A YEAR from now Swindon Council will be a national example of public service, according to its new chief executive.

Simon Birch has started work at the Civic Offices after a week's climbing holiday in Scotland, but admitted there were many more mountains to overcome if the authority was to propel itself from the doldrums.

Mr Birch, 52, who lives in Bristol with his wife Sarah, has been acting chief executive since Paul Doherty's acrimonious departure in August last year following a series of damning reports on the council's education and social services departments. These revealed it to be one of the worst performing councils in the country.

He was unveiled as Mr Doherty's successor at a low-key meeting of councillors last week.

And in an exclusive interview with the Evening Advertiser he said: "Back in August morale was low and the council had lost direction during a very difficult period where we were heavily criticised in the media.

"A lot of the reports were accurate and the Corporate Performance Assessment, which said the council had very real problems, was the final nail in the coffin. What the place needed was strong and positive leadership and a clear way forward.

"I have always got on with Paul Doherty - he was sad to go, but he has wished me well with the job. There has been a lot of improvement since the summer and we're already making great strides.

"There is nothing wrong with Swindon Council, but I don't know why the situation got so bad. The management of the Local Education Authority was not good, but we have Tribal running it now and things have improved.

"Generally morale is good, but I want to get the councillors and members involved more."

Having joined the council in 2001 as director of environmental services, Mr Birch saw off 70 other interested candidates for the £125,000 a year post, which was advertised nationally.

A chartered planner and former director of environmental services at Guildford Borough Council, the father-of-two worked as a development consultant in Hong Kong and contributed to the regeneration of redundant steel works in Hartlepool and Consett prior to entering local government.

Top of his list of priorities for improving the council is implementing the deputy prime minister's 76-point recovery plan, which includes better marketing of the authority, explaining to councillors how the new system of local government should work and keeping staff more informed about the goings on in Euclid Street.

"I would like to see the council moving forward more positively and in a year from now becoming an example of public service nationally," added Mr Birch.

"I think that Swindon is wonderful. There's so much going on and to be excited about with the National Trust wanting to locate its headquarters here, the Northern Development Area, the university, the college and Westfield in the town centre."