FOI release

Chief Finance Officer

Case reference FOI2026/02246

Received 13 October 2026

Published 9 November 2026

Request

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, could you please provide the following information about your council's statutory chief finance officer (the officer designated under section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972, the s151 officer):

1. For the period 1 April 2020 to the date of your response, a list of every separate period during which a person held the s151 officer designation, including on an acting, interim or temporary basis. For each period please give:

(a) the job title held;

(b) the date the designation began;

(c) the date it ended, or 'current';

(d) the employment basis, using one of: permanent employee; fixed-term employee; interim engaged through an agency or consultancy; secondment from another organisation; shared and, if so, with which other organisation; other (please specify).

If you can disclose the postholder's name in line with your usual practice for senior officers, please include it; if not, job title is sufficient.

Response

Thank you for your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Please find a spreadsheet attached.

However, please note that this information is also publicly available and can be found on our website via the following links:

Re: Claire Morris:

Appointment :

https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=6970&ISATT=1#search=%22section%20151%22

Resignation:

https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/documents/s25013/Item%2012%20-%20Appointment%20of%20Joint%20Strategic%20Directors%20and%20S151%20Officer.pdf

 

Re: Peter Vickers:

Appointment:

https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/documents/s25572/Item%2008%20-%20Appointment%20of%20Joint%20S151%20Officer.pdf

Resignation:

https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/documents/s30095/Item%2004%20-%20Appointment%20of%20Interim%20S151%20Officer.pdf

 

Re: Richard Bates:

Appointment:

https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=14681

https://www.guildford.gov.uk/article/27107/New-Joint-Strategic-Director-of-Finance-and-Section-151-Officer-appointed?ccp=true

Resignation:

https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/documents/s42112/Item%2016%20-%20Appt%20of%20S151%20Officer%20FINAL.pdf

 

Re: Jo Knight:

Appointment:

https://www.guildford.gov.uk/article/27611/New-Joint-Strategic-Director-of-Finance-and-Section-151-Officer-appointed#:~:text=We%27ve%20appointed%20Jo%20Knight%20as%20our%20new%20Joint,at%20a%20Council%20meeting%20on%20Tuesday%202%20December.

Yours sincerely

FOI Team                                     

Guildford Borough Council

 

Documents

This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.