The network of nine chief executives who represented their regions in the run-up to Brexit will be expanded, The MJ has learnt.

It is understood that senior Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) officials - who are keen to ‘tap into the knowledge and expertise of councils across the country' - have backed the idea of appointing a second council chief executive for each region from April as part of a plan to ‘spread the workload and increase the overall capacity of the group'.