We’d been hearing rumours from quite a number of varied sources around the Island that Chief Exec of Isle of Wight council, Steve Beynon, was planning to leave.
It’s been long and widely understood that he was planning to depart after the May 2013 local election, so it was all the more surprisingly that the latest rumours were that he was going to bring that forward and planned to leave before Christmas 2012, or at the very least, before the elections.
Going before Christmas?
On The Wight put this to Steve a little while ago and he came back with admirable speed saying, “Your sources are incorrect. I have no intention of leaving early in 2013 or before the election in May.”
We asked him to clarify if it was still his plan to leave after next year’s elections. His reply was a little more cryptic – “I am 60 next year and so able to retire. How soon after the election is yet to be decided.”
Updates to follow
He’s committed himself to let us know when it’s been firmed up, so we’ll let you know when we hear.