WIGAN Council's chief executive is to step down after 15 years in the hot seat.

A decision to accept Mr Steve Jones' request to retire when his contract expires at the end of next May has been agreed by the council's ruling cabinet.

Council leader Peter Smith paid tribute to the man who has helped transform Wigan from a poll tax-capped council when he arrived in 1990 into a top-performing organisation rated excellent by the Audit Commission for two years running.

He stressed the move is part of a plan that will allow the council to recruit a new chief executive before 56-year-old Mr Jones retires, and give his successor support from the authority's current chief officers.

Cllr Smith said: "Steve wrote to me several months ago to allow the authority the opportunity to recruit a replacement in the knowledge that any incoming chief executive would have the support of key colleagues for several years.

"Steve Jones's contribution to transforming the organisation by his leadership and dynamism has been outstanding. The radically improved performance of the council and its many achievements bear testament to his drive and wholehearted commitment.

"Most people in and associated with the council would wish him to stay for ever but the mark of the best organisations are that they can plan to

reshape a winning team into a new winning team."

Steve Jones has been a driving force behind several major schemes including Leigh Sports Village. He was instrumental in Wigan winning 'excellent' status from the Audit Commission and has led the borough's crime-fighting partnership.

In a letter to colleagues he said: "This has been an enormously difficult decision. Being Wigan's chief executive has been a real privilege. But

intellectually I know that our succession planning is right.

"By the time I retire I will have been a chief executive for 20 years. It's a good innings and I wish to retire while I am still scoring runs!"

Before joining Wigan in 1990, Steve was chief executive of Blackburn Council for five years and before that assistant chief executive at Bolton Council.

He is also secretary of AGMA, the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities, and clerk to Greater Manchester Fire and Civil Defence Authority.