A SUFFOLK council has appointed the husband of its outgoing chief executive as her successor.

Laurence Cawley

A SUFFOLK council has appointed the husband of its outgoing chief executive as her successor.

Geoff Rivers, current chief executive at South Norfolk District Council, will become the new chief executive at St Edmundsbury Borough Council.

He will replace his wife, Deborah Cadman, who left earlier this month to take on the top job at the East of England Development Agency.

The council will be asked to approve the appointment on July 1.

Mr Rivers has been at South Norfolk, which was rated “excellent” last year by the Audit Commission, for the past nine years.

St Edmundsbury Borough Council leader John Griffiths, said: "We had an incredibly strong field from which to choose our new chief executive.

“There was a rigorous assessment and interview process, with applicants from all over the country, and Geoff shone throughout as a dedicated professional, committed to improving our services still further.

“There is a challenging job for him ahead, steering St Edmundsbury through the local government review process, ensuring all our major projects stay on track and maintaining and improving our day-to-day services.

“However, I am confident Geoff has the skills and experience to ensure the borough council meets the aspirations of our residents and business community. I am pleased to report that the recruitment process and appointment has been carried out within existing budgets and I look forward to recommending Geoff to all of St Edmundsbury's councillors on 1 July."

"This has to be a unique situation, where the reins are handed over between two chief executives who have not only both steered their respective councils to 'excellent' status but are also married to one another. It is certainly unusual but Geoff was chosen on his own merits from a strong and competitive list of candidates and I am confident that he is the right person to take St Edmundsbury forward."

Before working in South Norfolk, Mr Rivers was employed by the Liverpool Partnership Group. Before this, his local government experience was gained in Middlesbrough, Birmingham City, Coventry and Newcastle.