Brentwood Borough Council has confirmed the permanent appointment of Philip Ruck as its Head of Paid service.

Mr Ruck was initially appointed as Interim Head of Paid Service of the Council in May 2015 following the departure of the Chief Executive who left for a new role at another organisation.

At Ordinary Council on Wednesday 18 November, Councillors unanimously approved the permanent appointment of Philip Ruck as Head of Paid Service for Brentwood Borough Council on a salary of £90,000 per annum plus £5,000 per annum performance related pay.

The performance related pay will be subject to achievement of agreed objectives.

On his role, Philip Ruck said “It is an honour and privilege to be given the opportunity to serve in Brentwood as the senior officer in Brentwood Council.

"The last 6 months have furthered my impression of caring and dedicated employees who have a heart for the community and it is them and the Members that I wish to thank.

"There is no hiding from the pressure local government is under but "Team Brentwood" is one of the best I have worked alongside.

"I believe that together we can deliver the services and projects that make a positive difference to the Borough and its residents”.

The Leader of Brentwood Borough Council, Councillor Louise McKinlay, said: “We are very lucky to have someone of Phil's calibre and experience take on the senior officer role here in Brentwood and his appointment brings further stability to the Council.

"Since May, a number of projects have been progressed and Phil has demonstrated a real drive for delivery and strong people-management skills.

"I have very much enjoyed working with him and look forward to continuing to do so."

Cllr McKinlay added: "Forever mindful of the public sector purse, the appointment to the position will give us a strong candidate on a very competitive salary.

"In this current environment, this is extremely important and demonstrates that public sector pay constraint is possible.

"The decision secures talented senior management for our Council as we continue to deliver for Brentwood residents."