Members of new independent Challenge Board for Northumberland County Council revealed

An action plan was created following the recommendations of the SOLACE Independent Governance Review earlier this summer.

It includes bringing in a Challenge Board that will provide advice, challenge, expertise and support.

Set up in conjunction with the Local Government Association, this board is independent of the council and has membership with significant and appropriate experience.

It will be chaired by Northumberland resident, and former CEO at Newcastle City Council, Pat Ritchie. She will be joined by a further six board members from across the country who offer cross-party representation and officer insight.

County council leader Glen Sanderson said: “I am pleased to invite the Challenge Board to our council and welcome their agreement to come in as our ‘critical friend’.

“No one organisation or individual should ever shy away from challenge and I know their huge experience will be very useful indeed.

“I am very proud of our staff and all they do in delivering first class services across the county, and I want us to do things even better.”

The Challenge Board will engage with members across all political groups, officers and with partners delivering services in the county.

It will regularly report to the council's cross party Member Oversight Group. Reports will be made public through this group reporting to the full council.

Coun Sanderson added: “By bringing in the board it brings in another level of transparency, challenge and oversight – this is certainly another step in the right direction.”

The other members are as follows.

Coun Sir Steve Houghton (Labour): Steve was first elected to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council in 1988 and has been leader since 1996.

Coun Abi Brown (Conservative): First elected to Stoke-on-Trent City Council in 2010, Abi has extensive experience of both opposition and administration, and has been leader since 2019.

Wallace Sampson (senior officer peer): Wallace is Harrogate Borough Council's chief executive.

Gill Marshall (monitoring officer peer): Gill is the monitoring officer at Wakefield Council and an experienced local government lawyer.

Neil Thornton (Section 151 experienced peer): Neil is director of transformation at Rochdale Borough Council.

Mark Edgell: Mark leads for the Local Government Association across the North East, Yorkshire and Humber and East Midlands.