ROSSENDALE Borough Council will soon be advertising for a new chief executive, as current boss Stuart Sugarman announced he will be leaving for pastures new.

Mr Sugarman, who has been with the council for 10 years and four and a half as chief executive, is taking up a managing director role within the NHS in Yorkshire.

He said: “I’m sorry to be leaving as I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working here. I have greatly valued working for the council over the last 10 years.

“It was a real tough decision but it was too good an opportunity to turn down.

“I was set the task of bringing about regeneration and transformation in the borough, and this can be clearly seen with the regeneration of Spinning Point; the £2m THI in Bacup, improvements to Rawtenstall market, our Invest in Rossendale project, and the £5.85m cycleway which travels all the way through Rossendale.”

Leader of the council, councillor Alyson Barnes, said: “I would like to thank Stuart for the work he has done over the past 10 years and wish him well in the future. Rossendale is a place on the up and Stuart has been instrumental in improving our great borough.”