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Blackpool Council has appointed Martin Lawton as its new director of adult services.Lawton is currently deputy director of adult services at Rochdale BC and previously worked at Liverpool City Council for 15 years.He will take over the role in the summer from Karen Smith, following her retirement.Cabinet member for adult social care, Cllr Neal Brookes, said: ‘People who work in Blackpool and for the council are really committed to making our town better for the people who live here and Martin really showed that commitment to make a difference.‘He will lead a workforce that is highly passionate and committed to the task at hand – making sure that everybody who needs to draw on our support can rely on an excellent service.' Craig Jordan has announced his retirement as service director for planning at Newcastle-under-Lyme BC.He has held the role for three years, having previously worked at Stafford BC, Lichfield and Bassetlaw DCs and East Riding Council.Jordan said: ‘Thank you to all the colleagues I have worked with at various local authorities over the years and those who I have met along the way working for other councils and organisations.‘I have enjoyed the challenges and the many benefits that working in planning offer and being a part of corporate management teams seeking to make a positive difference to people's lives and their environment. Never a dull day – indeed it has been a blast.' Durham CC has appointed Tony Guillan as artistic director of cultural venue and tourist attraction The Light.Guillan has more than 15 years of experience in museums, festivals and major cultural institutions, including the Tate, the Imperial War Museums, the Southbank Centre and Coventry's tenure as UK City of Culture.Cabinet for member tourism, Cllr Karen Allison said: ‘Tony's experience of working across internationally recognised cultural organisations and pioneering immersive projects will help establish The Light as a major new cultural destination for the North East.‘We're delighted to welcome him to the team as we prepare to open the venue later this year.' Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton is to step down as chair of the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA).Leader of Middlesbrough Council, Chris Cooke will serve as acting chair until the organisation's annual general meeting in July.Cooke said: ‘As acting chair, my focus is on continuity and strong engagement across our membership.‘We will keep pressing for fair funding and a system that properly reflects deprivation and the scale of need in our communities.‘Looking ahead, our priority is to protect the current settlement as a baseline while making the case for a stronger, fairer system in the years ahead, alongside reform in key services and support for inclusive growth.' Real estate adviser Avison Young has appointed Paul Stewart as a director.Stewart previously spent six years as head of property at Newcastle City Council and is a former head of asset management at Igloo Regeneration.He said: ‘I'm very much looking forward to bringing my agency, asset management and regeneration experience to the Avison Young team, which feels like a full-circle moment, as I previously worked at GVA Grimley in Newcastle at the beginning of my career as a surveyor. It's a really exciting time to be working in the region, with a host of brilliant schemes coming forward, all of which have the potential to be transformational for the North East.'

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Unitary appoints adult services director

By Martin Ford | 20 May 2026

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