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North Tyneside MBC has lost its chief executive and a director this week in moves that have led to big changes for both. Chief executive Andrew Kerr has been hired to the top job at the new unitary Wiltshire Council, while his strategic director of development, Martin Swales, is the new chief executive at South Tyneside. Former Audit Commission inspector Mr Kerr, will leave the council at the end of the year when he will replace Wiltshire's acting chief Keith Robinson. Since joining North Tyneside, Mr Kerr, who has represented Great Britain in athletics at the 400m, has earned wide recognition for his contribution to the authority's improvement. It has earned the council a three-star rating and ‘improving well' status from the Audit Commission. This improvement contributed to the borough moving out of the 100 most deprived areas in the country and earned it a place as one of the top 10% improving councils in England. Announcing the move, Mr Kerr said: ‘I am joining Wiltshire at a key moment in its history – it is a vibrant new council with a determination to succeed and deliver high quality low-cost services for local people.' Mr Swales has spearheaded the a growth in jobs and regeneration at North Tyneside and is lead officer for employment and skills in the Tyne & Wear City Region. He replaces Irene Lucas, who left South Tyneside earlier this year to take up the post of director general of local government at the CLG. He said: ‘I look forward to working in a highly-performing council with such effective partnership working. The strength of the Local Strategic Partnership has really been demonstrated to me and I want to build on that success as well as the prominent national profile South Tyneside has built in recent years.'

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WHITEHALL

New roles for Tyneside pair

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