THIS week the council’s chief executive, Gavin Jones, has announced that he will be leaving Swindon to take up a new post as the Chief of Essex County Council early in 2016.

I would like to wish Gavin well. I know that Essex has chosen wisely.

It is an appropriate moment to reflect on how Swindon has been transformed in the 11 years that Gavin has worked here. His first appointment in 2004 was as the director of cultural change – a job title that could only exist in local government.

Nevertheless, his role was a crucial one as it was about helping the council rebuild itself from the failed organisation that independent inspectors had ranked as one of the 12 worst councils in the entire country. Mike Bawden was the council leader who oversaw that initial appointment. A few years later, in 2007 Gavin was appointed by councillors to succeeded Sir Mike Pitt as chief executive.

In this role he worked with my immediate predecessor, Roderick Bluh, and myself.

The council had hit rock bottom in 2002. We had a zero-star rating by the Audit Commission – its lowest possible score. The Government handed our education services to a private trust, as the borough was not deemed capable of running them. Kent County Council was brought in to run our social services. We had a backlog of more than £65m in school repairs, and in May 2003, we had inherited a budget deficit of more than £500k from the previous regime.

Acting as the principal adviser to the Cabinet as well as the head of the council’s staff, Gavin had the job both of helping members develop policy then ensuring that the council delivered it.

By 2010 we had delivered the bulk of our 50 promises, which included building or expanding over a dozen new schools and regaining full control over our adults’ and children’s services. We were one of the first local authorities to embrace closer working with the NHS, which meant pooling our resources.

We put the council’s finances in order, living within our means for the last decade while still making £100m of savings in the last five years alone. At the same time, we have invested in the schools, roads and other public buildings that a thriving, growing borough like Swindon needs. In the past few weeks the council has adopted a new Vision, which is underpinned by four priorities and 30 pledges and Gavin has played a pivotal role in helping to bring politicians’ aspirations together.