Mark left isolated by the loss of his friends, Jill Dixon could be next to leave?

Council chief quits ahead of shake-up
Apr 30 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal
NORTHUMBERLAND’S top council official has revealed he is leaving his post in the middle of a massive shake-up of local government in the county.
County council chief executive Mark Henderson, 44, will quit his £150,000-a-year job next month – leaving the way clear for the appointment of a new senior officer to oversee the radical switch to unitary local government next year.
Mr Henderson – who has been with the county council for almost five years – was one of the main driving forces behind the successful bid to the Government to create a single, all-purpose council for Northumberland.
Along with the council’s Labour leadership, he alienated the majority of local residents who took part in opinion polls, many district councillors and the county’s four MPs, all of whom favoured two separate unitary authorities along urban and rural lines.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Mr Henderson and two of his senior colleagues had been awarded controversial 20% salary hikes in order to retain their services during the complex process of implementing the new authority.
Now, on the eve of elections for the unitary council, Mr Henderson has announced he will be leaving towards the end of May, and plans to set up his own consultancy business in the North East.
His departure, and the terms of a confidential severance package, were agreed by the council’s staff committee which met on Monday.
It is understood Mr Henderson feels that by announcing his departure now – and not applying for the £180,000-a-year post of chief executive with the new council – it will encourage high quality candidates to apply in the knowledge that he is not in the running for the job.
Last night, the county council said the size of his severance payment would not be disclosed, but added that Mr Henderson has voluntarily waived his right to a significant sum he could have received had he stayed on and been made redundant.
The authority also pointed out that the 20% retention payment was to secure his services until the appointment of a new chief executive, which will happen in June.
A spokeswoman added: “Mr Henderson has fulfilled the requirement of that retention scheme, but has asked that the retention payments cease.”
Last night, Mr Henderson faced criticism over his decision to go now. The Conservative Party’s Parliamentary spokesman for the Berwick constituency, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said: “Some of us will feel incredibly let down by the fact that Mark Henderson has driven through, with the Secretary of State, this unitary council, accepted a 20% salary rise and given the impression to all that he would be seeing through these changes.
“Now it turns out he is up and leaving, with a confidential payout, and not seeing the project through.”
Blyth Valley Labour MP Ronnie Campbell said: “Mark Henderson is leaving Northumberland with a new system of local government which most people didn’t want and which he personally pushed very hard for.”
Mr Henderson said: “I am proud of my contribution to Northumberland but feel it is time to move on and for a new chief executive to come in right at the start of the creation of a new council.”
Council leader Peter Hillman, who will not be part of the unitary council after being de-selected by Labour, said: “I am sad to see Mark leaving but I also feel that this is a good time for a new person to come into one of the top jobs in local government.”
Cull of supporters left chief isolated
DUNDEE-BORN Mark Henderson took over as Northumberland County Council chief executive in the summer of 2003, moving from his previous job as director of operations with regional development agency One NorthEast.
Since then he has helped spearhead the successful campaign to win Government backing for the creation of one unitary council to run the county, rather than the rival bid for two unitaries along urban and rural lines. However, the recent internal party cull of senior Labour county councillors who supported the single unitary bid has left him in an increasingly isolated position.
Mr Henderson was an elected councillor on Dundee District Council in the early 1990s and worked at several Scottish councils.
Before moving to One NorthEast in 2000, he was assistant director of environment and public protection at North Lincolnshire Council.