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An interesting debate seems to be emerging around minister John Healey's views about recruitment to senior positions in newly-created unitaries.

Apparently, the Government favours open competition for the new chief executive roles, but some senior roles would not be open to district council officers. I must say, I don't quite follow the principle – or the logic if it's true. I think we can all accept that there are certain, specialist roles which may limit the range of applicants and this is the case with many existing positions.

However, there is a long history of district colleagues moving successfully into county/unitary roles. Also, just because someone has worked within a particular discipline for a number of years, does not mean they will make a successful move into a senior management role, which is often based on a range of more generic management competencies. Indeed, in some cases, people who have not evolved from a particular professional culture, may be better placed to challenge certain accepted norms and stimulate new thinking and improvements in service to the community.

If the Government is serious about issuing such a directive, then what message does this send about central-local relations? I also wonder whether this approach – if applied – flies directly in the face of the concepts of equality of opportunity and local choice, which Whitehall has always been keen to champion. If a new administration appoints a new chief executive to fulfil its local agenda, surely both politicians and that chief executive are going to want the opportunity to jointly recruit their senior team from the best in the market.

Otherwise, where does this leave the issues of ownership and perhaps, more importantly, local accountability?

It seems we've been encouraged to test the market, in terms of ensuring the best service provider, but now it appears the market may have less of a role to play in the establishment of these new authorities. So, why comment from Cambridgeshire where we're not embroiled in LGR? Well, I think it's important to local government, as a whole, when certain key principles are potentially threatened. I've always been a great advocate of local choice – as I'm sure most of us are – and if the Government appears to threaten that concept, then it's important to defend it.

I hope Mr Healey carefully considers any ‘guidance' for the establishment of the new unitaries to enable new administrations and their chief executives to make a success of the job, to own their decisions and to be accountable to local people for their actions.

Isn't that what local governance is all about? n

Tim Pilsbury at chief executive at Fenland DC