'I am very pleased to have this opportunity to help Northampton move forward': council confirms interim chief executive

Simon Bovey is currently deputy chief executive of Daventry District Council and his six-month secondment comes as the borough council considers appropriate long-term arrangements for its chief executive post.

An extraordinary meeting of Northampton’s full council has been called to ratify the arrangements along with the appointment of borough secretary, Francis Fernandes, as returning officer.

Northampton Borough Council leader Councillor Jonathan Nunn, said: “Having seen Simon in action during the past few years, we believe he is just the person we need to begin driving our work forward again, creating a positive culture in which everyone can work.

“He has stressed to us how keen he is to let staff demonstrate what they are capable of. We are grateful to Daventry – particularly the leader, councillor Chris Millar, and chief executive, Ian Vincent – for agreeing to this arrangement.”

Mr Bovey has been in local government for more than 30 years and alongside his role as Daventry’s deputy chief executive, he also acts as its monitoring officer. Mr Bovey has been head of paid service at Daventry on two previous occasions.

He is chairman of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and senior managers (SOLACE) East Midlands and, more locally, chairman of the Northamptonshire Local Nature Partnership and Northamptonshire Chief Planning Officers Group.

Mr Bovey said: “I am very pleased to have this opportunity to help Northampton move forward.”

The extraordinary full council meeting will take place at 6.30pm on Thursday, August 17, following, which Bovey will take up his secondment from early September.