Ex-town hall boss quits job after row (From Blackburn Citizen)

Ex-town hall boss quits job after row

11:41am Tuesday 10th July 2007

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A FORMER chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen council has quit his latest job after a row with union officials.

Ex-town hall supremo Gerald Davies, 58, was hired by Flintshire County Council in North Wales to ensure the smooth running of public consultations over the proposed transfer of local authority housing stock.

Local government union Unison had asked the council for the addresses of council house owners, so they could state their case on the stock transfer.

Instead Mr Davies, as interim community and housing director, sent out a controversial letter to tenants, in which he asked for their permission to release their details.

In it he warned householders they could be hassled by sales callers if they released personal information to third parties'.

Following a rumpus - which prompted an emergency meet-ing of Flintshire council - Mr Davies has agreed to step down.

Mr Davies, formerly of Wilpshire, left the Blackburn council nearly a decade ago with a £100,000 golden handshake after the chief executive's job was given to his deputy, Phil Watson, after the authority's successful breakaway from Lancashire County Council.

Ironically, in 1997 Unison had expressed grave concern after the decision not to allow Mr Davies to continue at the helm of the new unitary council.

In North Wales he had been brought in, on a rumoured £800- a-day contract, to manage the housing stock transfer issue.

In a statement released following his departure, Mr Davies said: "In the circum-stances I have taken the view it is not possible for me to carry on and it is in the best interests of the council, its staff and tenants to bring my contract to an end.

"During my time with the council a lot has been achieved and many issues which had been major problems for the auth-ority have now been resolved or are substantially on their way to resolution. I wish the council well in its endeavours."

Union officials insist they only wanted addresses of tenants - and not names - to allow them to give their views on the proposed housing stock transfer.

The council's leader Aaron Shotton said: "The letter caused unnecessary concern amongst the tenants. Throughout the housing stock options process, it is important that we are open and transparent."

Mr Davies was at the helm in Blackburn from July 1990, having previously been housing director for Cardiff City Council and held senior positions in the London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham.

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