THE first chief executive of the new Somerset West and Taunton Council will be James Hassett – the only candidate through to the final stage who did not have CEO experience.

And he is to be paid £115,000 before the council, now operating as a shadow authority, has even been formed.

Mr Hassett will become the head of the new council on January 1 – three months before it officially takes control on April 1.

He has been serving as executive director for operations and place shaping jointly for East Hampshire District Council and Havant Borough Council.

Mr Hassett was one of 20 candidates who applied for the position after the role was officially advertised in mid-October.

At a meeting of the shadow full council in Taunton on November 19, Taunton Deane leader John Williams said all four “outstanding” candidates had been through “psychometric testing and a rigorous interview process”, from which Mr Hassett emerged as the best choice.

The new council’s appointment committee voted by a majority of six to one to appoint Mr Hassett when it met on October 31, with the shadow full council having to give final approval.