THE London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and Thurrock Council have agreed, after two successful years of sharing a Chief Executive, that they now need more capacity to take forward their exciting agendas for change and growth.
Cllr John Kent, Leader of Thurrock Council, said: “I am pleased that Thurrock Council has been able to provide this level of support to Barking & Dagenham for the last two years and this certainly is not the end of our shared ambition for growth and development along the Thames Gateway; an arrangement which has benefitted everybody for the last two years.”
And Cllr Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking & Dagenham Council, said: “Our new administration has set out an exciting and challenging agenda for the borough, locking our future more strongly into the London economy and working with a range of partners around east London and beyond.”
Graham Farrant has worked as a shared Chief Executive across both Thurrock and Barking and Dagenham since July 2012 and the two councils share a number of central services including Legal Services and a joint Strategy Team – links which will continue.
He explained: “The pace of change that is needed to respond to the agenda of the new administration in Barking and Dagenham, alongside the massive savings agenda for all local authorities, means that a full-time appointment is now needed.”
Graham will revert to his substantive role as Chief Executive of Thurrock Council once a full time appointment is made in Barking & Dagenham.
He added: “I am proud to have worked as chief executive for the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham for a second time, alongside my substantive role with Thurrock Council – it has been a privilege to help shape the growth agenda and to look at infrastructure investment requirements across a wider area and to establish the new vision and priorities.
“I will wish the borough well in due course, but for now we have to get on with establishing a balanced budget for next year in both councils.”
