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Two councils are searching for new chief executives after shock departures. Janet Callender OBE revealed she is quitting Tameside MBC in March after five years to ‘take a short break'. The former winner of The MJ's council of the year award, Mrs Callender described her job as ‘one of the best in local government'. leader of the council, Cllr SR Oldham described her as ‘an outstanding' chief executive. A Newcastle MP has criticised the city council for refusing to reveal the leaving package of its chief executive. Ian Stratford, 54, has taken early retirement after six years at the helm and left last week ‘by mutual consent,' the council said. But Newcastle Central MP Jim Cousins slammed the arrangement, claiming the public has a ‘right' to know the details . He said: ‘There should be no confidentiality. The public has a right to know and the figures must be revealed. I don't know how the council can present its accounts this year without revealing it. It is absolutely improper.' The council leader's head of legal services, Val Dodds, said: ‘The financial terms of the chief executive's departure are the subject of a compromise agreement between the council and its chief executive. The agreement provides that its terms shall remain confidential between the parties.' The council said it will never reveal the details of Mr Stratford's leaving package. Mr Stratford's salary and bonus last year amounted to about £175,000. Deputy chief executive Barry Rowland will become acting chief executive in the interim from 10 November. Other leavers Ian Miller, Denbighshire CC's chief executive, has stepped down after six years in the job. Alan Cotton, the strategic director of resources at Blackburn with Darwen Council, will retire at the end of December. Mr Cotton has worked for the council for 42 years, starting in 1966 as a clerk in the treasurer's department, becoming director of finance in 1994 and then strategic director of resources in 2006.

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WHITEHALL

Shock departures of two chief execs

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