'Shock' as Central Bedfordshire Council's finance chief set to retire

Director of resources at Central Bedfordshire Council Charles Warboys plans to retire in the summer, a meeting heard.

Mr Warboys is also the local authority’s deputy chief executive and intends stepping down from his post in June.

Staff and councillors were informed of his pending departure in an email from CBC chief executive Marcel Coiffait this week.

Liberal Democrat Leighton Linslade North councillor Nigel Carnell told a meeting of the council’s audit committee: “I’m sure for most of us, if not everyone, the email confirming this came as a shock, a bolt out of the blue.

“It’s tinged with sadness, given all the good work he does, as well as the brilliant experience he brings to the meetings and to the organisation as a whole,” he said.

“While I’ve only known Charles for a short period of time, I think I speak for all of us when I say he always is and has been a tower of strength, and has a depth of knowledge within the team. He’ll be greatly missed.

“He’s served CBC for 13 years and has gone through some of the toughest few months in the past year getting to grips with the new administration, the revenue and capital budget for 2024/25, and the change in our external auditors from Ernst and Young LLP to KPMG.

“None of them are easy tasks, but to do all three at the same time is a challenge. I’ve found his support invaluable, as indeed have all of us, and it won’t be straightforward to find someone to fill his shoes.

“This morning I’ve written to the chief executive and the leader of the council to request an urgent meeting with them to establish how they intend to proceed to ensure a smooth transition and indeed what our succession plans are ahead of that discussion.

“I’d like to thank Charles personally and his team for all the work they’ve done for the authority and that l know they’ll continue to do in the coming months to enable that smooth changeover,” added councillor Carnell, who chairs the committee.

In his role as director of resources, Mr Warboys oversees CBC’s finance, resources, revenues and benefits, internal audit and risk, human resources and governance, according to its website.

As one of the three highest paid staff at the council, his annual salary is between £155,000 and £160,000.