As the Liberal Democrats prepare to formally take control of the town hall from Wednesday, the departure was announced this week of another of the council's executive directors, Joanne Roney.

It means that three of the four most senior council jobs - unelected posts - will be changing hands in the next few months.

First signs of the political upheaval became evident this week as the Lib Dems made clear that they intend to rule out Norton Nurseries as the proposed location for St Luke's Hospice.

Changes, though, are also coming at the most senior officer level, which means the new political regime will find itself working with a different management team.

The latest top officer to be leaving is Joanne Roney, executive director for neighbourhoods and community care, who departs at the end of July to become chief executive of Wakefield Council.

Two of her colleagues have already left the council:

• Chief executive Sir Bob Kerslake has gone to a top job in London, with the possibility that his permanent successor will not be in post until the end of the year;


• Jonathan Crossley-Holland, who ran children's and young people's services, is being replaced from the summer by Sonia Sharp, who has been in charge of education in Rotherham.

The only remaining executive director, for development, environment and leisure, is John Mothersole, who is currently the interim chief executive and is expected to be a frontrunner for the permanent post.
It was also announced this week that another top officer, Director of Culture Ann Gosse, is taking a job in Barnsley.


Read more: Culture director bowing out

In the short term, the comings and goings at officer level can be expected to create a degree of instability, but they can also be interpreted as giving the new Lib Dem regime a relatively clean slate with which to work.

Coun Paul Scriven, who will be the leader of the authority from Wednesday, said: "Clearly such a change in managerial leadership will cause some disruption, but everybody is focused on ensuring frontline services are unaffected.

"We are sad to lose Joanne Roney, but this presents an opportunity for Sheffield and the council to move forward with changes in the longer term."

The Lib Dems were elected on a manifesto of changing the culture of the running of Sheffield with an emphasis on listening more closely to the views of the community.

They say two of their key priorities will be to try to improve traffic flows and to improve standards in schools that are languishing near the bottom of national league tables.

Meanwhile, Ms Roney, aged 46, who came to Sheffield in 1999 and has overseen a massive housing regeneration programme, is preparing for a new challenge.

She said: "I have really enjoyed my time working in Sheffield, this is a fantastic city. There have been many changes for the good in recent years, and I'm sure there are more to come.

"I am very grateful to all the colleagues who have supported me during my time here. I will be sad to leave, but this is a tremendous opportunity which I just couldn't resist."