BOURNEMOUTH’S notorious “director of transformation” post has been filled for a third time – and once again it has sparked controversy.

Backbench councillors expressed their frustration after finding out in a press release that a new interim executive director of business improvement had been appointed and would be starting work on Monday, November 23.

Previously, the council paid specialist headhunters to help fill the controversial role but their choice – BIC boss Peter Gunn – decided to stay in his current post.

Chief executive Pam Donnellan then recommended the appointment of Manjeet Gill on a temporary basis, along with a salary of around £80,000 a year for a four-day week.

She took up the post in April but resigned six months later. Now the job has been offered to Mike Forrester, who worked with Ms Gill at Leicester City Council in the 1990s.

He has been given the job on a temporary basis until the council can make a permanent appointment next year. The salary is based on £103,000 a year and he was recruited through the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Solace) recruitment service.

Independent Cllr Ron Whittaker said: “The only way ordinary councillors find out about anything now is by reading the enormous amount of press releases spun out from the town hall or by reading the Echo.

“I can understand them getting someone in for this enormous task but it’s the way they go about it and exclude councillors. They don’t learn from past mistakes.”

And Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Claire Smith said she was unhappy spending extra money when the council outsourcing process was well advanced.

“I’m surprised we need another director to look at it. With the budget pressures we’ve got, this is not money I am comfortable spending,” she said.

Ms Donnellan said Mr Forrester would take on the challenge of making £16million of savings over the next two years.

She said: “The challenges we are facing really are unprecedented.

“With an expected much reduced government grant for future years, we must deal with continuing rising demands for school places, adult social care and care for vulnerable children, whilst our income related to planning and our trading aspects such as the seafront, continue to feel the effects of the recession,” she added.

“It is therefore essential that our capacity to drive forward change and deliver efficiencies is as strong as it can be.”

Mr Forrester is a qualified accountant and has experience of working in unitary and county authorities.

He joined Leicester Council in 1993 and retired in 2008 after two years as corporate director for housing and adult services.