LYN Carpenter, who started at Thurrock Council as its new Chief Executive on Monday (14 September), has issued the following statement:
Since my appointment, I have met many colleagues and visited some key parts of Thurrock, so I am not starting with a blank sheet, quite – still, I know I have much to do.
Thurrock has a rich history synonymous with its river heritage; it is a physically beautiful borough with a wonderful urban and rural mix and its location makes it strategically very important.
The more I learn about our borough, the more excited I become about the opportunities to do what is right for our residents.
At my interview, I asked each of the Councillors on the panel what makes Thurrock special to them. I was deeply impressed with the answers, all showing true commitment, passion and enthusiasm for both the people and for the place.
Much has been shared about the financial pressures facing us over the next four years which come with a backdrop of having already found efficiencies in the region of £60 million.
I am sure you have all felt the impact of the economic pressures, but we cannot allow this challenge to stymie our ambitions to continue to deliver excellent services on behalf of our residents.
We have a choice, either find creative ways of managing the financial pressures or revert to just reducing expenditure, further salami-slicing service provision.
My approach will be to build on the work to date, to grow our income and look at different ways to provide services to our residents.
Someone asked me recently what the role of a Chief Executive is? A very good question. Outside the confines of the Civic Offices it is to ensure everything the council does is about the people of the borough, the people we serve as public servants, a role which comes with a huge amount of responsibility as well as great satisfaction in getting it right (and getting it right first time will be really important to us going forward).
The vast majority of council staff are local people and I want to take advantage of that local knowledge and experience, so I am creating a new group with wide-ranging membership to shape the council’s people strategy and build on the positive culture in the organisation.
We have a huge challenge ahead to ensure all the change in the borough is being done with our residents and that will continue to be my number one priority.
I am very proud to have been appointed Chief Executive of Thurrock Council and while I recognise I may not get it right all the time, you have my commitment that I will do my very best to to make sure we get it right for the people in our borough.
