Bromley Council is set to appoint a new temporary top boss following the resignation of its chief executive.

Doug Patterson has announced his decision to leave the council 11 years after  he joined the authority, making him one of the capital’s longest serving chief execs.

Chief executives are the most powerful officers in a council, and work alongside the elected members to shape the direction of the authority’s work and oversee operations.

Officers paid tribute to the outgoing chief, saying in a new report: “Given the recent and on-going unprecedented challenges both structurally and financially facing local authorities it takes a special character to lead a local authority for eleven years.

“He has led the council through challenges and exciting transitional and transformational changes including large scale commissioning programmes, service reviews and realignments, corporate departmental rearrangements and transformation of failing services.”

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Next week, councillors will give the go ahead for the deputy chief executive Ade Adetosoye to take the reigns, upping his pay packet by £11k at the same time.

According to council documents: “If appointed as acting Chief Executive, Mr Adetosoye OBE will look at the departmental arrangements currently in place in his department, in consultation of course with the lead Members, to ensure the right fit and span of control.

“In the interim, Mr Adetosoye’s substantive post is not being backfilled on a like for like basis thus giving rise to immediate and possibly long term substantial cashable savings.”

If given the green light as expected, the acting chief will have a total salary of £179,845 a year.

The decision will be made at a full council meeting on Monday, December 10.