Five council bosses serving Hull earn over £100,000

As councils must now publish details of high-earning employees, the disclosures show Hull Council’s chief executive Nicola Yates to be on £160,000, more than eight times the average council worker’s salary of £19,125. Deputy chief executive Adrienne Kelbie is on £123,060.

Three other directors are on £115,000, 11 earn more than £87,000, while the head of partnership working is on the slightly lower salary of £75,839. The figures exclude school staff.

After coming into power last May, council leader Steve Brady pledged to cut senior officers’ pay as part of efforts to save £3m.

Since then managers’ pay – including generous leave entitlements– and terms and conditions have not changed.

A report by human resources head Jacqui Blesic rules out a pay cut in the short-term, saying staff who did not agree would have to be dismissed and then re-engaged – and “this carries the risk of unfair dismissal and/or breach of contract”.

Councillor Brady promised that “every detail” of spending on officers over £50,000 would come under scrutiny and said top officers had been “adept” at justifying their pay. He said: “If you look at the amount of budgets and services being cut we seriously have to look at whether you need 83 officers on above £50,000 to run council services. NPS does our property and repairs have gone over to KWL. Years ago all we had was a clerk. We have to look behind self- interest and look at what’s needed to run the council.”