Sedgemoor has a new Chief Executive and it’s Bridgwater born and bred Allison Griffin who was appointed today with unanimous backing of the entire council. Proposed by Tory Leader Cllr Duncan McGinty (Con, East Polden) and Seconded by acting Labour Leader Cllr Brian Smedley (Lab, Bridgwater Westover) Allison will be in post from 1st January 2018 bringing to an end the interim period following the sudden resignation of former Cex Kerry Rickards.
Allison is a former Blake School and Bridgwater College student and lives in the town.
Proposing the appointment, Cllr McGinty said “Allison has been with Sedgemoor since 1991 initially as an accountant then in 2000 as Head of Finance and from 2004 as a Corporate Director. Kerry Rickards had been threatening to leave for a couple of years but we were not prepared to give a 6 figure settlement and so when he jumped last summer Allison was appointed in his place. Since her appointment moral has risen around the Council, she is staff friendly and she has brought in the stability, leadership and direction that this council needs to face the changes ahead”.
The proposal also included a restructure of top management posts which reduced the number of Corporate Directors from 3 to 2.
Bridgwater Backing
Acting Labour Leader Cllr Smedley said after the meeting “The Labour group 100% endorses this appointment. We are thrilled to have some home grown talent in the top position of this authority and we hope that this will mean that Bridgwater and Sedgemoor can finally work together to take us all forward . We also welcome the reduction in the top heavy senior management and in fact had suggested this in our manifesto. This is a budget saving to the people of Sedgemoor and with no loss of personnel. “
The Trenches fall silent
Peace was breaking out everywhere over the Christmas season all across Bridgwater today as the annual student Rag Day went off without any incidents and with students and Police fraternising on the front line. Leader of Bridgwater Town Council Brian Smedley said “I don’t like it….it’s too quiet.”