REDCAR and Cleveland Council’s chief executive is set to retire.

Amanda Skelton has been in her role for 11 years and is paid around £150,000 per year.

Her retirement will be considered by a special Borough Council meeting next Wednesday, where councillors will vote on whether to approve her departure.

A statement released by Redcar and Cleveland Council praised the outgoing chief’s accomplishments.

It said: “Amanda has had an outstanding career in local government, which culminated in the award of her CBE in the New Year’s Honours List of 2018 for services to the Redcar and Tees Valley economy.

“Amanda’s clear vision, focusing on regeneration and service excellence, has led to notable improvements in Redcar and Cleveland.

“These included transforming the Redcar seafront and bringing swimming pools back to the town, saving Guisborough Town Hall for the community and lighting up Saltburn Pier.”

The council statement praised Mrs Skelton for bringing events such as the Festival of Thrift and the Tour de Yorkshire to the borough.

Perhaps the most notable part of Mrs Skelton’s Redcar and Cleveland career came in 2015 when the Government asked her to chair the SSI Task Force following the closure of SSI’s Redcar Steelworks.

The council said the task force has since delivered 2,000 new jobs and provided training for thousands of former workers and their families.

Mrs Skelton was also the lead on regional work to set up the Tees Valley Combined Authority and negotiated the devolution deal which led to the £588m Tees Valley Investment Plan.

Mrs Skelton said: “I will always be grateful for the opportunity to work in this wonderful area.

“I have loved the challenge but most of all, it has been an honour to work with such great people.

“I would like to thank the Redcar and Cleveland team and everyone who has supported me over the past 11 years.”

Cllr Mary Lanigan, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, said: “Amanda has been an outstanding chief executive and the legacy of her leadership can be seen across Redcar and Cleveland.

“On behalf of the council, I would like to thank her for her service over the past 11 years and wish her all the very best for the future.”

And the Labour MP for Redcar, Anna Turley, said: “Amanda has been a first rate chief executive for Redcar and Cleveland, leading our local authority through challenging times including coping with severe central government funding cuts and the steelworks closure whilst still driving the borough forward.

“She has personally championed and delivered big regeneration projects like those on the seafront, the swimming pool and civic heart and the Kirkleatham estate.

“Working alongside Amanda on the SSI Taskforce and many other initiatives, I’ve seen the impact of her knowledge, experience and determination to deliver for the people of our area.

“I would like to thank her for her service and wish her well for her retirement.”