Members of West Somerset Council will meet next week to discuss plans to get rid of their
chief executive and instead share a top officer with Taunton Deane BC.

The councillors will discuss a report on 22 July, which recommends that the current chief executive,
Adrian Dyer, step aside from his role as head of paid services from the end of his notice period in October.

However, the report states Mr Dyer will be retained by the council until the end of March
2014 to ensure a smooth handover, and Taunton Deane BC chief executive, Penny James, will head up both authorities from May 2015 onwards.

Members of Taunton Deane BC will discuss the plans on 23 July.

In a joint statement, the leaders of both councils, Cllr Tim Taylor and Cllr John Williams, said: ‘The chief executive will be key to shaping and influencing the proposals for joint management and shared services by fasttracking this one element of the project, we are sending a clear signal that we believe the business case can be taken forward.'