The Town Council Offices

Search is on for a new Town Clerk

The search is on for a new Town Clerk to help lead Knutsford Town Council.

Current Town Clerk, Adam Keppel-Green, will be leaving the role in November after 14 years with the Town Council, as he takes on the post of Chief Officer (Town Clerk) at Congleton Town Council. Adam started with Knutsford as Deputy Town Clerk in 2012 before becoming Town Clerk in 2014 and helped lead the significant change the council has undergone during this time.

The Town Clerk is the council’s most senior officer, reporting to the Council as a whole and responsible for overseeing the operational management of the council and its services. It is a varied role which includes responsibility for the council’s budget, staffing and statutory compliance, as well as advising the elected councillors to support effective decision making. 

“The role of Town Clerk is very much a jack-of-all trades” said Adam “It’s a really varied job where every day is different. At its heart, it is about ensuring the council is delivering for the community, working with councillors to ensure the council responds to local need and is working to make Knutsford the best town it can be”.

The Town Council is inviting applications from candidates with strong communication, report writing and public speaking skills who are able to convey information to a variety of audiences. Candidates should also have experience in strategic and operational management of an organisation, experience managing budgets and staff, and experience building productive relationships with a variety of stakeholders. Candidates with knowledge of local council law and finance are particularly sought.

“The Town Clerk is an incredibly important role and critical to the success of the Town Council. We welcome applications from those who believe they have what it takes to help support the council as it continues delivering for Knutsford” said Town Mayor, Cllr Peter Coan.

A full job pack is available on the Town Council website at www.knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk/town-clerk

NALC Star Council Awards 2021 Finalist Graphic

Town Clerk in running for Clerk of the Year Award

Knutsford’s Town Clerk has been shortlisted for a national award.

Adam Keppel-Green, who celebrates nine years with the Town Council this month, is one of five in the running for the Clerk of the Year award in the NALC Star Council Awards which aim to recognise the role of town and parish councils and the contribution they make to their communities.

Adam, who joined the council in September 2012 as Deputy Town Clerk and became Town Clerk in April 2014 is also clerk to Gawsworth Parish Council, a Director of the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC), board member of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils and Training Officer for the Cheshire Branch of the SLCC.

Speaking on the announcement of the shortlist, Town Mayor Cllr Stewart Gardiner said “As Town Mayor I am very pleased that Adam has been nominated for this award and wish him well in the final.

“I am very conscious that he works tirelessly not just in his official capacity as Town Clerk but in supporting several of the volunteer organisations within the Town in their efforts too. Adam has been the inspiration behind many of the initiatives the Town Council has undertaken in recent years and the people of Knutsford should be pleased that he is our Town Clerk.”

“It is an honour to be shortlisted for this award amongst four other great clerks” Adam said. “The job of Town Clerk is extremely rewarding, and I am proud to work for a proactive and positive council; if I am fortunate enough to win, it would be as much an award for the council as it would for me personally.”

The winner of the award will be announced at an online ceremony in October.