Blackburn council chief retires

THE chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has announced that he is retiring from the authority.

Graham Burgess has been chief executive of the authority since 2006 and has won plaudits for his work, including being named fourth in a list of the 50 most influential local authority chiefs by Local Government Chronicle last year. He is also one of only three local authority chief executives national to run both the local authority and local health services.

Mr Burgess has been with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council since 1998 when he joined as executive director for regeneration and deputy chief executive. He now plans to take up a two-year interim post as chief executive of Wirral Borough Council.

Cllr Kate Hollern, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council said: “I will be very sorry to see Graham leave.

“I am very grateful for his many years of service to councillors and the people of this borough, and I know that his work will leave a lasting legacy for our residents.”

Mr Burgess said: “Despite the financial challenges deprived areas of the North West are now experiencing, Blackburn with Darwen can look forward to the future with confidence based on its track record in delivering excellent services to one of the most needy parts of the UK.”