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Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) is set to extend Matthew Filmer's secondment as interim chief of finance and section 151 officer.If confirmed by councillors this week, the term will be extended for a further 15 months after the authority failed to ‘identify a candidate who better met the requirements of the role at this stage'.Filmer has 17 years of service with BCP and its predecessors.A report to councillors stated: ‘During his time in the interim role, he has demonstrated strong capability, effective leadership and sound professional judgement in leading the finance function and discharging the council's statutory financial responsibilities.'Councillors will also be asked to confirm the appointment of Tim O'Gara as director of law and governance and monitoring officer. He is currently director of legal and democratic services and monitoring officer for Bristol City Council. The Housing Network has appointed Yvette Carter as chief operating officer. She has 20 years of experience, including executive director roles at Mears Group and Southern Housing.Managing director Marc Goodkind said: ‘Yvette brings deep operational insight alongside a strong values-driven approach.‘Her experience and leadership will be critical as we continue to grow, ensuring our services remain resilient, people-centred and focused on delivering positive outcomes.'Carter added: ‘There is a real opportunity to bring together strong operational discipline with compassion and purpose, building foundations that support growth while keeping service users at the heart of decision-making.' Norse Group has announced the appointment of Jason Glasspoole as group chief operating officer.Glasspoole was formerly head of Norse Highways before being appointed group director of operations.The Group said Glasspoole's ‘leadership is grounded, pragmatic and people-focused, reflecting Norse Group's commitment to delivering reliable, high-quality services that make a tangible difference every day'.Glasspoole added: ‘My focus will be on building on strong foundations, supporting our teams and continuing to raise standards in everything we do.' Former leader of the Local Government Association's Lib Dem group, Joe Harris, has been appointed senior relationships manager at the East West Railway Company.Harris said he will be ‘leading on engagement with local government and councils along the route' of the project, which will connect communities across the Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Cambridge corridor.Harris was a member of Cotswold DC for 15 years, including six as council leader and served as a county councillor at Gloucestershire for 13 years. Former minister Luke Hall has announced he will join Chartwell Advisory as a senior adviser.Hall was a local government and English devolution minister under the Conservative Government. He said he was ‘looking forward to working with the team and contributing to their work in the UK and beyond'.Hall added: ‘Alongside my role as chief executive of Charity Tax Group, I'll be working with the Chartwell team to support clients on public policy, campaigns, local government and strategic counsel.'

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PEOPLE

Unitary set to appoint finance chief

By Martin Ford | 06 May 2026

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