The Senior Appointments Committee of West Northamptonshire Council is scheduled to meet to discuss the appointment of a new Chief Executive, who will also be the Head of Paid Service¹. The meeting will also cover standard agenda items such as apologies for absence, declarations of interest, and any urgent business.

Appointment of Chief Executive

The main item on the agenda is the appointment of a Chief Executive for West Northamptonshire Council. According to the Senior Appointments Committee 8 and 9 Dec 2025 report, the committee will consider the appointment to the Statutory Chief Officer role, and that this appointment will be made in compliance with the council's constitution.

The report pack outlines the process the committee must follow, according to section 9.5 of the Staff Employment Rules:

• Drawing up a statement specifying the duties, salary, and required qualifications for the post.
• Advertising the post to attract qualified candidates.
• Sending the statement of duties and qualifications to anyone who requests it.
• Selecting a shortlist of candidates and interviewing them.

Following interviews, the committee will decide on the most suitable candidate and advise the Assistant Director HR of their name and any other relevant information. The Assistant Director HR will then notify the Cabinet, giving them five working days to raise any objections.

According to the report pack, an offer of appointment can only be made if:

• The Leader of the Council, Councillor Mark Arnull, on behalf of the Cabinet, raises no objections within the specified period.
• The Assistant Director HR confirms that no objections were received.
• The committee is satisfied that any objections raised by the Leader are not well-founded, seeking advice from the Director of Governance and Monitoring Officer (Interim) if necessary.

If there are no objections, or any objections are overruled, the committee will recommend the chosen candidate for appointment at the next Full Council meeting, or a specially convened meeting. If Full Council approves the recommendation, a formal appointment can then be made.

The report also notes that if the panel believes there is no suitable candidate, the post must be readvertised. If Full Council does not approve the committee's recommendation, it will indicate how it wishes to proceed.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The agenda frontsheet indicates that the committee will consider a motion to exclude the press and public from the remainder of the meeting. This is because there is likely to be disclosure of exempt information as defined by Section 100(1) of the Local Government Act 1972², specifically paragraph 1 of Schedule 12A to the act.