Council top pay package defended

THE decision to increase the salary of a new chief executive at a local authority in the middle of a £45m package of cuts has been defended by the council leader.

Barnsley Council’s long-serving chief executive Phil Coppard left earlier this year after apparently losing the backing of the controlling Labour group.

His replacement, Diana Terris, was appointed on a salary of £148,500 yesterday, around £10,000 a year more than Mr Coppard was earning.

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The appointment was confirmed by councillors, though Coun John Wilson questioned the salary increase and said: “I do have concerns we are sending out slightly the wrong message in terms of salary.”

However, council leader Steve Houghton insisted Ms Terris was the best candidate to guide Barnsley through the difficult years ahead. She is moving from the same post at Warrington Council, which pays £165,000. “Clearly, given her existing salary we would have had to negotiate the salary and we sent officers away to do that,” said Coun Houghton.

She is expected to join the council in August and her salary will be reduced by five per cent until next March as part of an existing cost saving measure.