The Senior Appointments Committee of West Northamptonshire Council met on Thursday 4 June 2026. The primary item scheduled for discussion was the appointment to the role of Executive Director Place, Economy & Environment. The meeting was also scheduled to address procedural matters, including apologies for absence, declarations of interest, and chairman's announcements, before moving to an item where the press and public were to be excluded.

Appointment of Executive Director Place, Economy & Environment

The committee was scheduled to consider the appointment to the Chief Officer role of Executive Director Place, Economy and Environment. This process is governed by section 9.5 of the Council's Constitution, specifically the Staff Employment Rules. These rules outline the responsibilities of the Senior Appointments Committee in overseeing the filling of Chief Officer vacancies.

The report pack detailed the steps involved in the appointment process, which include:

• Drawing up a statement specifying the duties, salary, and required qualifications for the role.
• Arranging for the post to be advertised effectively to reach qualified candidates.
• Providing the statement of duties and qualifications to any interested party upon request.
• Selecting a shortlist of qualified candidates and conducting interviews.
• Following interviews, the committee would form a view on the most suitable candidate.
• The committee or Chief Officer would then inform the Corporate Director Workforce, Technology and Change of the proposed appointment and any relevant particulars.
• This information would then be shared with the Cabinet, allowing for a period where objections could be raised.
• An offer of appointment could only be made once any objections were resolved or deemed not material.

The report pack stated that it was recommended that the Senior Appointments Committee consider the appointment of the Executive Director. It also noted that In the event that the panel are of the view that there is no suitable candidate the post must be readvertised. ¹