THURROCK councillors have unanimously backed the appointment of a new chief executive.

News of the intended appointment of Debbie Ward was published by Thurrock Nub News last week (Tuesday, 14 July) and at this week's full council meeting her appointment was endorsed, although one councillor raised concerns about the recruitment process.

Ms Ward will take over at a pivotal time for Thurrock Council, which remains under commissioner oversight following the authority's £1.5 billion debt crisis and the issuing of a Section 114 notice in 2022.

She was previously CEO at Dorset Council between 2012 dnd 2018 when her tenure involved severe budget cuts, restructuring public services, and managing major structural changes across the county.Those changes ultimately ended hi her leaving with a redundancy package, valued in total (with pension) at around £475,000.

Ms Ward had applied for the chief executive roles at both of the new unitary authorities created in place of Dorset Council, but lost out to Matt Prosser for the Dorset area role and in Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole the top job went to one time Thurrock Council CEO Graham Farrant.

Following her departure from Dorset she has held roles with Homes Englandand the Local Government Authority.

Council leader Richard Bingley said Ms Ward's experience made her the right person to lead Thurrock.

He said: "This appointment is bang on time for Thurrock Council. There were so many compelling reasons why she was accepted.

"She has successfully led a major council through local government reorganisation in what was a very challenging environment. She also brings a strong professional background in housing and regeneration, which are key priorities for Thurrock.

"Housing is a challenging area for any local authority, so we very much welcome Debbie joining us.

"This appointment brings stability for Thurrock and reassurance for residents that the council is in safe hands."

Conservative councillor Qaisar Abbas welcomed the appointment and said he was "optimistic" Ms Ward would help restore confidence in the authority.

However, he also voiced concerns about the interview process, claiming he had not been informed he was expected to sit on the appointment panel.

"I still chose to attend and cancelled all my other appointments at the last minute because I did not want to criticise the process," he told the meeting.

Cllr Abbas also paid tribute to outgoing chief executive Dr Dave Smith for his contribution during a difficult period for the council.

Dr Smith will be leaving Thurrock to take on a similar role at another crisis and heavily indebted council, Slough, where he will again work under lead commissioner Gavin Jones, who also heads the Thurrock administrative pinnacle.

Labour councillor Aaron Green said Thurrock had been "rebuilding step by step" since the Section 114 notice was issued.

He said more than £500 million of the council's debt had been removed under the previous Labour administration, describing it as an important milestone in the authority's recovery.

"That progress must continue," he said.

Cllr Green also thanked Dr Smith for his service during the intervention period and wished him success for the future.

Mr Bingley likewise praised Dr Smith and the government commissioners for helping address the authority's financial problems.

He said the council had inherited huge financial challenges and pledged that the current administration would continue to manage the authority's finances responsibly.

"We will run this administration on a financially sound basis," he said. "You cannot spend money you do not have. If you do, you leave future generations with significant debt. That is the legacy of previous administrations in Thurrock, and it will not be our legacy."