CONTROVERSIAL proposals to restructure Lancashire County Council’s top management structure due for approval yesterday have been suddenly dropped.

The streamlining put forward by the authority’s Tory leadership would have left current chief executive Jo Turton out of a job.

The plans approved by the county’s Cabinet in private last week should have been rubber stamped by its Full Council meeting yesterday.

But following legal advice taken by Ms Turton and circulated to all county councillors, they were not moved.

The restructuring proposals were put forward by authority leader County Cllr Geoff Driver and would see the number of highly-paid top County Hall bosses cut from 17 to 12.

They followed him declining to communicate with Ms Turton and four other senior officials except in writing, a move branded ‘extraordinary’ by former Blackburn MP and Labour Cabinet minister Jack Straw.

Burnley-born County Cllr Driver is on police bail after being arrested ‘on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and witness intimidation’ pending further investigations as part of the long-running One Connect inquiry into county council contracts'.

Labour group leader, County Cllr Azhar Ali welcomed the decision by the Tory leadership to drop the proposals and vowed to fight any attempt to resurrect them.

The Nelson East representative said: “The proposals were never moved after Ms Turton had taken legal counsel’s advice that they would be unlawful.

“She emailed all county councillors with this advice that Cabinet members would be individually responsible for any legal costs or compensation that followed.

“The Conservatives did not move the item from the Cabinet as it would have been ruled out of order by the chairman as result.

“I welcome the fact these proposals have been suspended for the time being and the council taxpayers of Lancashire do not face the prospect of legal costs and compensation as a result.

“I am glad they have been dropped for now as they are part of witch-hunt against Ms Turton.

“However I do not trust County Cllr Driver not to bring them forward again later in the year or possibly at an urgency committee next week.

“I shall fight any attempt to bring them forward again as I do not believe they are in the interest of the county council and any bid to go ahead will bring it into disrepute.”

County Cllr Driver, his deputy and Ribble Valley North East county councillor Albert Atkinson and lead member for human resources Cllr Alan Vincent were unavailable for comment.

Oswaldtwistle’s County Cllr Britcliffe, chairman of the County Hall Tory group declined to comment.

Lancashire County Council provides key services to Burnley, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley,Pendle, Rossendale and Chorley.