£101k Angus Council director retires early as leadership review continues

Vibrant communities and sustainable growth director Alison Smith will leave Angus Council this week after nearly 30 years.

By Graham Brown

January 28 2025, 5:00pm

Angus Council director of vibrant communities and sustainable growth Alison Smith retires this week. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

A top Angus Council official is taking early retirement, with no indication when, or if, she will be replaced.

Director of vibrant communities and sustainable growth, Alison Smith, will leave her £101,000-a-year post this week.

She has worked with the authority for almost 30 years.

But the council has given no indication of whether the role will be filled as a review of senior management continues.

Review after council’s second-in-command steps down

Council chief executive Kathryn Lindsay instigated the corporate leadership review last September.

It followed the departure of former council depute chief executive Mark Armstrong from his £127,000 post.

Ms Lindsay later defended hiring external consultants to look at the top brass structure.

The chief executive said the cost would be “quite minimal”.

“Rather than just looking at that ourselves and considering our options, we will be asking for a little bit of external support to reflect adequately what’s happening elsewhere in the country,” she said at the time.

Economic development role

Ms Smith led the council’s economic development team before being appointed to her current role.

She has overseen projects including the Mercury programme, a £1 billion partnership vision led with Tay Cities Deal funding.

Another Tay Cities project was a planned £6 million rural mobility hub.

Angus rural mobility hub project at Brechin. — Brechin was earmarked for development of an Angus Rural Mobility Hub. Image: Angus Council.

It was earmarked for land at Brechin Business Park beside the A90.

But the council was unable to finalise a deal with Dalhousie Estates.

Last July, it announced it was looking for an alternative location.

There has been no progress update since then.

A council spokesperson said: “Alison Smith, director of vibrant communities and sustainable growth, will officially retire at the end of January 2025 having worked with Angus Council since 1996.

“This will be an early retirement under the council’s agreed processes.

“The wider review of leadership arrangements will take into account all senior leadership portfolios and will report to elected members following the necessary consultation and engagement.”

The council has given no indication of when the management review outcome is expected.