New chief executive officially appointed to lead Bristol City Council

A new chief executive has been formally appointed by councilors to lead Bristol City Council as its top civil servant. Paul Martin will begin his role as interim chief executive on Monday 10 June.

The council’s chief executive is politically neutral, unlike the council leader or a directly elected mayor, who are elected politicians in political parties. Mr Martin will be tasked with advising and supporting councilors in delivering their policy plans for the city.

He was officially appointed at an extraordinary council meeting on Monday, June 3, which lasted less than five minutes. This followed a closed-door interview by a committee of advisers.

Read more: How to get paid to count Bristol’s general election votes

Read more: Nominations are now open for candidates to be Bristol’s next MP

Green councilor Tony Dyer, leader of the council, said: “This has gone through a robust select committee with cross-party membership. There was also the opportunity for all party group leaders to meet and talk with Paul. The LGA (Local Government Association) provided an independent person who assessed the process as robust.”

Mr Martin was previously Chief Executive of Wandsworth and Richmond-upon-Thames Borough Councils in London and Chief Executive of the Government of Jersey. He will lead the board through a transition period as the new committee system is put in place.

Stephen Peacock, former chief executive, is leaving the council for a new role as chief executive of the West of England Combined Authority. He had held the top position on the council for less than two years.

The Executive Director is the main political advisor, manager and coordinator of the council. Mr Martin is taking up the post on an interim basis, so he could only lead Bristol City Council for a short time before a longer-term replacement is found.