By Richard Johnstone | 16 April 2013
Local Government Association chair Sir Merrick Cockell has announced that he will step down as leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.
Cockell, who will remain LGA chair for another year, has led the London council since 2000. He helped develop the tri-borough shared services initiative with the neighbouring London boroughs of Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham.
Announcing his decision, Cockell said he had been fortunate to work alongside ‘an unusually talented and dedicated group of councillors and officers’.
He added: ‘Our services have been excellent, our taxes low. And in the days when there was a lot more money around, we didn't squander it but used it wisely to build for the future.’
The council will elect its new leader on May 22.
Responding to the announcement, Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles said Cockell was ‘a true public servant and local champion’.
He highlighted Cockell’s role in establishing the tri-borough initiative, which is expected to save £33.4m across the councils by 2014/15.
‘Under his leadership, the council has achieved some incredible things for the residents of Kensington and Chelsea,’ Pickles added. ‘The tri-borough initiative he helped spearhead is a shining example of shared services savings to all in local government.’
In 2011, Cockell was chosen by council leaders to head the Local Government Association, the national group representing councils in England and Wales. Before this, he was chair of London Councils, the representative body for the capital's 32 local authorities, from 2006 to 2010.
