Councils in Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk may share boss

Three local authorities in three separate counties - Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk - may share a chief executive.

Trevor Holden, chief executive of Labour-controlled Luton Council, could soon also head the Conservative-controlled Breckland Council and South Holland Council.

The plan will go before members of the three councils in January 2013.

If backed by councillors the post be shared initially for three months.

Terry Huggins, currently the joint chief executive of Breckland and South Holland councils, is stepping down in January.

'Working together'

Gary Porter, Conservative leader of South Holland Council said: "Shared services have become buzzwords in local authorities up and down the country and we are proposing a pioneering move that takes this concept to a whole new level.

"Whilst I stress that this would be an interim solution, so our councils can explore options following Terry's retirement, we plan to use this opportunity to break the mould of local authority management."

Hazel Simmons, Labour leader of Luton Council, said: "All councils have to explore new avenues to generate revenue and make savings.

"We are keen to work with other councils to drive down cost and hope that we might be able to work with more local authorities in the future."

William Nunn, Tory leader of Breckland Council, said that as Mr Holden had served as chief executive of Breckland Council before moving to Luton Council he would be able to "hit the ground running" with helping to run Breckland Council.