Maidstone council’s next chief executive will be Alison Broom, it has been announced.

She will take over at the helm of the council when current chief executive David Petford steps down on June 7.

Mrs Broom, who has been at the council two years, is currently director of prosperity and regeneration, dealing with a range of issues from community strategy, transport and planning policy to development and economic development and tourism.

She was chosen from three current council directors by a selection panel, chaired by Cllr Richard Lusty, as part of the council’s strategy to make savings through restructuring including reducing its directorates from three to two.

Council leader, Cllr Chris Garland (Con), said: “This planned succession is very good news for Maidstone. We will keep much of the team which has helped us remain a top performing council in Kent and nationally, and we will have an opportunity to reduce our staffing costs by building a new leaner structure around two directors.”

The appointment, a recommendation of an all-party panel, will need to be approved by the full council at its meeting on April 21.