Bassetlaw District Council officers on 'town hall rich list' earning £100,000 or more

The Tax Payers’ Alliance has this week revealed the pay packets of high profile town hall staff across the country, amid calls for top salaries to be cut or frozen in an effort to keep household tax bills down.

Figures show that Bassetlaw District Council pay two employees £100,000 or more, with chief executive Neil Taylor earning a salary of £133,854 and a pension pot of £19,244 - a total package of £154,352.

It was considerably lower than the pay packet of Nottinghamshire County Council’s chief executive Anthony May, who took home a basic salary of £180,424, which rose to £220,226 when pension contributions were factored in.

Bassetlaw’s director for regeneration and neighbourhoods took home a salary of £89,412 and a £14,177 pension pot, a total of £103,973.

The Tax Payers’ Alliance has called on all local authorities to “stop council tax rises and cut down on wasteful spending”.

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John O’Connell, chief executive of the TPA, said: “Taxpayers facing huge and hated council tax rises want to know they are getting value for money from their local authority leadership.

“At the onset of the coronavirus crisis, thousands of town hall officials were taking home huge sums.

“While councils were plunged into tackling the pandemic, many staff will have more than earned their keep, but households have nevertheless struggled with enormous and unpopular council tax rises.

“These figures shine a light on the town hall bosses who’ve got it right, and will enable residents to hold those who aren’t delivering value for money to account.”

A Bassetlaw District Council spokesman said: “The pay and reward of the council’s senior officers is set in line with the national guidance documents published by the Joint Negotiating Committees for Local Authority Chief Executives and Chief Officer; and following an independent review and local pay benchmarking exercise.”

The full figures can be viewed at www.taxpayersalliance.com/town_hall_rich_list_2021.

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