Brighton and Hove City Council chief executive Penny Thompson is to leave the council at the end of this month it was announced today.

Following a special meeting of the council's policy and resources committee on June 18 the council issued a statement saying that ‘chief executive Penny Thompson will be stepping down on 30 June 2015' and adding ‘interim arrangements, pending the recruitment of a new chief executive will be agreed at full council on Thursday 16 July Until then cover arrangements have been agreed between Penny and the executive leadership team.'