CHIEF executive Colin Rockall this week agreed to quit his £63,000-a-year post with troubled West Somerset District Council.

The decision was announced to councillors on Monday - almost a year to the day after inquiries began into a catalogue of allegations against senior officers of the authority.

Councillors had since last December delayed a decision on whether to offer a new employment contract to Mr Rockall.

He was cleared by a panel of councillors only three months ago of any mismanagement or wrongdoing.

A council cabinet working group was set up three weeks ago to look at whether a new contract was appropriate and to make recommendations to the full council.

Now, Mr Rockall has decided not to seek a renewal of his five-year term when it expires next July.

Four years ago, Mr Rockall accepted an early retirement deal but was later persuaded to stay on with an enhanced salary package.

The formal task of recruiting a new chief executive will begin on Wednesday when the full council will consider the job specification and salary scale.

Mr Rockall said this week: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at West Somerset, particularly working with such loyal staff and a number of key members dedicated to the provision of quality services in the most effective way.

"I believe the structure the council now has in place will stand it in good stead and, indeed, is being seen nationally as a model to be followed by smaller authorities.

"With this in mind, I believe it is entirely appropriate for the authority to take advantage of the opportunity to appoint a new head of paid service who can build on these foundations and take the authority forward for many years to come."

Mr Rockall said the decision for his contract not to be renewed was reached by mutual agreement with members of the cabinet.

Council leader Cllr Steven Pugsley said: "Colin has proved to be an exceptional chief executive and has raised the profile of our authority on a national level.

"He has represented the interests of West Somerset both nationally and internationally.

"During his eight years with us he has seen us through some major changes, both organisationally and democratically, and also through some difficult times."

Cllr Pugsley said he was happy for Mr Rockall to continue to work out what was effectively a nine-months notice period.

He said Mr Rockall was in a different situation to other staff in a "sensitive" role who had resigned because of a disagreement and been asked to leave immediately.

"There is no question he has any difficulty or problem with the authority and the direction it is taking," said Cllr Pugsley.

But Cllr David Banks this week called for Mr Rockall to be released immediately from his post.

Cllr Banks said Mr Rockall should apply to himself his own advice not to allow officers in sensitive jobs to work their notice.

He said an urgent meeting of the full council should be called to "thrash out the impossible situation that is presently existing".

Cllr Banks said there were important questions to be asked about the running of the authority in recent years.

He said: "Given we are one of the smallest authorities with one of the smallest staffs in the land, how can the chief executive be totally unaware of all the discrepancies that have occurred in the staff and the discharge of their duties.

"If officers spent more time doing the job for which they were paid, not only would it be a happier authority, but the residents and ratepayers would be more satisfied."

However, cabinet member Cllr Simon Stokes said Mr Rockall had taken an "honourable" course in deciding to leave at the end of his contract.

Cllr Stokes said: "He has probably saved us a fair amount of internal wrangling, because there were people from across the political structure who were very much in favour of him and people who were very much not in favour of him.

"There were people from all sides who felt he should bear the blame for a lot of things that have gone wrong."

Cllr Stokes was happy to rely on Mr Rockall's professionalism to guide the authority through the next nine months.

He said it was unlikely a new chief executive could be recruited in any shorter period of time.

l Former building control manager Andrew Jeffery has been appointed head of a new environment and consumer services unit formed from the merger of his department with environmental health.

Former environmental health manager Malcolm Brooks was this week holding talks with the council about his possible future role.

l Environmental health officer Adrian Gardner was last week mistakenly reported by the Free Press to be leaving the authority. We apologise for the error.