David Clark talks to political reporter Adam Nichols about his five years as the city's chief executive.

ALMOST five years ago to the day, David Clark arrived in York as the first member of staff at the newly-formed City of York Council. The list of his former homes was long. Originally from Nottingham, he had lived and worked in various places including Holland, Germany, Canterbury and London.

He arrived, with his wife Kathy and two sons, Liam and James, facing the task of steering York through the biggest local government transition it had seen for decades as chief executive of the unitary authority, which replaced old York City Council.

He says: "We had been to York as tourists before, but we didn't know the city well at all.

"People said to me that we wouldn't be accepted, that Yorkshire is a very insular place, but from day one we were made extremely welcome. It is a very friendly place."

Now he has been tempted away by a top job in local politics.

He leaves at the end of this week to start as director general of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives, a body which represents local government managers.

After five years leading the city, being ultimately responsible for overseeing every vital service from education and social services to emergency planning, it would seem inevitable that Mr Clark, now 43, would have few poor words to say about the council and the city.

Despite his new job being London based and taking him across the world, Mr Clark's family will remain in York, the city he wants to continue to call home.

"It will be an incredible wrench not to work in York," he says.

"I'm going to miss being able to walk to work from my home in Monkgate and listening to the choir practising when I pass the Minster. In London I would be stuck in my car, but here I am walking past one of the most beautiful buildings in northern Europe.

"This is the city I want my kids to grow up in. It's a city where the schools are good, where it's safe for kids to be able to cycle to school, where there is a sense of pride and of enthusiasm."

Although he does intend to buy a home in London, Mr Clark will return to York as often as possible.

He says: "I'll be here a lot more than people expect. The truth is, I can get to Camden quicker than I can get to Settle from York, so I expect to be coming back whenever I can. I think this is a great place.

"One thing I certainly will be looking forward to is being able to have a drink with friends in York, and not being expected to talk about the council."

Although he speaks with respect and admiration for the city he has been in charge of for the past five years, Mr Clark's modesty does not allow him to take credit for it. He says: "No one agency has made this city what it is. There is a real partnership working here which is not often found elsewhere. Everybody seems to work towards the best interests of the city, including the council, businesses, the university and the police.

"The whole place lives and breathes as a city and works really hard to include everybody in development. That this is very unusual.

"I know from talking to other chief executives that it is rare for them to get in touch with businesses and ask for help if they need to - something I have always been able to do.

"It is the same in the council. The members made it clear to me from day one that the city comes first, and the politics come second.

"When a chief executive has that, and doesn't have to deal with all kinds of in-fighting, it makes the job a lot easier. Of course, we do get that occasionally, but by and large everybody basically wants the best for York.

"There are so many good people doing things in York, not least the council's staff. There are so many people completely dedicated to what they do, and they can take an immense pride in everything they have achieved."

Although no council in the country is perfect, City of York Council is certainly well respected. The Government made it a Beacon Council, which means it is one others should take as an example.

Ofsted inspectors have praised York schools and a good social services inspectorate report was received last year.

Although he doesn't volunteer himself up for praise, Mr Clark certainly deserves some of it. When he arrived, schools were being transferred from the old city council, as were social services and other departments. Basically, it was an organisational nightmare, virtually needing to be started from scratch.

"I remember coming to York for a series of interviews," he says. "I was staying at the Dean Court Hotel when I was told I had got the job. I rang my wife and said I was not sure I knew how to do it. I was really concerned about letting people down and not getting it right.

"I don't know who will replace me, but I do know a key skill will have to be a willingness to learn from the excellence of others and not think that they know it all already.

"I certainly leave City of York Council having learned a lot more than I knew five years ago."

Mr Clark claims his time as chief executive has been beneficial to his personal success. He says: "Forty three is a strange age to be a former chief executive. Without York on my CV I would not have got the job I have got today. There is no question about that.

"York is so highly respected. Its name is known around the world, and the authority is well thought of among chief executives across the country.

"It is certainly the job that I wanted to do, and a huge part of me doesn't want to leave. But a large part of what makes a job are the people who are around it, and I will certainly continue to be living among them."

David Atkinson, the council's deputy chief executive, will stand in for Mr Clark until a permanent replacement is appointed early next year.