delegated to make whatever arrangements are necessary to implement the new directorate structures, including any necessary changes to responsibilities at or below director level