CONCERNS have been raised about the departure of a town hall finance chief.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s executive director of finance Catherine Vaughan is quitting her role in at the authoruity after 13 years.

The well-respected finance boss is taking up a new position at the Land Registry in the government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

A council spokesman said arrangements were being made to find an interim replacement for Mrs Vaughan to ensure a “smooth budget process”.

But Mark Turner, secretary of GMB union, said it was concerning Mrs Vaughan was leaving during the “thick of the council’s budget” talks.

He said it was  "impeccable timing" that Mrs Vaughan was leaving before a Policy and Resources meeting on December 4. But Brighton and Hove City Council confirmed with The Argus that the finance boss was not leaving until after December.

Mr Turner said: “I would have thought what they would have done is, as soon as she announced she was going, put out an advert for chief of finance. But that’s why I do the job I do and they do the job they do, but they get paid more for it.”

Mr Turner said he expected the council to hire an external consultant instead of hiring from within – a process he says will “cost a fortune”.

He added: “I’d say it’s probably highly unlikely that someone will step up internally. They’ll bring in an external consultant as they did when Catherine went on maternity leave, which is an expensive process.

“The problem with an interim, apart from costing a fortune, is that they’ll advertise the job and anyone out there who applies will already be working in local government or at that level.

“Like Catherine, they will have to give three months notice so it will be going on for months and months.”

Brighton and Hove City Council chief executive Penny Thompson said: “Catherine has provided strong financial leadership at Brighton and Hove City Council for many years. We’re sorry to see her leaving.”