IN order to slash bureaucratic costs, Waverley Borough Council (WBC) announced the forced departure of chief executive Christine Pointer last week, after more than a decade at the helm. Following a narrow vote by WBC councillors, Miss Pointer (pictured) was a key element of the Liberal Democrat-led administration's resolution to make immediate savings. It is understood that last year's "no" vote by the Waverley tenants in the housing transfer ballot forced the administration to seek "necessary cost reductions", with Miss Pointer taking gardening leave from May 1. As this decision was taken in private at last week's full council meeting, WBC would divulge neither Miss Pointer's redundancy package, nor the anticipated savings of the move. "As minutes from the council meeting are produced, the monitoring officer will look at what further information can be released in due course," a statement said. Initial feelers from WBC councillors are that the vacuum left by Miss Pointer will cause mayhem and strife, yet in a press release, WBC was keen to emphasise the benefits of the "restructuring process". According to a statement, the next six months will see senior officers working on the formulation of a new "top management structure" to put to council, with financial savings as imperative. "In the interim period, WBC's four departmental directors will take on the 'head of paid service' function on a two-monthly rotating basis," it added. In a statement released by WBC, Miss Pointer pointed to "some fine officers at Waverley," deeming that the council is a "good" one. "One of the things that has kept me at Waverley for so long has been the staff, who have always displayed selfless determination to give the very best possible service to our residents," she added. Looking forward to the future, Miss Pointer is clearly not one to put her feet her up, remarking: "I do not intend to retire to do my knitting." "These are interesting times for local government and I plan to continue to work in the sector in due course. A keen voluntary worker, Miss Pointer is set to take up national chairmanship of the Audit and Performance Committee for the WRVS from May, and the presidency of the Soroptimists International Club of Waverley for the coming year.