Following a council meeting on February 22, Alistair Cunningham OBE has been appointed as Tewkesbury Borough Council's new chief executive.

Mr Cunningham will take over from Mike Dawson who will retire on 12 June 2022 after 13 years as chief executive for the borough council, and after some 49 years of local government service.

Mike Dawson is said to have been instrumental in establishing Tewkesbury Borough Council as an organisation that puts the needs of its residents first and constantly delivers. Having faced many challenges, he is looking forward to spending more time with his family and exploring interests outside work.

Alistair Cunningham OBE will take up his new role at the council on June 13, having previously worked as joint chief executive at Wiltshire Council and as director of a public sector consultancy and programme management company.

He said: "I'm incredibly proud to be appointed to the role of Chief Executive at Tewkesbury Borough Council. It is an ambitious, forward-looking council and I am delighted to have been offered the opportunity of taking it further on its growth journey."

Tewkesbury Borough Council's leader, councillor Rob Bird, said: "We are extremely grateful to Mike Dawson for the fantastic service he has given over the last 13 years, from which we have all benefitted significantly. His leadership, contribution and positive impact has been exceptional, and we all wish him a very happy and well-deserved retirement.

"Looking to the future, I'm very pleased to be welcoming Alistair Cunningham to the council as our new Chief Executive. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience directly relevant to our plans for the future success and prosperity of this area, and the challenges we face, and we very much look forward to working with him."

The current salary of the post, as outlined in the Tewkesbury Borough Council's 2021/2022 pay policy statement, is £119,955 per annum.