Council chooses new chief executive

Shropshire Council has announced its new chief executive as Tanya Miles.

Miles, who had served as the authority's interim CEO since September, has worked at the authority since 1999.

Her predecessor, Andy Begley, had been in the role since 2020 and had overseen significant cuts as the authority sought to avoid bankruptcy.

Miles joined the council as a social worker and council leader Heather Kidd, said she had shown a "genuine love of this county and a lifetime of service to its people".

The new chief also served as director of adult social services and led the children's services department before landing the top job, which was advertised with a salary of £177,000.

She said her focus would be on "supporting our workforce, working closely with members, and delivering the plans we have in place to stabilise, improve and put the council on a sustainable footing for the future".

The council was told in February it would receive government loans worth £192.8m to help it balance its books over the coming years.

No reason was given for Begley's decision to step down last year, but he had been criticised by the local branch of union Unison, which said he had "failed to act, failed to listen, and failed to protect this council from disaster".

In a statement released as he vacated the role, Begley said leading an organisation "of this size and complexity through such challenging periods has been difficult but also a privilege", adding that he was "very proud of what we've achieved together".

On the appointment of his successor, Kidd said Miles had shown she was "tough but fair" and ambitious for the local authority.

She said she was the right person to lead the efforts to stabilise its finances.

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