Leader rows back on plan to axe chief exec role after legal advice

Plans to make the post of chief executive at Oxfordshire County Council redundant have had to be put on hold following legal advice, the local authority’s Leader has admitted.

Last month the council took the decision to scrap the role. But in a statement last week Cllr Ian Hudspeth acknowledged that there had been questions from councillors about the process.

He said: “[On] further legal advice the decision cannot stand without returning to full council. I am therefore taking this opportunity to review the overall proposal.

“I still believe the county council can operate successfully without a chief executive, but I accept concerns raised by council members about the risks. That is why it is right that we take more time to consider the options and include the views of all members.”

Cllr Hudspeth accepted that he “may have acted hastily” and he was sorry this had happened.

“However I acted with the best of intentions so the saving could be included as part of the budget process,” he added. “The council faces unprecedented budget pressures, and we need to act boldly to reduce costs while continuing to deliver good services.

“The cross-party review will give us more time to consider all the options for managing the county council as it faces the financial challenges ahead.”