Peterborough set to approve appointment of new Monitoring Officer

Councillors at Peterborough City Council will next week be asked to approve the appointment of Gavin Milnthorpe as Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer.

Milnthorpe is currently Monitoring Officer and Deputy Director of Legal and Governance for the London Borough of Havering.

Peterborough said the Director of Legal and Governance is the council's principal legal advisor, and also the statutory Monitoring Officer, “ensuring that officers and councillors act lawfully and maintain high standards of conduct and governance”.

The role also oversees the operation of the council's constitution and leads its Legal, Elections, Information Governance, Complaints and Democratic Services teams.

If councillors approve the appointment at next week’s full council meeting, Milnthorpe will take up his role from 13 April 2026.

Peterborough’s current Acting Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer, Graham Kitchen, will leave the council on 25 January.

Members will also be asked at next week’s meeting to appoint Satinder Sahota, the council’s Interim Head of Legal Services and Deputy Monitoring Officer, as the council’s Monitoring Officer on an interim basis until Milnthorpe starts in post.

Milnthorpe said: “I’m delighted to be joining Peterborough City Council as Director of Legal and Governance. The council faces huge challenges in the next few years and I believe my background and experience will benefit the organisation as it looks to improve life across the city, both for its residents and businesses. I'm excited to get involved in many of those projects I have seen reported on in local media in recent times."

Milnthorpe has 17 years of local government legal experience, where he has held roles ranging from Monitoring Officer and Deputy Monitoring Officer to Head of Commercial and Property.

Peterborough said that at Havering, Milnthorpe leads the management and strategic direction of the shared service One Source, which provides back-office support services for Havering, Newham and Bexley Councils.

Matthew Gladstone, Chief Executive of Peterborough City Council, said: “The role of Monitoring Officer is one of the most important for any council, supporting officers and councillors to navigate many complex areas of the law.

“I am delighted to recommend to councillors that we appoint Gavin and I look forward to working with him.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Graham Kitchen who has done a fantastic job leading our Legal and Governance services in the past three months.”

Members of Peterborough’s Employment Committee agreed to the appointment at a meeting held on 15 December.