The appointment was formally agreed at a meeting of Full Council on 10 April. Gordon emerged as the preferred candidate following an extensive recruitment campaign which attracted 28 applicants. During the rigorous selection process, a panel of elected members reached the unanimous decision to recommend him for the top position.

Simon Tagg, Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, said: “I’m delighted to have Gordon joining us at such an exciting time. The Council has been on an incredible transformational journey in recent years – which was recently praised by an independent inspection – and I’m looking forward to working with him to build on the excellent work that’s been done so far.

“Gordon’s background and experience, both in the public and private sector, is really impressive and will prove invaluable in our determination to maintain high quality and affordable services for residents; deliver a range of once-in-a-lifetime, multi-million pound regeneration projects and promote our new and improved town centres as vibrant places for everyone to enjoy.”

Gordon’s current role, which he has held since 2016, includes responsibility for economic policy and development, town centres and tourism. Before his move to Scotland, he was Head of Culture and Environment Services at Ipswich Borough Council, managing front-line operations.