Council Boss to Call It a Day After 52 Years’ Service

Marshal Scott, 70, was appointed chief executive at Ribble Valley Borough Council in 2009, since which he and his finance team have steered the authority through many years of unprecedented financial constraint, without a single compulsory redundancy.

Marshal has a strong track record in local government finance having joined Burnley Council in 1973, where he trained as an accountant.

He was appointed the council’s senior accountant in 1980 and in 1986 joined Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council as group accountant.

He joined Ribble Valley Council in 1988 as the authority’s accountancy and computer services manager, then became director of resources in 1994, before being appointed chief executive.

He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and leads a team of 236 permanent staff at the council delivering a complex range of services with a £34million gross annual budget.

As well as keeping the council in a strong financial position during many years of unprecedented financial constraint, Marshal led from the front during Ribble Valley’s 2015 Boxing Day floods, when council staff turned out over Christmas and assisted 265 evacuated households, 35 of which needed long-term emergency accommodation.

He also didn’t miss a single day at the office during the Covid pandemic, when he and council staff led the community response, including distributing £35million in business grants quickly and with due diligence.

As chief executive, Marshal has worked with five different council leaders and ‘many dedicated and talented officers’.

Ribble Valley Borough Council leader Simon Hore described Marshal as ‘a quiet man with a wealth of knowledge and experience, whose wisdom had guided many officers and councillors over decades’.

He said:

“Marshal is leaving a council that is well respected in Lancashire, with the lowest council tax in the county and high resident satisfaction rates.

 

“We are extremely grateful to him for his dedication and proving that smaller councils are more than capable of delivering excellent services, while skilfully managing finances.

 

“We hope that the ‘Ribble Valley way’ will be incorporated into the new unitary authority, if local government reorganisation goes ahead, and on behalf of councillors across the chamber I wish Marshal the very best for his retirement.”

Former council leader Stephen Atkinson, who is now leader of Lancashire County Council, praised Marshal’s commitment to public service and the people of Ribble Valley.

“Marshal has helped to create one of the best boroughs in the UK, by providing a Rolls Royce service that places residents at the heart of everything it does.

 

“He is recognised among his peers as one of the most effective chief executives in the country and I wish him the best in his retirement.”

Marshal was appointed by former council leader Michael Ranson, who described him as ‘a wonderful person, who has dedicated the majority of his working life to Ribble Valley’.

He said:

“One of the attributes that persuaded us to appoint Marshal was his impeccable financial management and during my time as leader he always found the right balance between the demands of elected councillors, while maintaining the integrity of decision-making.

 

“It was an absolute pleasure working with him and I wish him a long and happy retirement.”

Marshal was born in Crawshawbooth and attended Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School.

A keen golfer with a 13 handicap, Marshal is a member of Burnley Golf Club and intends to spend his retirement playing golf, walking, travelling and gardening.

Ribble Valley Borough Council’s new chief executive, Sarah Threlfall, who is currently deputy chief executive at Preston City Council, takes up her post on Monday, January 5.