Brighton council chief on loan to Croydon

A top council officer is to be loaned to Croydon Council for six months to become the London suburb’s “cultural tsar”.

Paula Murray, Brighton and Hove City Council’s assistant chief executive, will still be paid by the city, which will bill Croydon for her services.

Ms Murray has been with Brighton and Hove City Council for fourteen years. She has mainly worked in culture and economic development, having been in charge of commissioning cultural events before her appointment as assistant chief executive in 2013.

As assistant chief executive, she oversees the policy, communities, communications, culture and tourism departments.

Her secondment, which starts in April, comes at a time when the VisitBrighton tourism marketing department has been recommended for privatisation, and as proposals to move the city’s Royal Pavilion and Museums to a charitable trust are being drawn up.

A council spokeswoman said: “Paula Murray, assistant chief executive for Brighton amd Hove City Council, will be seconded to Croydon Council for six months on a full-time basis. She will be looking at a cultural programme for the area that will feed into a large scale regeneration programme.

“She will still have a relationship with this council as part of the work.”

In a press release issued by Croydon Council, Ms Murray said: “I’m thrilled about this opportunity to use my experiences from Brighton to develop culture in what are exciting times for Croydon.

“I look forward to working with the council’s leadership, other organisations and people involved at the grassroots to deliver a crucial part of the borough’s regeneration and revitalise the borough’s cultural offer.”

Her new creative director role will require her to “lead the vision” for the £30 million redesign of Fairfield Halls.

Croydon councillor Timothy Godfrey, who described Ms Murray on Twitter as the town’s “culture tsar”, said: “Brighton is renowned for its vibrant culture, so to entice a key player behind these ongoing successes to Croydon will help us further widen our cultural and artistic offer.”