Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s Corporate Director for Social Policy, Brendan Bergin, bid farewell to colleagues on his retirement on Thursday  April 5.

Brendan joined the local authority in 1984 as Borough Architect, having previously been at Camden Council as Assistant Director of Housing.

In the early 1990s he became Head of Housing and Architectural Services before gaining his director’s post in 1999.

Brendan’s expertise was in demand in 2005 when he was seconded to Government office Go-east for six months with a brief to assist the setting up of local area agreements, the process used by Central Government to help and give more freedom and funding to local authorities.

His last major project before leaving Great Yarmouth was a major restructuring programme to change the Council’s emphasis and focus to become a more customer orientated organisation.

“When I joined the Borough Council 23 years ago it was in need of a more modern approach,” explained Brendan.

“I believe we had arrived at that same point again, and my role has been to give officers and members the tools to get and stay on course to provide the standard of service people in the Borough need and deserve.”

Brendan received many gifts from his colleagues including a lightweight folding bike.

He isn’t rushing into any decision about how to pass his retirement, apart from volunteering for charity work.