REGENERATION boss Nigel Rix has become the latest casualty of Hyndburn Council’s cost-cutting.
According to a council insider, Mr Rix, 49, is to be made redundant from his £75,000-a-year post from next week and will not be replaced.
The Director of Hyndburn FIRST is thought to be establishing his own consultancy business.
Councillor Jean Battle, Labour group leader, said: "He has done a lot of good work but he’s going and hasn’t made any secret about it; he’s told a lot of people. I wish him well wherever he goes."
Rumours of Mr Rix’s departure have been circulating for several weeks but despite several approaches from the Observer he has always denied he is leaving.
But our source confirmed yesterday that he would leave on Tuesday after returning from holiday.
His responsibilities, such as overseeing the vital regeneration schemes Project Phoenix and Elevate, will be covered by a top manager from Blackburn with Darwen Council, who will work in Hyndburn a few days a week.
The source said: "The council is working to make sure everything is covered on Project Phoenix and Elevate because they’re such big schemes."
In April Mr Rix, who lives in the Ribble Valley with lawyer wife Daphne, was asked to resign by a Clayton-le-Moors businessman who was furious that Clayton received just £75,000 of £11M given to Hyndburn by Elevate East Lancashire.
At the time Mr Rix said he accepted "full responsibility" for Clayton’s plight.
Mr Rix’s departure will not mean the end of his involvement in Hyndburn.
He will continue to sit on the board of family support group SureStart with Councillor Lesley Jackson.
She said: "He has been very active in SureStart, so the board felt it would be good for him to stay on in a co-optee capacity and though he won’t have quite the same access to the council he will still make a really useful contribution."
Mr Rix, a keen churchgoer, joined the council 10 years ago from Hertsmere Borough Council, where he was land and property manager.
He took up the £34,000-a-year post as Director of Development Services and was subsequently made chief of the council’s regeneration arm after a major reorganisation.
Hyndburn Council refused to confirm or deny that he was leaving.
Mr Rix was this week unavailable for comment
According to a council insider, Mr Rix, 49, is to be made redundant from his £75,000-a-year post from next week and will not be replaced.
The Director of Hyndburn FIRST is thought to be establishing his own consultancy business.
Councillor Jean Battle, Labour group leader, said: "He has done a lot of good work but he’s going and hasn’t made any secret about it; he’s told a lot of people. I wish him well wherever he goes."
Rumours of Mr Rix’s departure have been circulating for several weeks but despite several approaches from the Observer he has always denied he is leaving.
But our source confirmed yesterday that he would leave on Tuesday after returning from holiday.
His responsibilities, such as overseeing the vital regeneration schemes Project Phoenix and Elevate, will be covered by a top manager from Blackburn with Darwen Council, who will work in Hyndburn a few days a week.
The source said: "The council is working to make sure everything is covered on Project Phoenix and Elevate because they’re such big schemes."
In April Mr Rix, who lives in the Ribble Valley with lawyer wife Daphne, was asked to resign by a Clayton-le-Moors businessman who was furious that Clayton received just £75,000 of £11M given to Hyndburn by Elevate East Lancashire.
At the time Mr Rix said he accepted "full responsibility" for Clayton’s plight.
Mr Rix’s departure will not mean the end of his involvement in Hyndburn.
He will continue to sit on the board of family support group SureStart with Councillor Lesley Jackson.
She said: "He has been very active in SureStart, so the board felt it would be good for him to stay on in a co-optee capacity and though he won’t have quite the same access to the council he will still make a really useful contribution."
Mr Rix, a keen churchgoer, joined the council 10 years ago from Hertsmere Borough Council, where he was land and property manager.
He took up the £34,000-a-year post as Director of Development Services and was subsequently made chief of the council’s regeneration arm after a major reorganisation.
Hyndburn Council refused to confirm or deny that he was leaving.
Mr Rix was this week unavailable for comment
I hope that we finally manage to have somebody working for our Council with a bit of common sense. This news has prompted me to ask a couple of questions though. What kind of pay-off is Rix getting? He won't be going for nothing will he.... If we are getting somebody from Blackburn with Darwen is this the first step towards becoming an integrated council and B&D taking over Hyndburn????
