TWO council officers have been lined up to share Suffolk County Council's top job.

County councillors agreed today (Tuesday, 17 February) to recommend Andrew Cook and Mark Ash for the authority's chief executive role after a meeting of its staff appointments committee.

It comes two weeks after Nicola Beach, the current chief executive, announced she would step down after eight years in the role.

The council took the replacement process as an opportunity to revamp how the role operates, separating it into a joint position to accommodate an 'unprecedented period of transformation and change'.

With elections around the corner in May, Cllr Matthew Hicks, the authority's leader, said it would be worrying if the council did not have a 'strong steer' over the coming months.

With the role being separated, Mr Cook will take on the council's normal services while Mr Ash will be in charge of local government reorganisation and devolution.

Cllr Richard Smith, who is in charge of the authority's finances, echoed the need for strong and visible leadership.

The new chief executives will each be paid a starting salary £185,000 per year, with the move as a whole saving a net £92,000 each year.