Essex-based Speight said he decided last week not to return to his home town, claiming colleagues and friends begged him to stay.
‘So many people said they didn’t want me to leave – there was even talk of a petition,’ he claimed.
The press manager and editor role remains vacant as the council prepares for a local media backlash over its spending on traveller sites.
The post was created following a review by DTW earlier this year and is responsible for a four-strong comms team, a monthly newsletter and a fortnightly internal publication.
