It was announced at a council meeting earlier this week that Huw Evans, chief planning officer for Flintshire Council, had stepped down from the job and that an emergency appointment had been made.

Mr Evans has taken early retirement and now has a job in planning and development control with a private company in Colwyn Bay.

He said: "I've done 35 years public service and I've decided the time is right to look for a new challenge for a number of reasons.

"We are coming to the end of the UDP (Unitary Development Plan), which has been a very long process and the council is moving into the LDP (Local Development Plan).

"There is a new council, new structure and new directors and I thought it was the right time for a change.

"I decided to take a role in the private sector with Capita Symonds in Colwyn Bay.

"Planning is often controversial and sensitive.

"I always felt I gave professional and good advice at the council. There have been some high profile cases where members didn't take that advice and the advice given by officers has been proven to be right."

Flintshire Council chief executive Colin Everett announced that Mr Evans had left his post at a meeting of the council's executive committee on Tuesday, August 5.

He said: "An emergency appointment of an acting chief planning officer was made and council employee Glyn Jones has taken on the role."

A spokesman for the council told us earlier this week that Mr Evans had taken early retirement from Flintshire Council.