Cheshire East is interviewing this week for an interim chief executive and could be forced to pay a daily rate – the last time this happened it cost the council a whopping £1,380 a day.

The cash-strapped authority has been without a permanent chief exec since Rob Polkinghorne left by mutual agreement at the end of May following a six-month absence when the council said he was unwell.

In the meantime, Helen Charlesworth-May, the executive director of adults, health and integration, has been standing in.

But a report to Thursday's meeting of the appointments committee says: "This arrangement is not sustainable, and it is important the council has both the leadership capacity and experience to progress the challenging agenda facing the council and to stabilise the senior leadership team.

"In addition, as part of the council's transformation agenda, there is a consideration of increased scrutiny for the council in regard to the non-statutory best value notice, recent Ofsted inspection and wider change programmes taking place during 2026/27."

The report states the role has a budget of £253,440.

It continues: "As chief executive, the post holder will likely command a day rate in excess of the budget available.

"The additional costs will be required to be absorbed by the chief executive's office in the first instance, and across the council in the second."

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Cheshire East's last interim chief executive was David Parr OBE, who stepped in to fill the gap between outgoing boss Lorraine O'Donnell and the incoming Mr Polkinghorne.

Mr Parr, who worked the equivalent of three days a week, was contracted at a daily rate of £1,200 plus VAT.

Agency fees on top of that meant the council was paying a whopping £1,380 a day plus VAT.

The report to this week's committee does not state what the daily rate might be this time.