Council set to appoint new finance boss

Cheshire East Council is next week expected to rub-stamp the appointment of a new finance boss on an annual salary of £142,951.

Ashley Hughes is the preferred candidate to become the council’s executive director of resources, chief finance and S151 officer with a starting date yet to be confirmed.

He will take over from interim head of finance Adele Taylor who was appointed on a temporary basis in June of last year on a daily rate of £1,100.

As part of that interim employment agreement, the council had to stump up an extra £198 a day for the recruitment agency plus, what it described as, ‘other role costs including pension, apprenticeship levy and other transaction fees’.

This new permanent appointment will mean a substantial saving to Cheshire East on this one salary alone – although the council is still shelling out money on other interim roles while it looks to recruit to several permanent senior management posts.

A report to next week’s meeting of the full council reveals eight candidates had applied for the job.

It states: “The appointments committee members agreed to recommend to council that the preferred candidate, Ashley Hughes, be recommended to council for appointment.”

Mr Hughes has been director of resources and S151 at Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council since April 2023.

Between 2020 and 2023, he was the assistant director of finance and deputy S151 officer at the London Borough of Barnet.

The council meeting takes place at Tatton Park at 11am on Wednesday, February 26.