Council’s chief executive set to retire after five years in top role

West Norfolk Council is searching for a new chief executive after Lorraine Gore announced she is to retire later this year.She notified staff and councillors on Wednesday that she intends to leave in early September, allowing time for a replacement to be appointed.Reflecting on her time at the council, Ms Gore said: “It has been a privilege to hold the role of chief executive for the borough council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, in the area where I grew up and have lived for many years.

“There have been challenges over the years, but our overall shared aim to support and deliver for all our residents to have the best outcomes they can has been one of my key motivators.“I am proud of the partnership working we have established with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the Police, the College of West Anglia, Norfolk County Council and many third-sector organisations, which has made such a difference for people locally.“I am also proud of the work we have done with King’s Lynn Town Deal Board, which has brought government funding into the borough for major projects, including the School of Nursing, which is a tremendous success story.“We have faced every challenge head on and continued to deliver services to our communities, working hard to tackle deprivation and isolation and acknowledging the diverse needs of our rural, urban, and coastal communities.”Ms Gore joined the council’s finance team in 2001, eventually becoming chief executive in 2019.Since then she has steered the council through a number of global and national events that have impacted on local communities, including Covid-19, the war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis.The process of appointing a new chief executive will now begin.