Councillors have voted to sack Swale BC chief executive, Mark Bilsborough, after he was placed on ‘gardening leave' for 16 months. At a extraordinary meeting last week, councillors voted to dismiss Mr Bilsborough, who has not been at his desk since December 2006, after a whistle-blower made a complaint of misconduct against him. He remained on a salary of around £100,000 while the allegations were investigated. The members considered a report by designated independent person (DIP), John Bowers QC, into allegations of misconduct by the chief executive. Councillors decided, subject to final verification by an independent employment law specialist, to dismiss Mr Bilsborough with notice. In a statement, the council said: ‘Exact details of how this will be dealt with remain a matter for the council, and any interim arrangements necessary as a result of this decision will be put in place shortly.' Council leader, Andrew Bowles, said: ‘I am pleased the DIP's report and recommendation has vindicated action taken by the council to follow up the serious concerns expressed in the protected disclosure document.' Mr Bilsborough was appointed to Swale BC as chief executive in January 2006. He joined from the Government Office for the South East (GOSE), where he was strategy director. While at GOSE, he was also a member of the Swale Forward Board, chaired the Thames Gateway Environmental Panel, and worked with the authority on its housing strategy. The Taxpayers' Alliance criticised the amount of time it took to deal with the allegations. ‘Taxpayers have to foot the massive bill for solicitors, legal costs and so on, while the victim and the accused are left in limbo for months on end,' said campaign director, Mark Wallace.
