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Aberdeen City Council's beleaguered chief executive will leave this summer, as a panel of experts moves in. Douglas Paterson dramatically announced he would retire early, just before the start of the Accounts Commission's best value inquiry into the council on 13 May. The date of his departure has now been set as 13 August, with the recruitment process already under way to find his replacement after more than 12 years in the job. In the meantime, a team of nine local government experts is set to meet at the end of this month to offer advice and assistance to the council in carrying out its improvement plan. The peer review panel is made up of chief executives from Glasgow, Edinburgh, West Lothian and North Lanarkshire councils; leaders from Stirling, Angus and Scottish Borders councils; COSLA president, Pat Watters; and the former Lib Dem leader of Aberdeenshire Council. They are scheduled to meet for the first time on 27 June to scrutinise the council's improvement plan, and advise on how to meet the recommendations of the Accounts Commission in the wake of its damning assessment of the council's affairs. The public sector watchdog warned the council following the best value audit it ‘lacks a full appreciation of the seriousness of its current circumstances'. The town hall must now implement eight recommendations before a follow-up report in 12 months' time.

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WHITEHALL

'Experts' move in at Aberdeen

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