Peterborough City Council is reeling from the shock resignation of Neil McArthur, its £110,000 a year director of legal and governance, just over a year after his appointment. McArthur was only appointed as the permanent Director of Law and Governance on 1 June 2024, following approval by full council on 20 March 2024.
No reason has been given for his shock departure although he had been, coincidentally, listed as “responsible director” for a code of conduct hearing scheduled for today (September 1), but which was postponed at the 11th hour.
The hearing had been due to decide if former Green Party councillor, Kirsty Knight, had, as an internal investigation concluded, may have breached Peterborough City Council’s Code of Conduct.
Knight, who represents Orton Waterville, quit the Green Party last year with a dramatic claim that it was “no longer green.” But now, she is facing a formal hearing after investigators found her actions had brought both her role – and the council – into disrepute.
A council statement said the meeting “has been postponed to ensure all parties have sufficient time to prepare”. The council said a new date for the hearing had yet to be confirmed.
Thursday 13 March 2025.
Picture by Terry Harris.
Neil McArthur, Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer
A solicitor qualified since 1997, McArthur brought nearly 25 years of experience in local authority legal roles to the city, including 12 years as General Counsel and three years as Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission.
In the three years prior to his appointment, he held interim positions at councils like Nottingham City Council (Interim Director of Commercial and Procurement), Winchester City Council (Interim Head of Legal and Governance), Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, and Birmingham City Council.
His expertise spans various legal areas, team leadership, and change management programs, making him well-suited many believed to support Peterborough’s ongoing improvement journey under government scrutiny.
As Monitoring Officer, he advises on complex legal matters for the council’s policies and £509 million budget. Cllr Mohammed Farooq, who was council leader at the time of his appointed, had highlighted his role in navigating “complex areas of the law” to deliver priorities for residents
The role is massive, as it also oversees the operation of the council’s constitution and leads its Legal, Elections, Information Governance, Complaints and Democratic services teams.
McArthur said on his appointment: “I am delighted to be appointed as Peterborough City Council’s new Director of Legal and Governance. I am looking forward to joining the team and to working with colleagues to build on all the progress that has been made as we meet the challenges ahead.”
Matthew Gladstone, the local authority’s chief executive, was also pleased to have him on board, saying at the time: “The experience he brings with him of working with councils through periods of change will be incredibly useful as we continue on our improvement journey to transform the way we work and how we provide services.
“I would also like to pay tribute to Adesuwa Omoregie who has done a fantastic job leading our Legal and Governance services in the past six months.”
In early 2024, the post of Corporate Director of Legal and Governance position was advertised with a salary range of £101,900 – £121,700.
