A council has scrapped its chief executive in a senior management reshuffle designed to save £200,000.

Rother District Council took the decision to delete the post, as well as three other top positions, on Monday night.

The local authority, which must find £1.5 million of savings over the next two years, said it was necessary as it faced cuts from central government.

Council leader Carl Maynard said: “In the face of more cuts to our funding, it is important we are in control of the inevitable changes that will come and are not having decisions made for us.

“By making these difficult choices, we are endeavouring to ensure that our front line services are protected.”

Chief executive Derek Stevens, who has served the Council for over 40 years, will finalise his departure date within the coming weeks.

His post will be replaced by two directors: the council’s current director of services Tony Leonard and its present director of resources Malcolm Johnston.

The council’s nine senior managers, or ‘heads of service’, will be invited to apply for the six remaining positions, with the successful applicants chosen by the end of the summer.

The redundancy package for Mr Stevens, who has been chief executive since 2001, will not be individually negotiated and will be worked out in accordance with the council’s standard redundancy policy for all staff.