SEFTON council is to launch the search for a new town hall chief after politicians agreed to allow top officer Graham Haywood to quit.

Mr Heywood, chief executive for almost 16 years, will leave his post early next year.

His departure emerged during a behind-closed-doors meeting of Sefton councillors called to discuss a restructuring programme for the way the council is run.

Councillors are drawing up a programme to save money to ease the burden on town hall coffers and the purses of local council tax-payers.

A restructuring of senior management is part of the issues being examined. Some politicians have described it as a “cull of senior officers”.

Some local politicians were said to have been stunned when it was revealed that Mr Heywood, 58, is one of the first to go.

His official departure date will be March 31.

But Mr Haywood’s early retirement could be earlier if a successor is found.

It is understood that during the meeting Mr Haywood’s proposed departure was opposed by Liberal Democrat councillors, but was approved because Labour and Conservative councillors used their combined votes.

Councillor Paula Parry, Conservative group leader, said: “Graham Haywood is currently looking after a huge restructuring of the council.

“He feels he is now ready to retire and move on.

“It is all very amicable. He has taken Sefton through many changes during his time as our chief executive.”

Mr Haywood, said: “It has been a great honour to serve Sefton for more than 15 years and many people inside and outside the council should be very proud of what we have achieved.

“There is much still to do in the next few months and I am confident that my successor will inherit a much stronger and progressive council than I inherited when I arrived in 1992.”

One local councillor said: “There was a lot of the confusion at the meeting about whether Mr Haywood is going as part of a redundancy package or taking early retirement.

“The way the whole thing has happened, at a private meeting, has annoyed a number of us.

“This is something that should have been properly aired by the full council cabinet or the council, not in some secret meeting.

“Mr Haywood is a good officer and he has been a fine chief executive. Many of us will be sorry to see him go.”

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