Husband succeeds wife at council

Geoff Rivers will take over on 1 July if his appointment is approved

A borough council's chief executive who moved to a post with a regional agency has been succeeded by her husband.

Geoff Rivers, who heads South Norfolk District Council, will take over as chief executive at Bury St Edmunds from 1 July if the appointment is approved.

His wife Deborah Cadman, now heading the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), previously held the post.

The council leader John Griffiths said Mr Rivers was a dedicated professional and the succession was probably unique.

Mr Griffiths, said: "We had an incredibly strong field from which to choose and there was a rigorous assessment and interview process, with applicants from all over the country.

'Unique situation'

"Geoff shone throughout as a dedicated professional, committed to improving our services still further.

"There is a challenging job for him ahead, steering St Edmundsbury through the local government review process, ensuring all our major projects stay on track and maintaining and improving our day-to-day services."

On the choice of the previous job holder's husband he said: "This has to be a unique situation.

"The reins are handed over between two chief executives who have not only both steered their respective councils to "excellent" status but are also married to one another.

"It is certainly unusual but Geoff was chosen on his own merits from a strong and competitive list of candidates and I am confident that he is the right person to take St Edmundsbury forward."