A man who has spent three decades at Preston City Council will be its new caretaker boss.

Interim chief executive Adrian Phillips is to take up his post from Saturday 19 May.

He replaces current chief exec Lorraine Norris who has decided to retire from the six-figure salaried role.

Norris has been in the chief exec role since 2009 and came into with the shadow of the Tithebarn collapse.

Current director of environment Phillips has worked on the Guild celebrations, restoration of Avenham and Miller Parks and has most recently led the work on the Preston Markets redevelopment.

He said: “It has been my privilege to serve the city of Preston and the council for the past 32 years, and I look forward to continuing to do so in my exciting new role. I am passionate about supporting the city’s economic growth and development, and am ready to support Councillors and partners to meet any challenges head on.

“The Council has an ambitious agenda for the city, wanting the very best for our residents and we will continue to work creatively with partners to deliver results for every community and every part of Preston. Everyone benefits from a growing city and economy, and continuing the strong track record of development and partnership is a key priority.”

The city’s Labour-run cabinet has agreed to appoint Phillips as interim chief exec until May 2019 – the year the city will go to the polls in an all-out election.

Read more: Here’s who wants your vote in the 2018 local elections in Preston

There’s also due to be a change in the leader of the council as councillor Peter Rankin is stepping down due to his battle with brain cancer.

Chair of the cross-party appointment committee for the chief executive role councillor Robert Boswell said: “Following a rigorous interview process, including a guest panel of external stakeholders, we agreed to appoint Adrian as the Interim Chief Executive, until May 2019.

“It was a strong competition between the internal candidates but we are confident that Adrian will be a great asset to the City Council in this new role.”

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