DISTRICT councillors have approved the appointment of a new chief executive.

Nicola Beach, who joined the Braintree District Council as a corporate director in June 2010, will take over the reins from Allan Reid, who retires on December 31 after 17 years with the council and nine years as chief executive.

Cllr Graham Butland, leader of the council, said: “Allan has done a tremendous job for Braintree District Council over many years. He leaves an ambitious council that has a great record in delivering high quality services and excellent value for money.

“We are assured that, with Nicola, the council continues to be in good hands with the ability to deliver our priorities. She has a great track record in achieving excellent value for money, works well with partners, can manage and motivate staff through times of change and knows how to develop great services for customers.”

Mrs Beach embarked on her career in local government after graduating from the University of East Anglia in 1994 with a degree in Environmental Sciences and post-graduate qualifications in management and environmental decision-making.

Her first role in South Norfolk District Council focused on environmental and waste management services. She progressed to Cambridgeshire County Council as Head of Waste Management before moving to Essex County Council where she quickly progressed to the role of Assistant Director for Environmental Operations. Here she successfully delivered the Essex Waste Strategy, achieved significant cost savings and one of the Council’s highest customer satisfaction ratings.

At Braintree District Council, she lead the Green Heart of Essex programme, the transfer of community halls to local management and achieved increased value for money for the council, particularly through the new leisure contract and recycling services.

Mrs Beach said: “I am extremely proud to be appointed into this new role. In my role as Chief Executive I will be focused on delivering the priorities of the Council and achieve the best outcomes on behalf of our residents, on a range of issues such as economic growth, health, police, education and highways and, continue to deliver high quality and cost-effective services.

“I’ll be focusing my efforts on taking forward our plans and working well with our partners and the many communities that make up the Braintree District. In these tough times we need to work hard to support businesses and local communities and ensure the district is a safe and clean place to live; but we must also continue to get the basics right with a strong focus on great customer service – this means putting the right people, resources and skills in place at the right time.

“I relish the challenges of making the Braintree district the best place to live, work and play in Essex.”

Braintree District lies at the heart of rural Essex, spanning some 236 sq miles (612 km2) between the key regional centres of Cambridge, Colchester and Chelmsford. It’s the second largest district, by area, in Essex with the fifth highest population at over 147,000 people. The district comprises 30 wards, represented by 60 councillors who are responsible for making decisions on residents’ behalf about local services and budgets.