The General Purposes Committee convened to discuss and approve the salary ranges for two key Chief Officer positions: the Interim Head of Procurement and the Director of Place and Growth. The committee agreed to the recommendations outlined in the reports, authorising the Chief Executive to establish appointment panels for these roles in consultation with party group leaders.

Chief Officer Recruitment

The committee addressed the recruitment process for two chief officer positions within the council.

Director of Place and Growth

The committee agreed to the salary range for the Director of Place and Growth, set at £177,822–£189,942, in accordance with the council’s pay policy. The Chief Executive has delegated authority, in consultation with party group leaders, to establish an appointment panel for this position.

Interim Head of Procurement

The committee agreed to the salary range for the Interim Head of Procurement, set at £96,049 - £107,175, in accordance with the council’s pay policy. The Chief Executive also has delegated authority, in consultation with party group leaders, to establish an appointment panel for this position.

This decision was made in light of the upcoming replacement of the council's financial system, for which the recruitment of a project team is underway. The proposal involves the flexible retirement of the current Head of Procurement to work on the project, creating an internal opportunity for a senior member of the procurement staff to develop into the role.

According to the Public Reports Pack, the council purchased a new financial system from TechnologyOne in the summer of 2025 as part of a modernisation effort. A key aspect of this is the introduction of an automated Purchase to Pay (P2P) Business Process. The current Head of Procurement has prior experience in implementing P2P systems. To enable them to focus on this project, the council intends to fill their substantive role on an interim basis, potentially offering a development opportunity to existing staff. Once the P2P project is complete, the council will review the position for a permanent appointment.

The report outlined two options:

• Option 1 (Preferred): Approve the recommendations, filling the role for the Financial System Replacement Project and offering a development opportunity to internal staff.
• Option 2: Reject the recommendations, requiring the council to seek an external candidate at a higher cost and with potential delays.

The preferred option aligns with the council's missions to be an adaptive and efficient organisation. The Assistant Chief Executive, Ian Tasker, noted that the actions outlined in the report would help to mitigate one of the risks in the Financial Systems Replacement project.

Other Business

The committee also addressed the following items:

• Declarations of Interest: Councillors were asked to declare any personal or financial interests in items on the agenda, with reference to the council's constitution and code of conduct.
• Minutes: The minutes of the previous meeting held on 25 June 2025 were approved as an accurate record.