AFTER steering the county through a heavy reduction in funding, flooding nightmare and Covid-19, the chief executive of Herefordshire Council is planning his retirement.

Alistair Neill has announced his planned retirement in early 2021 from his top role at Herefordshire Council after eight years. Mr Neill is the county’s longest serving chief executive.

Recently he has led the organisation through the longest emergency period in its post-war history.

During his role Mr Neill has also steered the council through the extraordinary challenges of a 99 per cent reduction in direct grant, and more recently through the worst floods in our county’s history.

“Herefordshire is a wonderful county and it has been a great privilege to be entrusted as chief executive for eight years, working with a fantastic council team, a really committed workforce, councillors who really care about the county’s future, and great partners across the public sector," he said in a statement.

"I know that the county will continue to go from strength to strength.” Councillor David Hitchiner, leader of Herefordshire Council said that Mr Neill had experience and knowledge to lead the county’s response to these challenges.

“Alistair has had a remarkable career and during his time in Herefordshire he has successfully steered the Council through significant challenges," said Cllr Hitchiner.

"The past nine months have been especially challenging with floods and now the difficulties caused by Covid.

"He will leave Herefordshire Council with our thanks.” Councillor Tony Johnson has worked for five years working with Mr Neill and praised his committment to keeping Herefordshire safe.

“I became leader of the council in 2013 shortly after Alistair’s appointment and spent the next five years working closely with him," said Cllr Johnson.

"Together with our respective teams we steered Herefordshire through the most difficult financial period in this council’s history, managing drastic reductions in income.

"His commitment to keeping Herefordshire safe during the pandemic has been outstanding.

"It has been a pleasure in both practical and personal terms to have worked with Alistair. I offer my thanks for all his work and best wishes in whatever he chooses to do next.” Alistair was previously a chief executive of multinationals in the private sector for 12 years, before switching to the public sector as chief executive in local government for 17 years, with one-year leading capability reviews in the Prime Minister’s office.

He has received national leadership awards for both the private and the public sector. Future plans for the chief executive role will be announced by the leader of the council at a later date.