New Chief Executive for Broadland District Council?

It seems that rumours about Broadland District Council's Chief Executive post may have some foundation after all - since Colin Bland's resignation things have been remarkably quiet. However, a member of the public has told us that they put in a Freedom of Information request to the council to find out when the post was to be advertised. The response they received is printed below:

"thank you for your enquiry. The elected members of the Council have decided that their preference is to appoint the new Chief Executive from the current members of staff. As a result there are no plans to externally advertise the post."

So - no recruitment process. This might seem strange to those of you who have worked in the public sector and have had to advertise posts externally in the interests of transparency and fairness. Those of you who have gone through the lengthy application procedures, selection tests and interviews for such posts will also be surprised that for such a prominent position all this has been apparently by-passed .

A quick look at the SOLACE (society of local authority chief executives) website about recruitment elicited the following from their Blog:

" Apparently recruitment and selection firms are reporting that it is becoming harder and harder to get good shortlists for chief executive posts. Indeed one Council failed completely to get any sort of shortlist and is having to try again. Now there are many reasons why this might be happening but one issue comes up time after time. Possible recruits from the next tier in local government are looking at the top job and deciding it is not for them. With the chief executive role now such a political football they have made a decision that it is simply not worth the grief, and are deciding not to step up. This is bad news.  When many able people are not prepared to consider a role that they ought to relish, then we are all missing out on potential public sector leaders, at a time when they are most needed."

This might well still be the case but to not even bother to seek potential external candidates for this position (a political football indeed!) could be seen as a dereliction of duty to the Broadland community if indeed the community's best interests have ever been considered. Moreover, if BDC are not advertising this post there are only two senior managers in BDC and one has already been introduced to new councillors as the next Chief Executive so we await the announcement with scarcely bated breath!

12 comments:

  1. Rackheath Home owner13 June 2011 at 09:35

    Boring !! More Broadland Council bashing from a group called SNUB, i only pop on here to have a read once a month. Its all the same, ANTI Broadland Council 24-7 maybe a new name ?
    `BCBG` Broadland Council Bashing Group ?

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  2. If the SNUB group of residents are now accused of Broadland Council Bashing just because they are standing up for the residents, then we have surely lost our Democracy. If Broadland Council had listened to the residents three years ago there would have been no need for SNUB. Remember the promises made at that first meeting in Rackheath !

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  3. David Hastings13 June 2011 at 17:32

    As a past Chairman of Broadland District Council may I say that I believe the residents affected by the massive NE Triangle urbanisation have every right to criticise the Council if their concerns are not being listened to. Certainly in my day we believed we were elected to serve our residents and not act as dictators.

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  4. They have consistently ignored and over ridden the residents wishes regarding the proposed developments and have also displayed considerable ability to behave undemocratically. Do you think we should send them a well done card.? !!

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  5. So, David Hastings, when you appointed a new Chief Exec at Broadland, you did it by a vote of all local residents? I think not...

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  6. Dustbindale and Thorpe Marriott happened on David Hastings' watch - what was different then?
    Oh yes, they weren't at the end of his road. How silly of me...

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  7. Hey i have many Friends who live on Dusingdale, its a rather nice estate, i agree it was built on farm fields, but it works ! I drove through the estate before it was built. So David made the right Choice ? Cetainily looks and works now ? In fact i David did make the right choice back then, providing many new homes for new famililies. So why is David so against a second time araound ? why is Rackheath so different from Dussingdale ?
    David please explain.

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  8. Clearly the houses in Dussindale were only built to provide hugeprofits to developers and massage the egos of Broadland District councillors and planners. The houses were not needed and thats why no one lives in them. And there are no jobs in the area which is why the people who dont live there dont work.

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  9. Come on, The houses are full, Dussingdale is a great estate get a grip !!!!

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  10. David Hastings17 June 2011 at 08:28

    Sadly I just cannot reply to anyone who hides behind "anonymous". If only they were not so scared of revealing their identity we could give them so many answers as to why Broadland District Council in those years made many decisions on housing, job provision and sporting facilities after consulting closely and getting the approval of the Parish Councils.

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  11. ........And the winner IS ???....Phil Kirby..(applauase,appluase..clap,clap,cheer,cheer)...nowin a 'fair and just' society, I ask you, how the hell could I predict with certainty that result?....

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  12. Edward Poynter23 June 2011 at 09:50

    What is all this "Your comment will be visible after approval" when trying to post a comment.
    Is this Snub's latest form of censorship. What is the betting that this does not get posted!

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