GIVEN the size of the task facing Bournemouth’s council leaders in cutting the budget in the coming months, the departure of Manjeet Gill would seem to be something of a blow. However, in view of the chequered history of her post, the news is not altogether a surprise. The council has made more than a meal of appointing a director of transformation, whose job it was to find savings of up to £7.2 million a year as part the efficiency agenda – subsequently snappily renamed the ‘Shaping Success Programme.’ This will, in part, involve bringing private partners into some services. Civic leaders hired specialist headhunters to find them a suitable external candidate, only then to give it to BIC boss Peter Gunn. It was then decided he should stay in post and the exercise was restarted. This time chief executive Pam Donnellan came up with a personal recommendation and (after a scrutiny panel decided the council did need the £80,000 a year post), Manjeet Gill started work. If her employers are disappointed that she is going after just six months, they are hiding it well, at least in official statements. Though no reasons are being given for her departure, the speculation has already started. Perhaps not everyone saw eye to eye on the team or maybe Ms Gill was unhappy with the rate of progress. She did say at the outset that it was her reputation on the line.

No longer just hers, then.