The district council is scrapping the position in favour of a job-share scheme with a chief executive from another nearby council.

It echoes similar council re-organisations which have been implemented in Sussex, Staffordshire, Suffolk and Devon. The move will save the district council tens of thousands of pounds each year, and councillors predict it is the first step towards amalgamating services with other local authorities.

Speaking at a district council meeting last Wednesday, EHDC leader Ferris Cowper said: "There is more to this than simply saving on salary costs. We have to get to grips with the changes facing local government.

"We have seen around the country that the consolidation of local authorities is a current trend. Several new unitary authorities have been appointed in the last few months."

Cllr Cowper said the Hampshire Senate, a body which represents all the authorities around the county, had been set up to improve efficiency and sharing chief executives was one way of achieving this.

Further down the line, it is expected other council departments and services would be consolidated with other authorities.

Cllr Cowper admitted this could cause problems, but he was confident the district council would not drop the standard of services it gives to East Hampshire residents.

He said: "Unfortunately a shared services agenda has in the past tended to be very slow. We all know there is a little bit of turf in this, there is a turf war that goes on between neighbouring authorities.

"Everybody says how wonderful it would be to consolidate these services, then you ring another authority up and things have not been done, but something has to be done to break through the log jam."

Liberal Democrat leader Jerry Janes said: "I think this is something that we welcome, but we need a chief executive that knows what is important to our people, and the Whitehill and Bordon Opportunity is one of those things.

"It has got to be something that delivers for all of our people, it has got to be something that is better than what we have got already."

Hart District Council and Rushmoor District Council were mentioned during the meeting as potential partners.

The district council's current chief executive Will Godfrey leaves on July 13, and deputy chief executive Daphne Gardner will act as interim leader until the shared appointment is made.