This meeting of the Tower Hamlets Council Appointments Sub-Committee was scheduled to focus on shortlisting candidates for the role of Corporate Director Resources. The agenda also included standard items such as declarations of interest and confirmation of minutes from a previous meeting. Due to the confidential nature of the substantive business, the public and press were expected to be excluded from the majority of the meeting.

Shortlisting for Corporate Director Resources

The central item for discussion was the shortlisting of candidates for the Corporate Director Resources position. A report prepared by Penna, the recruitment consultants, was to be considered, containing recommendations on which candidates should progress to the final interview stage.

The report pack noted that the position had been advertised from 4 September 2025 to 5 October 2025 via the council's website, Penna's Exec Search website, the Municipal Journal, PF Jobs, and social media, with a targeted executive search also undertaken by Penna.

The report to the sub-committee stated that not recruiting to the post and continuing with the interim arrangement would not create the necessary stability that is required by filling a Corporate Director role on a permanent basis.

The Appointments Sub-Committee was asked to agree the shortlist of candidates, as recommended by Penna, to be invited for final interviews.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The agenda included a recommendation to exclude the press and public from the meeting, citing Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972¹. This exclusion was recommended because the remaining agenda items contained information defined as exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Declarations of Interest

Councillors were to declare any interests, including those restricting them from voting under Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992². A note from the Interim Monitoring Officer provided guidance on disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) and non-DPI interests.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The Sub-Committee was scheduled to confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on 21 October 2025, as a correct record. This included both the public and exempt minutes.