A few days ago, our Programme Director, Charles Maltby, was able to sit down with Steve Mawson, Chief Executive Officer of Kirklees Council, to explore how his first year in post has developed. We thank Steve for breaking from his undoubtedly busy day to answer a few questions, reflect back and provide his own thoughts on that first year as our Chief Executive.
One year in, has the year exceeded your expectations?
Yes, it has, I love it! I have been in local government since 1990, including at Doncaster. I didn’t realise just how much personal experience would count. It’s impossible to anticipate just how wide the variety of tasks fall within the day job and how those past experiences can be brought to bear. I don’t think I recognised just how much I would enjoy the job, but I enjoy it even more than I thought I would.
What over the last year are you most proud of?
That’s a good question. There are three things really, the first being partnerships. Getting to grips with those around the table: statutory/non statutory, business, education, third sector and forming relationships that can be called upon when there are times of trouble. Working through issues when there is a challenge or a celebration, or just something to be aware of. The journey to financial security is something I am pleased with if not yet proud of. To be back in the ‘normal’ realms of operation is really positive, recognising the issue is not one Kirklees alone had, and whist not all done and dusted, we know what is in front of us. Thirdly, my team, both the senior leadership team and the council’s politicians. Where when there are issues to resolve, as in the last six months or so, we can get around the table and resolve it for the better.
Not everything will have gone to plan, therefore what is currently concerning you most?
Getting to that position of financial stability as there is always something difficult coming around the corner. The other issue is housing; there are a plethora of challenges, not just in Kirklees, where we want to give our tenants more options and that is complex. We have improved in areas, but damp and mould improvements remain for a lot of properties as does improving the overall quality of the stock. Special educational needs is another area where we have been working with external advisors, building new special schools. One that doesn’t worry me so much is the progress on business. Whilst there is always more that we can do, I was speaking with people at the Kirklees Top 100 about their planned expansions and moving forwards and we have got to recognise the pressures seen in different sectors and work together in partnership.
Moving forwards, which of the council’s plans/projects will deliver the maximum benefit to Huddersfield?
They all fit together quite neatly, but the two main projects include the Cultural Heart activity which is absolutely fundamental to success and will include the library and museum in the Second Phase, giving a chance to show the town’s Bacon and Lowry. And, of course, the other part of that jigsaw is the Station to Stadium Corridor, which is now taking shape. We have the Glass Box on the corner, which has had some refurbishment, and we are taking back ownership of some sites for build in/build out needs as well as having the Innovation Zone, 3M Buckley centre and of course the new university Health and Wellbeing campus. Of course there are other projects, some of which will be subject to government funding, including the Victorian market, the George Hotel and the Transpennine Rail Upgrade project which is well underway in Huddersfield and more projects supporting the whole of Kirklees. Huddersfield’s future is bright, but we’ve got ambitious plans for Dewsbury too. The infrastructure improvements there and investment through the Town Board are all part of the Kirklees story and we want all parts of the borough to share in economic success There are many organisations endeavouring to help Huddersfield (and Kirklees) prosper in the future, which have helped most/which could do more to help? I’m struggling with the which could do more as I don’t look at partners as a glass half empty and we take what we can and work together. And I don’t think it’s for me to call out who could do more when we at the council could do
more as well. The challenge is about priorities and we think we know what they are: housing, homelessness, access to jobs, skills and transport but for the Kirklees partnership, do we know enough about the options, the data and information to try to solve the problem? What are the building blocks to reducing the impact of the problem or relieving it altogether? For example, for transport, when franchising comes in, we need to know which routes will give the greatest return for the people. Kirklees is very different in different parts from rural to the routes which will be the backbone of the system. We need the buses to be effective first to help draw people out of their private cars. The Local Plan 2 will also be a key document to identify the priorities and the fit of locations to deliver them.
Given the current financial situation, are there particular projects you would like to take forwards as soon as you are able?
We’re waiting for clarification on a few things in the government’s budget, but I would love to take the Penistone line work forwards. We are proceeding as far as we can, but some big infrastructure projects need further funding to deliver all they are able to achieve. We are better at creating pipeline schemes now to be ready for when/if government or other funds become available, which we can be ready to plug in. An example being the opportunity to link the council’s Station to Stadium work with the Investment Zone propositions when it became known, with help from partners like the university. The same applies to prevention and intervention for the services in the diverse community.
What is your main overriding memory of a year in the CEO role?
Meeting lots of new partners, trying to champion exciting things whilst addressing the here and now. The knitting of the day job with its governance, decision making, consultations etc with the excitement of future projects needs to be understood by the team around me, and they do. I have a list of the things I know colleagues around the country are working on, one of them being the green agenda where we have lots of ambition, but the money and path remain challenges to overcome. But that’s my job; make sure we are plotting the ambition and can then find the route to it!