COUNCIL bosses in Pendle could become the first in Lancashire to scrap the post of chief executive after it was announced a 40-plus year veteran will be standing down.

Insiders say that abolishing Stephen Barnes’ post at Pendle Council will save them £84,000 – he has been on a four-day week since 2012.

But the authority has ruled out sharing a boss with nearby Burnley, which is also looking to save £3million, through its ‘Change’ programme. Under the new regime the council would have a strategic director and an operations director.

Currently alongside Mr Barnes there is deputy chief executive, with Dean Langton as head of central services and chief financial officer.

Brian Cookson, now head of European cycling, stepped down as the council’s regeneration director in early 2013.

Council leader Coun Joe Cooney said: “We’ve looked at the post of chief executive for several years now and we feel it’s time to re-think the structure of the council at the top of the organisation.” The decision will be taken at a full meeting of Pendle Council at Nelson Town Hall next Thursday.

Coun Cooney added: “Stephen has done a brilliant job as chief executive, everyone across the council agrees on that.

“He has a passion for regeneration and his willingness to take on ambitious projects and do things differently have been great for Pendle and have moved us forward.”

Coun Tony Greaves, deputy leader and Liberal Democrat group head, said: “We looked at the option of sharing a chief executive with another council, but decided that this was not a sensible idea for Pendle. Indeed the option did not result in any major saving.

“We have to accept that smaller district councils will no longer need a high-level chief executive role.”

Labour councillors had called for Mr Barnes to step down, and the number of councillors to be reduced by 16 – as long ago as February 2013.

Coun Mohammed Iqbal, Labour group leader, said: “Other councils are looking at the option of deleting the post of chief executive.

“We’ll be very sorry to lose Stephen but the opportunity to review his post offered a substantial saving and by taking this opportunity, other redundancies in frontline services will be avoided.”