New Plymouth chief finance officer sought

Third in just over three years

A new chief finance officer is being sought for Plymouth City Council following the resignation of Ian Trisk-Grove after eight months in the job.

It will be the third one in just over three years.

Mr Trisk-Grove leaves the role in December and the council is looking to appoint an interim officer to provide leadership during the 2026-27 budget setting process while a search is undertaken for a permanent replacement.

The role commands a salary between £87,744 and £121,996. 

David Northey was previously responsible for the council’s finances before Mr Trisk-Grove for two and a half years, delaying his retirement to help the council through some challenging times.

Council leader Tudor Evans (Lab, Ham) said following Mr Northey’s recruitment in October 2022 it was “not the easiest gig at this particular moment in time”.

Plymouth City Council has had to save millions of pounds from its budget over recent years to meet pressures in adult social care and children’s services as well as home to school transport and homelessness.

It has also faced the fall out of a controversial pension transaction it made in 2019 when PCC borrowed government money of £72 million to invest in a consultancy firm to reduce a pension deficit. 

Despite claims that it saved the authority £9 million in cash, the novel accounting treatment was the subject of an investigation ordered by the government after auditors described it as unusual and a “complex process” to try and get the official sign off from ministers, which has still not arrived.

Plymouth topped the chart last year for racking up the largest amount of borrowing of any councils in Devon – £702 million – and that is predicted to grow to £1 billion by 2028.

The council’s cabinet member for finance Mark Lowry (Lab, Southway) said recently the level of borrowing was something he was comfortable with and it had to be balanced against investment, income and the external funding that could not be put on its balance sheet.

Plymouth’s “ambitious” capital programme totals nearly £400 million over the next four years.

Plymouth City Council is interviewing someone for the role of interim finance officer this week.