A NEW chief executive has been appointed to take over the running of West Wiltshire District Council.

Andrew Pate, currently strategic director (community development) at South Somerset District Council, is expected to take up his new post in the spring.

District councillors agreed the appointment at a special meeting of the council last Wednesday.

The married 44-year-old, who has four children, started his career with the Audit Commission. He entered local government in 1991 as South Somerset's head of finance and was later promoted to corporate director and became a strategic director in January.

His current role has seen him work on a variety of projects, including the regeneration of market towns, homelessness strategy and the introduction of community planning and e-government.

Mr Pate, whose interests include triathlon and paragliding, said: "I am delighted to be joining West Wiltshire. It is an authority with much going for it, but it also has a great deal of potential."

Key projects the new chief executive will be involved in include the Vision for Trowbridge masterplan.

Council leader Tony Phillips said: "The cross party appointment panel was unanimous in its choice. We were delighted to offer Andrew the job.

"He has the qualities and skills that we wanted in our new chief executive, and I am looking forward to working with him."