Peterborough City Councillors will be asked to confirm the appointment of a new Monitoring Officer at their upcoming Full Council meeting on January 21.

A report set to go before councillors will request approval for Gavin Milnthorpe to take up the role of Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer.

In addition to being the council’s principal legal advisor, the role will see Mr Milnthorpe take on the mantle of statutory Monitoring Officer, ensuring all officers and councillors act lawfully and maintain high standards of conduct and governance.

The report states that the post holder is directly responsible for an expenditure of £5.558m, based on the budget build for 2025/26.

Mr Milnthorpe is currently serving as Monitoring Officer and Deputy Director of Legal & Governance at Havering Borough Council where he oversees a shared legal service of more than 90 professionals tasked with ensuring robust governance and legal compliance across the authority.

An experienced solicitor with more than ten years’ experience in senior leadership roles within local government, Mr Milnthorpe says he feels “delighted” by the prospect of joining Peterborough City Council at what he believes is an exciting time for the city.

“The council faces huge challenges in the next few years and I believe my background and experience will benefit the organisation as it looks to improve life across the city, both for its residents and businesses,” he said.

“I’m excited to get involved in many of those projects I have seen reported on in local media in recent times.”

Mr Milnthorpe is set to start in April, taking over from the council’s current Monitoring Officer, Graham Kitchen, who is due to step down on January 25, 2026. Satinder Sahota will serve as the council’s Monitoring Officer on an interim basis throughout February and March.

Speaking of the appointment, Peterborough City Council’s Chief Executive, Matthew Gladstone, said: “The role of Monitoring Officer is one of the most important for any council, supporting officers and councillors to navigate many complex areas of the law.

“I am delighted to recommend to councillors that we appoint Gavin and I look forward to working with him.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Graham Kitchen who has done a fantastic job leading our Legal and Governance services in the past three months.”