The ECHO understands the council has been looking for an interim chief executive since August
Finance director Matthew Bennett could soon take the top job at Wirral Council.(Image: Wirral Council)
A Merseyside area is due to get another top boss with a salary of £235,000 if councillors approve plans. Wirral Council said a recommendation from the local authority’s staffing committee will be made to a full council meeting on October 13 to appoint a new interim chief executive. The ECHO understands the council has been looking for someone to take on the role since August.
The council’s current finance director Matthew Bennett, who has been at Wirral for almost three years, is in line for the top job. The ECHO asked Wirral Council for clarification about the recruitment process for a new finance director if Mr Bennett is appointed to the top job.
The council said Mr Bennett said he would take up the role of interim chief executive next week if the move is approved by councillors, adding he “brings a wealth of experience, leadership, and understanding to the role”.
Paul Satoor, the council’s existing chief executive, has been absent from the role since June with his role being covered by neighbourhoods director Jason Gooding. An email seen by the ECHO in June said Mr Satoor was absent from work due to ill health and a councillor has since said this in public.
Mr Satoor is currently paid a total of £235,971 including pension contributions. In the email, the council at the time said Mr Gooding would “assume all roles and responsibilities, usually carried out by the chief executive”, adding: “This arrangement will ensure continuity until the chief executive returns.”
This is just the latest change in the council’s top team in recent months. At a staffing committee meeting on October 7, councillors voted to approve a search for a new regeneration director.
This follows the departure of previous director Marcus Shaw in August. In July, the ECHO revealed Mr Shaw was absent from work until further notice shortly after news broke about an investigation into a major Birkenhead regeneration project.
According to a report published before the October 7 meeting, councillors agreed to recruit an interim director several weeks later on August 12 during a meeting held in private.
Then later that month, just days before a scathing internal investigation report was published, the ECHO was told he had left the organisation. Mr Shaw has not responded to requests for comment.
The investigation looked into the problems faced by regeneration works in Birkenhead town centre. The scheme is massively over budget and behind schedule with a current estimated cost of around £24m.
The project has come under heavy fire from councillors and the public. However Conservative councillor Ian Lewis has defended both Mr Shaw and Mr Satoor claiming the former director and chief executive were unaware of the scheme’s problems.
An external independent investigation is expected to start shortly while the ECHO understands a wider review of several regeneration projects is due to be published next week.
The council also elected a new political leader in May with Rock Ferry councillor Paula Basnett taking on the role.