A NEW chief executive has been appointed at a meeting of the full council.

Cumbria County Council's new chief executive was formally appointed at a meeting of the full council today.

Approving a recommendation from the leader of the council, members welcomed John Metcalfe as their new CEO.

The new Head of Paid Service takes over with 35 years of high level experience in local government. He joins the county council having most recently served the Isle of Wight Council.

Mr Metcalfe said: "I am very excited to be joining Cumbria County Council as the new Chief Executive and I mean this when I say I view it as a great privilege and a pleasure. In fact, Cumbria is an area I know well as I lived there for a few years when I was younger.

"I am looking forward to building on the strong legacy of the ‘One Team’ approach that clearly exists at Cumbria County Council. A clear priority for me will be about showing strong and visible leadership and working with the council’s experienced leadership team. Our focus over the coming months will be to work alongside staff and hear their ideas and concerns and respond to them. I aim to be transparent and I will work hard to be visible and accessible to all."

Councillor Stewart Young, Leader of Cumbria County Council said: “I’m delighted with this appointment and I am looking forward to working closely with John on Cumbria County Council’s priorities over the next year. He brings with him a range of skills that make him ideal for Cumbria, especially at this moment in time. I am looking forward to working with John to lead and support our organisation.”

Cllr Hilary Carrick, Leader of the Conservative Group said: "We are all delighted with this appointment. Having had the pleasure of meeting John I can confirm that he is clearly a skilled and experienced local government officer who shares our high aspirations for Cumbria. He is also very grounded and I feel that he will bring with him all of the skills we need now and for the future.”

The new chief executive takes over at an important time for Local Government in Cumbria. The county council is hard at work, along with the six district councils, to lay the groundwork for two new unitary authorities who will replace them in 2023.

Cllr Peter Thornton, Deputy Leader and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group said: “As the successful applicant, John brings to Cumbria extensive and relevant experience. He clearly shares our commitment to delivering quality public services to the people of Cumbria. This is a key role for Cumbria and I am confident that this is the right appointment for Cumbria County Council.”